Andrews Karen L, Triggle Chris R, Ellis Anthie
Smooth Muscle Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Heart Fail Rev. 2002 Oct;7(4):423-45. doi: 10.1023/a:1020702215520.
Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in a large number of cellular processes and dysfunctions in NO production have been implicated in many different disease states. In the vasculature NO is released by endothelial cells where it modulates the underlying smooth muscle to regulate vascular tone. Due to the unique chemistry of NO, such as its reactive and free radical nature, it can interact with many different cellular constituents such as thiols and transition metal ions, which determine its cellular actions. In this review we also discuss many of the useful pharmacological tools that have been developed and used extensively to establish the involvement of NO in endothelium-derived relaxations. In addition, the recent literature identifying a potential source of NO in endothelial cells, which is not directly derived from endothelial nitric oxide synthase is examined. Finally, the photorelaxation phenomena, which mediates the release of NO from a vascular smooth muscle NO store, is discussed.
一氧化氮（NO）参与大量细胞过程，NO生成功能障碍与许多不同疾病状态有关。在脉管系统中，内皮细胞释放NO，在那里它调节下层平滑肌以调节血管张力。由于NO的独特化学性质，如其反应性和自由基性质，它可以与许多不同的细胞成分相互作用，如硫醇和过渡金属离子，这些决定了它的细胞作用。在这篇综述中，我们还讨论了许多已开发并广泛用于确定NO参与内皮源性舒张的有用药理学工具。此外，还研究了最近的文献中确定的内皮细胞中NO的潜在来源，其并非直接源自内皮型一氧化氮合酶。最后，讨论了介导血管平滑肌NO储存释放NO的光舒张现象。
