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Review
. 2025 Aug 7;27(1):78.
doi: 10.1007/s11883-025-01321-y.

S-Nitrosylation: Mechanistic Links between Nitric Oxide Signaling and Atherosclerosis

Weixiong Xu  1 , Daniel Chen  1 , Hua-Lin Zhou  2
Affiliations
Review

S-Nitrosylation: Mechanistic Links between Nitric Oxide Signaling and Atherosclerosis

Weixiong Xu et al. Curr Atheroscler Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: This review explores current knowledge on the beneficial and detrimental roles of nitric oxide (NO) in vascular biology, with a particular focus on the emerging role of protein S-nitrosylation in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis.

Recent findings: Major risk factors for atherosclerosis include hypercholesterolemia, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, hyperglycemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, chronic inflammation, and obesity. Recent studies have shown that protein S-nitrosylation interacts with these risk factors, influencing atherogenesis either by promoting or inhibiting disease progression. Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder marked by the accumulation of plaques within arterial walls, arising from intricate interactions among endothelial cells, monocytes/macrophages, and vascular smooth muscle cells. Understanding the role of S-nitrosylation in regulating key cellular events-such as endothelial dysfunction, foam cell formation, and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation-offers new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis. These insights may ultimately lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular Disease; Nitric Oxide; S-nitrosylation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent: No animal or human subjects by the authors were used in this study.

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