Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 8, Issue 3, 2002

Endothelial dysfunction defined as the impaired ability of vascular endothelium to stimulate vasodilation plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis and in various pathological conditions which predispose to atherosclerosis, such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperhomocyst (e) inemia and chronic renal failure. The major cause of the endothelial dysfunction is decreased bioavailabilit Read More

Biological role of nitric oxide (NO), functioning of isoforms of NO synthetases (NOS) and pharmacology of principle NO-donors were reviewed. NO donating characteristics and pharmacology of 23 mesoionic oxatriazoles (MOTA) were compared with those of 5-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), sodium nitroprusside (NaNP) and glyceryl trinitrate (GTN). It is concluded that in vitro NO donating Read More

Nitric oxide (NO), a molecular messenger synthesized by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) from L-arginine and molecular oxygen, is involved in a number of physiological and pathological processes in mammalians. Three structurally distinct isoforms of NOS have been identified: neuronal (nNOS), endothelial (eNOS) and inducible (iNOS). Although NO mediates several physiological functions, overproduction of NO by nNOS has been Read More

Nitric oxide (NO) deficiency has been implicated in many pathological and physiological processes within the mammalian body providing a plausible biologic basis for the use of NO replacement therapy in these conditions. Exogenous NO sources may hopefully constitute a powerful way to supplement NO when the body cannot generate enough for normal biological functions.This theory has opened up the possibility of desi Read More

Nitric oxide (NO), produced from L-arginine by the activity of constitutive and inducible NO synthases, has been implicated in a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Low concentrations of this mediator play homeostatic roles, whereas NO is up-regulated in a number of pathological states and can have damaging effects. Pharmacological modulation of NO levels or NO biosynthesis may be a th Read More

Research in the nitric oxide (NO) field has enormously extended in the past 20 years and maintaining an overview of NO research has become very difficult. NO biology has been extensively studied and several aspects of its role in physiology and pathology have been clarified. The final outcome of these researches is that NO is a double edge sword mediator in that it can exert beneficial or detrimental effect depending on the ph Read More