NITRIC-OXIDE AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE CALCIUM-TRANSPORT SYSTEMS IN THE MYOCARDIUM

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important modulator of many physiological proc esses, including myocardial contractile function. The understanding of how the production of NO in the myocardium is regulated in response t o physiological stimuli and pathological processes is evolving rapidly . The main goal of this minireview is to summarize the current knowled ge (i) about the enzymes that produce NO in the heart muscle, (ii) abo ut the targets of myocardial NO that modulate calcium transport system s of the heart muscle cells, and (iii) about the role that NO-induced changes of calcium homeostasis play in the modulation of myocardial co ntractility.