FIGURE 2.

Diverse roles of endothelial nitric oxide synthases system in large conduit vessels, NO synthases (NOSs) mainly serve as a NO-generating system to cause vasodilatation through sGC–cGMP pathway, whereas in small resistance vessels, they act as a superoxide-generating system to evoke EDH-mediated responses through H₂O₂-induced PKG_1α dimerization and subsequent activation of potassium channels, leading to hyperpolarization and vasodilatation. K_Ca, calcium-activated potassium channel; LOX, lipoxygenase; Mito ETC, mitochondrial electron transport chain; NADPH, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase; ONOO⁻, peroxynitrite; PKG_1α, 1α-subunit of protein kinase G; XO, xanthine oxidase.