REVIEW: The Mechanisms of L-Arginine Metabolism Disorder in Endothelial Cells

---

Jennet T. Mammedova¹, Alexey V. Sokolov¹, Irina S. Freidlin¹, and Eleonora A. Starikova^1,a*

¹Institute of Experimental Medicine, 197376 Saint-Petersburg, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received August 6, 2020; Revised September 14, 2020; Accepted September 14, 2020

---

L-arginine is a key metabolite for nitric oxide production by endothelial cells, as well as signaling molecule of the mTOR signaling pathway. mTOR supports endothelial cells homeostasis and regulates activity of L-arginine-metabolizing enzymes, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and arginase II. Disruption of the L-arginine metabolism in endothelial cells leads to the development of endothelial dysfunction. Conflicting results of the use of L-arginine supplement to improve endothelial function reveals a controversial role of the amino acid in the endothelial cell biology. The review is aimed at analysis of the current data on the role of L-arginine metabolism in the development of endothelial dysfunction.

---

KEY WORDS: L-arginine, endothelium, nitric oxide, eNOS, arginase, mTOR

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297921020036

---