Research Progress of the Relationship between Arginase Inhibitors and Diabetic Vascular Endothelial Function / 昆明医科大学学报

Endothelial dysfunction is a major risk factor for vascular complication. Nitric oxide (NO),the most important product of endothelial cells,lays a key role in regulating vasomotor as an endogenous vasodilatation factor. NO is produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) on its substrate L-arginine. Arginase,which metabolizes L-arginine to urea and ornithine,competes directly with eNOS for L-arginine leading to the decrease of NO production. This paper reviews the basic role of arginase, the development of arginase inhibitors and its effects on diabetic vascular complications.