Nitroglycerin (glyceryl trinitrate, GTN) relaxes blood vessels primarily via activation of the soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)/cGMP/cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGK-I) pathway. Although the precise mechanism of sGC activation by GTN in the vascular wall is unknown, the mediatory role of nitric oxide (NO) has been postulated. We tested the GTN/NO hypothesis in different types of isolated rat an...

Background Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) plays an essential role in nitroglycerin (GTN) bioactivation, resulting in formation of nitric oxide (NO) or a related activator of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and consequently in cGMP-mediated vasorelaxation [1]. ALDH2 denitrates GTN to 1,2-glyceryl dinitrate (1,2-GDN) and nitrite but also catalyzes reduction of GTN to nitric oxide (N...

Four axenic bacterial species capable of biodegrading nitroglycerin (glycerol trinitrate [GTN]) were isolated from soil samples taken from a washwater soakaway at a disused GTN manufacturing plant. The isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence homology as Pseudomonas putida, an Arthrobacter species, a Klebsiella species, and a Rhodococcus species. Each of the isolates utilized GTN as i...

The effect of intra-carotid arterial infusions of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), a substance known to precipitate headache, including migraine, upon the spontaneous activity of trigeminal neurons with craniovascular input was studied in cats. Second-order craniovascular neurons which received sensory input from the superior sagittal sinus were recorded in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis. Infusions ...

Background: Glyceryl Trinitrate (GTN) is a potent smooth muscle relaxant and vasodilator. There are conflicting reports regarding its efficacy as a bronchodilator. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of nebulized GTN on airway calibare and cardio vascular system in normal subjects. Methods: We studied 24 normal subjects (6 female) on two occasions, administering either nebulized GTN...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The practicalities of doing ambulance-based trials where paramedics perform all aspects of a clinical trial involving patients with ultra-acute stroke have not been assessed. METHODS We performed a randomized controlled trial with screening, consent, randomization, and treatment performed by paramedics prior to hospitalization. Patients with probable ultra-acute stroke ...

OBJECTIVES We tested the hypothesis of whether an inhibition of the nitroglycerin (GTN) bioactivating enzyme mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH-2) contributes to GTN tolerance in human blood vessels. BACKGROUND The hemodynamic effects of GTN are rapidly blunted by the development of tolerance, a phenomenon associated with increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Recent st...

The role of nitric oxide (NO) and thiol-containing compounds in glyceryl trinitrate (GTN)-induced vasodilation was investigated using the thiol-alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). Bovine pulmonary artery (BPA) rings were submaximally contracted with K+ and exposed to increasing concentrations of GTN after a 30-min incubation with 50 microM NEM. NEM decreased maximal relaxation (10 microM G...

OBJECTIVE To address the role of epigenetic enzymes in the process of arterial vasorelaxation and nitrate tolerance, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed in the presence or absence of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) or histone deacetylases/histone acetylases modulators. METHODS AND RESULTS In vitro single GTN administration rapidly increased cGMP synthesis and protein N(ε)-lysine acetyla...

The effects of nitroglycerin (glyceryl trinitrate - GTN) are mediated by liberated nitric oxide (NO) and formed reactive nitrogen species, which induces oxidative stress during biotransformation in red blood cells (RBCs). The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of GTN on antioxidative defense system (AOS) in rat erythrocytes (without) and reticulocytes (with functional mitochondria). Rat ...