Uncoupled cardiac nitric oxide synthase mediates diastolic dysfunction.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is 1 consequence of hypertension and is caused by impaired cardiac diastolic relaxation. Nitric oxide (NO) is a known modulator of cardiac relaxation. Hypertension can lead to a reduction in vascular NO, in part because NO synthase (NOS) becomes uncoupled when oxidative depletion of its cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) occurs.

Early determinants of H2O2-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can stimulate nitric oxide (NO(*)) production from the endothelium by transient activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). With continued or repeated exposure, NO(*) production is reduced, however. We investigated the early determinants of this decrease in NO(*) production.

The measurement of nitric oxide production by cultured endothelial cells.

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by vascular endothelial cells (ECs) plays a critical role in normal vascular physiology. Important insights into mechanisms regulating the production of endothelial NO have been derived from in vitro studies employing cultured ECs. Although many techniques for the detection of NO have been described, many of these methods lack adequate sensitivity to detect the small amount of NO produced by cultured ECs.