edited by Robert T Mathie (Imperial College, UK) & Tudor M Griffith (University of Wales College of Medicine, UK)

Since the discovery of nitric oxide as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor in 1987, investigations on its precise modes of action have been carried out at an extraordinary rate. Nitric oxide is now implicated in many physiological and pathological processes — not just in the control of vascular resistance, but in nerve transmission, cell proliferation, inflammatory responses and so on.

Despite such rapid progress, no attempt has been made to combine the current knowledge of this subject matter in a single textbook. This volume has been written with the above in mind and presents a topical, comprehensive overview of the biochemistry and the physiological and pathophysiological effects of nitric oxide as they relate to the cardiovascular system. The therapeutic implications of nitric oxide are also considered. The text comprises contributions from many of the leading international authorities on the topic including Professor L J Ignarro, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

• Physiology and Biochemistry of Nitric Oxide:
  • Chemistry and Molecular Biology of Nitric Oxide Synthesis (A J Hobbs & L J Ignarro)
  • Nitric Oxide Synthases Biology: Insights Gained from ‘Knockout’ Mice (A Papapetropoulos et al.)
  • Inhibitors of Nitric Oxide Biosynthesis (G J Southan et al.)
• Peripheral Vascular Effects of Nitric Oxide:
  • The Role of Nitric Oxide in Cerebrovascular Regulation and Stroke (C Iadecola)
  • The Physiological and Pathophysiological Effects of Nitric Oxide in the Coronary Circulation (P Groves)
  • The Effect of Nitric Oxide on Myocardial Function and Dysfunction (B D Prendergast & A M Shah)
• Clinical Implications of Nitric Oxide:
  • Oxidative Tissue Injury, Nitric Oxide and Atherosclerosis (R P Patel et al.)
  • Endothelial Dysfunction Associated with Cardiovascular Disease and Transplantation (G J Dusting & A M Dart)
  • The Role and Therapeutic Implications of Nitric Oxide in Systemic Hypertension (P Forte & N Benjamin)
  • and other papers