The chemistry and biology of soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators and activators.

The vasodilatory properties of nitric oxide (NO) have been utilized in pharmacotherapy for more than 130 years. Still today, NO-donor drugs are important in the management of cardiovascular diseases. However, inhaled NO or drugs releasing NO and organic nitrates are associated with noteworthy therapeutic shortcomings, including resistance to NO in some disease states, the development of tolerance during long-term treatment, and nonspecific effects, such as post-translational modification of proteins.