The L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway

S Moncada, A Higgs - New England journal of medicine, 1993 - Mass Medical Soc
S Moncada, A Higgs
New England journal of medicine, 1993Mass Medical Soc
The discovery that mammalian cells generate nitric oxide, a gas previously considered to be
merely an atmospheric pollutant, is providing important information about many biologic
processes. Nitric oxide is synthesized from the amino acid L-arginine by a family of
enzymes, the nitric oxide synthases, through a hitherto unrecognized metabolic route--
namely, the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway1–8. The synthesis of nitric oxide by vascular
endothelium is responsible for the vasodilator tone that is essential for the regulation of …
The discovery that mammalian cells generate nitric oxide, a gas previously considered to be merely an atmospheric pollutant, is providing important information about many biologic processes. Nitric oxide is synthesized from the amino acid L-arginine by a family of enzymes, the nitric oxide synthases, through a hitherto unrecognized metabolic route -- namely, the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway18.
The synthesis of nitric oxide by vascular endothelium is responsible for the vasodilator tone that is essential for the regulation of blood pressure. In the central nervous system nitric oxide is a neurotransmitter that underpins several functions, including the formation of memory. . . .
The New England Journal Of Medicine