asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA) {90000311}

- ADMA is a particularly potent inhibitor of neurological and cardiovascular processes.
- ADMA competes with arginine, both for transporters (such as cationic amino acid transporters (CAT)) and for enzyme catalytic centers (by allosteric competition).
- Both ADMA and SDMA are considered uremic toxins, as they can become harmful when proper renal clearance is impaired.
- NOS converts arginine to citrulline, releasing the signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO).
- ADMA is a potent inhibitor of nNOS and eNOS, and has a milder effect on iNOS.
- The NO generated by eNOS is essential to vascular relaxation and platelet aggregation, and has been linked to cardiovascular protection.
- Elevated ADMA levels are associated with several cardiometabolic diseases including hypertension, peripheral arterial occlusive disease, congestive heart failure, congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, deep vein thrombosis and diabetes mellitus.
- The administration of ADMA in the artery of healthy volunteers allowed to reproduce several symptoms of patients with CVD associated with high ADMA levels: high blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction, decreased cardiac output.
- Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and schizophrenia have been associated with elevated ADMA levels in case/control studies.