Nitrate esters as nitric oxide donors: SS-Nitrates

The important biological secondary messenger NO can be generated from exoge nous nitrovasodilators and NO donors, Nitrate esters are nitrovasodilators and NO mimetics, believed to be biotransformed to NO in vivo. On the basis of a mechanistic hypothesis, nitrates have been synthesized that release NO at significant rates in neutral aqueous solution in the presence only of a dded thiol. The novel masked beta -mercaptonitrates reported (SS nitrates), provide information on possible sulfhydryl dependent biotransformation mec hanisms for nitrates in clinical use.