The enzyme dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) metabolizes asymmetrically methylated arginine (namely L-N monomethylarginine [L-NMMA] and asymmetrical dimethylarginine [ADMA]) residues to citrulline and methylamine.1 Considerable interest has been focused on the biology of DDAH after the discovery that asymmetrically methylated arginines (in particular ADMA) are competitive inhibitor...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to identify the role of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-1 (DDAH1) in degrading the endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitors asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) and N(g)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). METHODS AND RESULTS We generated a global-DDAH1 gene-deficient (DDAH1(-/-)) mouse strain to examine the role of DDAH1 in ADMA and l-NMMA deg...

Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) is a highly conserved hydrolytic enzyme found in numerous species, including bacteria, rodents, and humans. In humans, the DDAH-1 isoform is known to metabolize endogenous asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and monomethyl arginine (l-NMMA), with ADMA proposed to be a putative marker of cardiovascular disease. Current literature reports identify the...

RATIONALE Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is a biomarker/target in sepsis. NOS activity is driven by amino acids, which cycle to regulate the substrate L-arginine in parallel with cycles which regulate the endogenous inhibitors ADMA and L-NMMA. The relationship between amines and the consequence of plasma changes on iNOS activity in early sepsis is not known. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to apply ...

A series of quinoxaline 1,4-di-N-oxide analogues were prepared from benzofurazan N-oxide derivatives and β-diketone ester compounds by the improved Beirut reaction. The structures of the target products were characterized by NMR, MS, IR and elemental analysis measurements, and that of 2-carbomethoxy-3-hydroxyquinoxaline- di-N-oxide was further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Its ...

INTRODUCTION Microbial pathogens, one of them is Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), have frequently been implicated in the atherogenesis. Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from L-arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and plays a pivotal role in the regulation of vascular tone. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is the most potent endogenous NOS inhibitor. Elevated levels of A...

Two new N-oxide alkaloids with pyrrolo[1,2-α]azepine skeleton, namely isoneostemocochinine-N-oxide (1) and neostemocochinine-N-oxide (2), as well as three known alkaloids with pyrido[1,2-α]azepine skeletons, were isolated and identified from the roots of Stemona cochinchinensis (Stemonaceae). The structures of these compounds were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectra and other spectroscopic stu...

Arterial compliance plays an important role in the vascular function (i.e., arterial buffering function of the pulsation of blood pressure and flow). Reduction in central arterial compliance is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.1 Central arterial compliance decreases with advancing age.2,3 In addition, postmenopausal women have lower central arterial compliance than premenop...

C-reactive protein (CRP) has received much attention as a cardiovascular risk factor and has been recommended to be used in screening to assist in predicting the occurrence of cardiovascular disorders. There are numerous association studies documenting changes in circulating CRP concentrations, there are, however, fewer studies providing evidence that CRP mediates the progression of cardiovascu...

Pyrazoloacridine (PZA) is an experimental antitumor agent presently under investigation for treatment of solid tumors on the basis of its unique mechanism of action and selectivity for human solid tumor xenograft in mice. Using capillary electrophoresis coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, we have identified three oxidative PZA metabolites, 9-desmethyl-PZA, N-demethyl-PZA, an...