Quark December/2025
In addition to hydrogen sulfide, another important transmitter involved in the regulation of vascular tone is nitric oxide. It is also another signaling molecule that the project focuses our attention on, especially its interaction with hydrogen sulfide and its significance. Why is nitric oxide (NO), better known as a component of exhaust gases or explosives, actually crucial for heart and vascular health? The article “From dynamite to a heart cure”, written by research team member Katka Bujnová, explains how NO dilates blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, protects against blood clots and what role it plays in the development of high blood pressure, inflammation and oxidative stress. Read it in the December (2025) issue of Quark journal. The article also discusses how the discovery of NO’s importance in the cardiovascular system led to the award of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and why the story of nitroglycerin—the explosive associated with Alfred Nobel that is now used as a cure for heart disease—is such a fascinating irony.
