Return to our Home Page


Technical Resources
Technical Information
Calbiochem Information
Inhibitor Resource
Nitric Oxide
Arginase
Glutathione S-Transferase
Guanylate Cyclase
Nitric Oxide Synthase
Nitric Oxide/Oxidative Stress: Arginase Inhibitors
 
Arginase, an Mn2+ metalloenzyme, catalyzes the hydrolysis of L-arginine to yield L-ornithine and urea in ureotelic animals. Based on their distribution, two isoforms of arginase have been described. Type I arginase, a cytosolic enzyme, is found in the hepatic tissue and besides participating in the urea cycle, it also plays a significant role in limiting the supply of arginine for nitric oxide (•NO) synthesis. Type II arginase is a mitochondrial enzyme found in extrahepatic tissues, and is involved in the regulation of extra-urea cycle arginine metabolism and in the down-regulation of NO synthesis.

Due to the reciprocal regulation between arginase and nitric oxide synthase, arginase inhibitors are considered to have therapeutic potential in treating NO-dependent smooth muscle disorders, such as erectile dysfunctions and polyamine induced bronchial constriction.

 
 
Inhibitors: Arginase