Nitric oxide modulation of metabolic and haemodynamic balance.

: Nitric oxide (NO) belongs to signal molecules and modulates notably rapid and dynamic processes. Interests are focused on the decreased NO synthesis by endothelial and mitochondrial nitric oxide synthases with the metabolic (i.e. insulin resistance, diabetes, energetical dysbalance) and vascular (i.e. hypertension, atheroslerosis) consequences. A significant source of NO are NO-donors (i.e. organic nitrates). A number of antihypertensive drugs stimulates NO production or inhibits the production of its antagonists (angiotensin II, catecholamines), other drugs (i.e. glucocorticoids) inhibit NO production. These interferences are targets of an intensive research with the aim of NO dysbalance prevention, hypertension and metabolic dysbalances correction. While the clinical research concentrates on NO and insulin resistance, the molecular biological research concentrates on "mitochondrial medicine" with the ambition to formulate a new theory of aging, carcinoma, and other fundamental biological processes (Fig. 1, Ref. 47).