This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (79)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Robert F. Furchgott, PhD

JAMA. 1996;276(14):1186-1188.

Abstract
The discovery of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and its importance in the identification of nitric oxide (NO) originated with studies using rabbit aorta to examine drug-receptor interactions in vascular smooth muscle. Smooth muscle relaxation by acetylcholine and a number of other agonists was found to be dependent on the presence of endothelial cells, which, when stimulated by the agonist, released a diffusable, very labile, nonprostanoid substance, termed EDRF, that acted on vascular smooth muscle cells to activate relaxation. The characteristics of EDRF, when released from endothelial cells, were similar to the characteristics of NO. It is now established that EDRF, either as NO or some related nitrosyl substance, has a major role in a variety of important biological processes, including the regulation of vascular tone, local blood flow, and blood pressure, inhibition of platelet aggregation and adhesion, and involvement in postischemic reperfusion, memory function, and central nervous system degenerative diseases.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn.

Footnotes
Dr Furchgott is a recipient of the 1996 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award.

Reprints: Robert F. Furchgott, PhD, Department of Pharmacology, Box 29, SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn, 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Six-month comparison of coronary endothelial dysfunction associated with sirolimus-eluting stent versus Paclitaxel-eluting stent.
Kim et al.
J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2008;1:65-71.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Neuronal NO Synthase-Derived NO: A Novel Relaxing Factor in Myocardium?
Fukuda et al.
Circ. Res. 2008;102:148-150.
FULL TEXT  

A Brief History of Great Discoveries in Pharmacology: In Celebration of the Centennial Anniversary of the Founding of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Rubin
Pharmacol. Rev. 2007;59:289-359.
FULL TEXT  

Exercise hyperaemia: is anything obligatory but the hyperaemia?
Joyner and Wilkins
J. Physiol. 2007;583:855-860.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effect of nitric oxide on oxygenation and mortality in acute lung injury: systematic review and meta-analysis
Adhikari et al.
BMJ 2007;334:779-779.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Endothelin-1-Induced Femoral Head Epiphyseal Artery Constriction Is Enhanced by Long-Term Corticosteroid Treatment
Drescher et al.
JBJS 2006;88:173-179.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Markers of lung disease in exhaled breath: nitric oxide.
Choi et al.
Biol Res Nurs 2006;7:241-255.
ABSTRACT  

When She Says Yes, But He Needs NO: Some Reflections on Nitric Oxide.
Scheindlin
Mol. Interv. 2006;6:8-13.
FULL TEXT  

Effects of atorvastatin on arterial endothelial function in coronary bypass surgery
Chello et al.
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg. 2005;28:805-810.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Formin Homology Domain Protein (FHOD1) Is a Cyclic GMP-dependent Protein Kinase I-binding Protein and Substrate in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Wang et al.
J. Biol. Chem. 2004;279:24420-24426.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

External counterpulsation therapy improves endothelial function in patients with refractory angina pectoris
Shechter et al.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2003;42:2090-2095.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nitric oxide regulation of the central aortae of the toad Bufo marinus occurs independently of the endothelium
Broughton and Donald
J. Exp. Biol. 2002;205:3093-3100.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Apoptosis in the ischemic reperfused myocardium
Holleyman and Larson
Perfusion 2001;16:491-502.
ABSTRACT  

Factors Influencing Efficacy of Nitrate Therapy for Stable Angina Pectoris: A Multiple Linear Regression Analysis
Jansen et al.
ANGIOLOGY 2000;51:1007-1012.
ABSTRACT  

Oral Magnesium Therapy Improves Endothelial Function in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Shechter et al.
Circulation 2000;102:2353-2358.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Potential Antiatherogenic Mechanisms of Ascorbate (Vitamin C) and {alpha}-Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
Carr et al.
Circ. Res. 2000;87:349-354.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The role of nitric oxide synthase/nitric oxide in vascular smooth muscle control
Sanders et al.
Perfusion 2000;15:97-104.
ABSTRACT  

Endothelium: a new target for cardiovascular therapeutics
Deedwania
J Am Coll Cardiol 2000;35:67-70.
FULL TEXT  

State-of-the-Art-Review : The Antithrombotic Factor Singlet Oxygen/Light (1O2/hv)
Stief and Fareed
CLIN APPL THROMB HEMOST 2000;6:22-30.
ABSTRACT  

Nitric Oxide and Septic Vascular Dysfunction
Murray et al.
Anesth. Analg. 2000;90:89-89.
FULL TEXT  

Effect of aerosolized acetylcholine on bronchial blood flow
Charan et al.
J. Appl. Physiol. 1998;85:432-436.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effects of in vivo adventitial expression of recombinant endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in cerebral arteries
Chen et al.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1997;94:12568-12573.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT