The effectiveness of nitroglycerin is often diminished when used as a medication for chest pain and heart disease for prolonged periods. A critical finding that was revealed by scientists at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey may hold the answer to more effective treatments. Research outcomes were published recently in the prestigious international cardiovascular journal entitled Circulation Research.

Annie Beuve, Ph.D., associate professor of Pharmacology and Physiology, and Walter Duran, Ph.D., professor of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology and the Department of Surgery, both of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, were collaborators on this study. Since the 19th century, nitroglycerin has been used to relax blood vessels and increase blood flow in patients who show symptoms related to cardiovascular disease. After 24 hours of continuous treatment, patients experience “nitrate tolerance.” Blood vessels then become resistant to nitroglycerin rendering the treatment inefficient.

“Clinically, our discovery can help us design therapeutic strategies to overcome the loss of sensitivity to nitroglycerin, a widely prescribed treatment for cardiovascular disease. We aim to help improve the quality of life for 70 million Americans who live with heart disease,” said Beuve.

The reason for this insensitivity to the drug has remained a mystery for more than 100 years. Beuve and Duran’s study shows nitroglycerin modifies a key molecule called soluble guanylyl cyclase, which is a fundamental mediator in the relaxation of blood vessels. They believe anti-oxidants may help prevent nitroglycerin from modifying soluble guanylyl cyclase, thereby allowing patients a longer treatment course and more efficient therapy for CVD. Other co-authors of the article, ‘Nitroglycerin-Induced S-nitrosylation and desensitization of soluble guanylyl cyclase contribute to nitrate tolerance,’ are: Sayed N, Kim DD, Fioramonti X, Iwahashi T, Durán WN, Beuve A.

About UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School

Founded in 1954 as the Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry, the New Jersey Medical School was the state’s first medical school. Today, it is part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. NJMS has four mission areas: education, research, clinical care, and community outreach. It has 21 departments and more than 70 centers and institutes. In addition to offering the MD degree to its students, NJMS also offers, MD/PhD, MD/MPH, and MD/MBA degrees through collaborations with other institutions of higher education.

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)

UMDNJ is the nation’s largest free-standing public health sciences university with more than 5,500 students attending the state’s three medical schools, its only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing, and its only school of public health, on five campuses. Last year, there were more than two million patient visits to UMDNJ facilities and faculty at campuses in Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, a mental health and addiction services network.

Source: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)