Nitric Oxide
Since NO plays such an important role in many biological systems it is no surprise that it is of considerable interest in medicine - Nitric Oxide Research Group
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Characterization of the Role of Nitric Oxide and Its Clinical Applications
NO has a fascinating and colorful scientific history. Based on discoveries, to this day, characterizations of NO run the gamut of being considered a toxic air pollutant, a component of explosives, a proinflammatory and prooxidant mediator or a healthful regulator of vascular and metabolic health...
Since the discovery of NO’s role in cell signaling, NO has become one of the most researched molecules in recent history.
Articles of Interest
Discovery of a role for Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide was first identified as a gas by Joseph Priestly in 1772 and is a simple molecule consisting of just one atom of oxygen and one atom of nitrogen. For much of the time since this discovery nitric oxide, or NO, has been thought of simply as an atmospheric pollutant.
Natural vasodilators: How to dilate blood vessels naturally and increase blood flow
Nitric oxide can reduce blood pressure as well as prevent artery blockage and stroke. Boosting nitric oxide levels with food is sometimes a preferred option. No matter what your taste buds are like, you are bound to find something on the following list of natural vasodilators that you can enjoy.
Nitric Oxide Boosting Effects of the Mediterranean Diet: A Potential Mechanism of Action
In summary, many components of the Mediterranean diet have the potential to enhance NO bioavailability.
Nitric Oxide Donors and Cardiovascular Agents Modulating the Bioactivity of Nitric Oxide
These agents constitute two broad classes of compounds, those that release NO or one of its redox congeners spontaneously and those that require enzymatic metabolism to generate NO. In addition, several commonly used cardiovascular drugs exert their beneficial action, in part, by modulating the NO pathway.
Nitric oxide: a brief overview of chemical and physical properties relevant to therapeutic applications
Nitric oxide (nitrogen monoxide, •NO) has been intensively studied by chemists and physicists for over 200 years and thus there is an extensive database of information that determines its biological actions.
Sex, Nitric Oxide, and Your Heart
Nitric oxide is a very simple but important molecule. It is not the same as nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas.” The nitric oxide story is no laughing matter; it will determine how long you live.
Three Americans Awarded Nobel for Discoveries of How a Gas Affects the Body
Three American pharmacologists were awarded the Nobel Prize yesterday for their surprising discoveries of how natural production of a gas, nitric oxide, can mediate a wide variety of bodily actions. Those include widening blood vessels, helping to regulate blood pressure, initiating erections, battling infections, preventing formation of blood clots and acting as a signal molecule in the nervous system.
Resources
Nitric Oxide Research Group
Since it was discovered that NO plays an important role in the relaxation of blood vessels many new roles have been discovered for it. These include important roles in the immune system, the nervous system and the reproductive system as well as other important roles in the cardiovascular system.
Cardiovascular Physiology Concepts
Under normal, basal conditions in blood vessels, NO is continually being produced by cNOS. The activity of cNOS is calcium- and calmodulin-dependent.
ScienceDirect
Nitric oxide (NO) is an unprecedented neurotransmitter. NO is a small, labile, lipid-permeable free radical molecule. It is synthesized by NO synthase (NOS) and diffuses from its site of synthesis to targets in surrounding cells. NO forms covalent and noncovalent linkages with protein and nonprotein targets to elicit its biological effects.
