Authors: Alcaraz, M.J.; Guillen, M.I.

Source: Current Pharmaceutical Design, Volume 8, Number 3, 1 February 2002 , pp. 215-231(17)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Nitric oxide (NO), produced from L-arginine by the activity of constitutive and inducible NO synthases, has been implicated in a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Low concentrations of this mediator play homeostatic roles, whereas NO is up-regulated in a number of pathological states and can have damaging effects. Pharmacological modulation of NO levels or NO biosynthesis may be a therapeutic strategy for a number of conditions, although the reported results can be some times controversial. Inhibitors of NO synthases exhibit different selectivity for the neuronal, endothelial or inducible isoforms, which contributes to their beneficial and detrimental effects. Recent developments in this field may offer an alternative for the treatment of inflammatory disorders, pain, neurological diseases, shock, atherosclerosis or cancer.

Keywords: Nitric oxide (NO); carrageenin; iNOS-transduced; Osteoarthritis; Neurotoxicity; monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA); Tetrahydrobiopterin analogues; Mercaptoethylguanidine; Cyclo-oxygenase; Leukotriene; N-methyl-D-aspartate

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612023396447

Publication date: 2002-02-01

More about this publication?

• Current Pharmaceutical Design publishes timely in-depth reviews covering all aspects of current research in rational drug design. Each issue is devoted to a single major therapeutic area. A Guest Editor who is an acknowledged authority in a therapeutic field has solicits for each issue comprehensive and timely reviews from leading researchers in the pharmaceutical industry and academia.
  
  Each thematic issue of Current Pharmaceutical Design covers all subject areas of major importance to modern drug design, including: medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, drug targets and disease mechanism.

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Pharmacology
• By this author: Alcaraz, M.J. ;  Guillen, M.I.

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers