Also: NO, EDRF
Nitric oxide is a gas the body makes to relax blood vessels. Its discovery as a signal won the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Readiness: lab lab studies · prototype demonstrated objects · commercial products or buildings in real use · review summaries of other studies.
Furchgott and Zawadzki showed blood vessel relaxation needs the inner endothelial cells, which release a relaxing factor.
As reported in: Furchgott, Zawadzki (1980). The obligatory role of endothelial cells in the relaxation of arterial smooth muscle by acetylcholine. Nature. doi:10.1038/288373a0
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Palmer, Ferrige, and Moncada showed nitric oxide release accounts for the endothelium-derived relaxing factor.
As reported in: Palmer, Ferrige, Moncada (1987). Nitric oxide release accounts for the biological activity of endothelium-derived relaxing factor. Nature. doi:10.1038/327524a0
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Ignarro and colleagues independently identified the relaxing factor from arteries and veins as nitric oxide.
As reported in: Ignarro, Buga, Wood et al. (1987). Endothelium-derived relaxing factor produced and released from artery and vein is nitric oxide.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.1073/pnas.84.24.9265