Could alien life use nitrous oxide, N2O, as its oxidizing gas, like oxygen on earth? What biochemical reactions would be needed to produce and utilise this gas? 

I've also heard conflicting messages, one stating that it is very stable and only broken down by UV light in the upper atmosphere and the other stating that it is unstable an readily reacts with O2 to make nitrogen dioxide, but the prior makes more sense to me considering we use it in many oxic contexts.