[NOS gene polymorphism].

Nitric oxide(NO), a potent vasodilator produced by endothelial cells, plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and regional blood flow, and also inhibits platelet aggregation and leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium and inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. Various genetic polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS) gene have been reported as susceptibility genes in a number of cardiovascular diseases. The functional significance of these polymorphisms has not yet been demonstrated, but recent study revealed that eNOS Glu298Asp variant is likely to have a functional effect on the eNOS protein. The missense Glu298Asp variant was correlated with increased coronary spasm, myocardial infarction, essential hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, carotid atherosclerosis, and cerebral infarction.