Amino-Arginine

**Semantic type:** Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein|Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** An amino acid derivative. As an analog of arginine, amino-arginine competes with the normal substrate arginine and binds to the heme of the NOS as a false substrate, thereby inhibiting endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthases (eNOS / NOS III and iNOS / NOS II). Arginine is the only physiological substrate for NOS which, in eukaryotic cells, generates NO and L-citrulline from L-arginine and molecular oxygen in a five-electron transfer reaction. This clinical use of amino-arginine is limited due to its epileptogenic properties. (NCI04)