Endothelium, Nitric Oxide, and Atherosclerosis: From Basic Mechanism to Clinical Implications

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous vasodilator, which was described initially as endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) by Dr. Robert F. Furchgott. In 1978, he performed an experiment in his laboratory in New York that would lead to his realization that the presence of the endothelium is essential for the vasodilatory effect of acethylcholine. Twenty years after this key experiment, the Nobel prize was awarded to Dr. Furchgott (among others) for the discovery of EDRF. In Endothelium, Nitric Oxide, and Atherosclerosis: From Basic Mechanism to Clinical Implications, which was divided into 4 sections, the first chapter of the first section starts with a review of the discovery, biological roles, and regulation of endothelial NO by Dr. Furchgott himself. This chapter might be a valuable historical reference for anyone interested in this field. Endothelium, Nitric Oxide, and Atherosclerosis: From Basic Mechanism to Clinical Implications is a multiauthored exploration of endothelial cell function, NO, and atherosclerosis, focusing on physiology, biology, histology, and …