Role of nitroxyl (HNO) in cardiovascular system: From biochemistry to pharmacology

Cardiovascular diseases are recognized to be a major cause of people morbidity and mortality. A host of stress signals contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disorders. Deficiency of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) or nitric oxide (NO) coordinately plays essential roles in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies have shown that interaction between the two gaseostransmitters, H2S and NO, may give rise to nitroxyl (HNO), one-electron-reduced product of NO. HNO is found to exhibit a variety of biological and pharmacological properties including positive inotropy and cardiovascular protective effects, etc. In this review, recent progresses regarding HNO generation, detection, biochemical and pharmacological functions are discussed.