BH4: Tetrahydrobiopterin; BH2: Dihydrobiopterin; NOS: Nitric Oxide Synthase; eNOS: endothelial Noxide Synthase; nNOS: Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase; iNOS: Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase; CAD: Coronary Artery Disease; LC-MS/MS: Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry; GTCH1: Guanine Triphosphate Cyclohydrolase; NOS3: Nitrous Oxide Synthase 3 – Endothelial; QDPR: Quinoid Dihydropteri...

Two isomeric N-(methoxycarbonylthienylmethyl)thioureas were synthesised by a sequence of radical bromination of methylthiophenecarboxylic esters, substitution with trifluoroacetamide anion, deprotection, formation of the corresponding isothiocyanates and addition of ammonia. The interaction of these new thiophene-based thioureas with inducible and neuronal nitric oxide synthase was evaluated. T...

To elucidate whether cytokines induce nitric oxide synthase in vascular smooth muscle cells, we studied the effects of human recombinant interleukin-1 beta on the synthesis and release of nitric oxide in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells by measurement of NO2-/NO3- levels. Furthermore, we performed Northern blot analysis using subcloned polymerase chain reaction products as probes for c...

In the present investigation, the effects of melatonin on the generation of nitric oxide in stimulated murine macrophages were studied by electron paramagnetic resonance techniques, and the underlying mechanisms were discussed. Upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide/interferon-gamma, macrophages generated a high concentration of nitric oxide. Melatonin pretreatment significantly inhibited the...

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease characterized by allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation, and remodeling. Nitric oxide (NO) derived from constitutive and inducible enzymes affects many aspects of asthma physiopathology. Animal in vivo studies have indicated that inhibition of iNOS may play a central role in the modulation of these features, particularly ...

Sporadic inclusion body myositis is a severely disabling myopathy. The design of effective treatment strategies is hampered by insufficient understanding of the complex disease pathology. Particularly, the nature of interrelationships between inflammatory and degenerative pathomechanisms in sporadic inclusion body myositis has remained elusive. In Alzheimer's dementia, accumulation of β-amyloid...

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expresses a calcium calmudolin-independent enzyme which can catalyse NO production from L-arginine. The induction of iNOS activity has been demonstrated in a wide variety of cell types under stimulation with cytokines and lipopoly saccharide (LPS). Previous studies indicated that all nitric oxide synthases (NOS) activated in human umbilical vein endot...

Cyclosporine toxicity mainly affects kidney and liver function. We have previously shown that cyclosporine nephrotoxicity alters kidney nitric oxide synthase mRNA pattern of expression. To determine if nitric oxide synthase expression changes are mediated directly by cyclosporine or by secondary hemodynamic alterations induced by cyclosporine, we evaluated if these effects are tissue specific a...

Nitric oxide is endogenously released in the airways by nitric oxide synthase. Functionally, two isoforms of this enzyme exist: constitutive and inducible. The former seems to protect airways from excessive bronchoconstriction while the latter has a modulatory role in inflammatory disorders of the airways such as asthma. This review explores the physiological and pathophysiological role of endo...