Nitric oxide and cardiovascular protection.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a critical role in ischemic heart disease and ischemia-reperfusion. There is an increasing body of evidence to support the role of NO in myocardial and vascular protection in disease. The finding that NO might act as a trigger of late ischemic preconditioning (IPC) might lead to the development of novel anti-ischemic therapy. The role of NO signaling in the cardioprotective effects of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II type 1 receptor(AT(1)) receptor antagonists is an active area of study.