Nitric oxide (NO) donor

: Nitric oxide (NO), which is synthesized from L-arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in mammals, acts as a signal molecule for vasorelaxation, cytotoxicity and neurotransmission. The difficulty in handling of a gaseous and labile NO causes problems with the effective and precise studies using NO. The increasing interest in the biological roles of NO requires the use of NO donors which releases NO under the various desirable conditions. We systematized the most commonly used NO donors in this article to support the biological investigation. NO donors were classified according to the functional groups based on NO-donating characteristics. The preparation, chemical properties and NO-donating ability of these NO donors are summarized. It is particularly described in some detail on the stability both as a solid and in solution and the handling of the compounds.