Nitroglycerine and sodium trioxodinitrate: from the discovery to the preconditioning effect.

The history began in the 19th century with Ascanio Sobrero (1812-1888), the discoverer of glycerol trinitrate (nitroglycerine, NTG), and with Angelo Angeli (1864-1931), the discoverer of sodium trioxodinitrate (Angeli's salt). It is likely that Angeli and Sobrero never met, but their two histories will join each other more than a century later. In fact, it has been discovered that both NTG and Angeli's salt are able to induce a preconditioning effect. As NTG has a long history as an antianginal drug its newly discovered property as a preconditioning agent has also been tested in humans. Angeli's salt properties as a preconditioning and inotropic agent have only been tested in animals so far.