ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION The pioneering report by the Nobel Prize winner Robert Furchgott on the obligatory role of endothelium in vascular relaxation in response to acetylcholine1 led to an impressive array of evidence supporting the statement that vascular endothelium plays a primary role in the control of vascular function and structure. Endothelial dysfunction is a condition characterized by the imbalance of vasodilating, antimitogenic, and antithrombotic substances, mainly nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-dependent contracting factors (EDCFs), which counteract these protective properties.2
