(S)-Methylarginine
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Names | |
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Other names
2-Amino-5-[(N’-methylcarbamimidoyl)amino]pentanoic acid; N-Monomethylarginine; omega-N-Methylarginine; Tilarginine; Targinine
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Identifiers | |
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3D model (JSmol)
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2262067 (R) | |
ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
ChemSpider | |
KEGG | |
MeSH | omega-N-Methylarginine |
PubChem CID
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UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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Properties | |
C7H16N4O2 | |
Molar mass | 188.231 g·mol−1 |
log P | −0.63 |
Acidity (pKa) | 2.512 |
Basicity (pKb) | 11.488 |
Related compounds | |
Related alkanoic acids
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Related compounds
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Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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N-Methylarginine is an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase.[1][2] Chemically, it is a methyl derivative of the amino acid arginine. It is used as a biochemical tool in the study of physiological role of nitric oxide.
The inhibiting effect of N-methylarginine on vasodilation is lower in hypertensive patients than in normal subjects, indicating endothelial dysfunction.[3] The inhibiting effect of N-methylarginine on vasodilation declines progressively with age, but has been restored with vitamin C in the oldest subjects.[3]
Up to the age of 60 years, despite the evident decline in endothelium-dependent vasodilation, vitamin C did not modify the response to acetylcholine. In contrast, in the oldest individuals (age >60 years) characterized by a profound alteration in NO availability, vitamin C not only enhanced the response to the endothelial agonist but also restored the inhibiting effect of L-NMMA on vasodilation to acetylcholine.