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. 2011 Apr 20;2:21. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2011.00021

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) as a target in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The sGC stimulator Bay41-2272 and the activator Bay58-2667 increase cGMP production, thereby regulating smooth muscle function. Bay41-2272 is an NO-dependent stimulator acting preferentially on the physiological form of sGC containing the iron II heme [Fe(II) heme] (left). In contrast, Bay58-2667 is a NO-independent activator preferably addressing the oxidized (and therefore NO-insensitive) iron III heme form [Fe(III) heme] of sGC (right). Increased levels of cGMP then result acutely in vasodilatation and antiaggregation and result chronically in antiremodeling of the vascular wall as well as unloading of the right ventricle. cGMP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate; GTP, guanosine triphosphate; NO, nitric oxide; Ox. stress, oxidative stress; RV, right ventricle. Reproduced with permission from Dumitrascu et al. (2006).