Vallance Patrick, Leiper James
Centre for Clinical Pharmacology, British Heart Foundation Laboratories, Department of Medicine, University College London, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6JJ, UK.
Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2002 Dec;1(12):939-50. doi: 10.1038/nrd960.
Nitric oxide (NO) is a key physiological mediator, and the association of disordered NO generation with many pathological conditions has led to much interest in pharmacologically modulating NO levels. However, the wide range of processes in which NO has been implicated, and the fact that increases or decreases in NO levels might be therapeutically desirable depending on the condition or even at different stages of the same condition, pose considerable challenges for drug development. Here, we focus on the rationale and potential for approaches that reduce NO synthesis, which have led to the development of several compounds that will shortly be entering clinical trials.
一氧化氮（NO）是一种关键的生理介质，NO生成紊乱与许多病理状况相关，这引发了人们对通过药理学手段调节NO水平的浓厚兴趣。然而，NO涉及的过程广泛，而且根据病情甚至同一病情的不同阶段，NO水平的升高或降低在治疗上可能都有益，这给药物研发带来了巨大挑战。在此，我们重点关注减少NO合成方法的基本原理和潜力，这些方法已促成了几种即将进入临床试验的化合物的研发。
