Nitric oxide and pulmonary arterial hypertension

Figure 1.. Schematic diagram of the release of vasoactive factors from the endothelium and their action on the underlying vascular smooth muscle.

Figure 2.. Diagram showing the mechaism of synthesis of nitric oxide from endothelail cells and its action on vascular smooth muscle cells.

Figure 3.. Confocal images of endothelial cells expressing genetically encoded fluorescent probes that specifically respond to NO in (A) the mitochondria (mtC-geNO), (B) the cytosol (G-geNOp) and (C) a merged image of both. Scale bar, 10 mm. (D) Maximal average changes in intensity following the addition of ATP or the NO donor NOC-7 in the mitochondrial (green bar) and the cytosol (grey bar).

Figure 4.. Histological sections of plexiform lesions in pulmonary arteries from patients with PAH (taken from Mason et al.)53.

Figure 5.. Comparisons of the chemical structure of the nitric oxide synthase substrate arginine with the synthetic inhibitor L-NAME and the endogenous inhibitor ADMA of the enzyme.

Figure 6.. (A) New inhaled NO delivery systems that allow pulsed dosing with the gas and (B) data on the reductions achieved with inhaled NO given by either continuous therapy (MASK) or via a pulsed delivery system (PULSE)78.

Figure 7.. Diagram of catalytic Pocket of PDE showing occupation by (A) cGMP and (B) the PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil88.

Figure 8.. Scanning electron micrograph on NO-containing nano-particles.