Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by the endothelial NOS (eNOS) in the intima and by the neuronal NOS (nNOS) in the adventitia of cerebral vessels. By activating soluble guanylyl cyclase, NO increases the production of 3'-5'cGMP, which relaxes smooth muscle cells and dilates the arteries in response to shear stress, metabolic demands and changes of pCO(2) (chemoregulation). 3'-5'cGMP is then metabo...

BACKGROUND Asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) is capable of inhibiting nitric oxide synthase enzymes, whereas symmetrical dimethylarginine (SDMA) competes with arginine transport. The potential role of inflammation in the metabolism of ADMA has been elucidated in an in vitro model using tumour necrosis factor-alpha, resulting in a decreased activity of the ADMA-degrading enzyme dimethylargini...

BACKGROUND The role of thyroid hormones and their receptors (TR) during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) was studied using genetic and pharmacologic approaches. Roles in liver regeneration have been suggested for T3, but there is no clear evidence distinguishing the contribution of increased amounts of T3 from the modulation by unoccupied TRs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS M...

Protein arginine methylation is a novel posttranslational modification regulating a diversity of cellular processes, including protein-protein interaction, signal transduction, or histone function. It has recently been shown to be dysregulated in chronic renal, vascular, and pulmonary diseases, and metabolic products originating from protein arginine methylation have been suggested to serve as ...

BACKGROUND Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), is considered a risk factor for the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Simvastatin, a lipid-lowering drug with other pleiotropic effects, has been widely used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about the effect and underlying molecular mechani...

Asymmetric Dimethylarginine To the Editor: Kielstein et al1 describe the effects of the endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), in humans in vivo but do not make reference to two previous human studies.2,3 In the original paper describing the presence of ADMA in human plasma and its accumulation in chronic renal failure, Vallance et al2 also described the...