ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how a family of proteins classically defined by its role in the immune response, the NADPH oxidase (Nox), is being appreciated as an increasingly important regulator of normal vascular function as well as pathological dysfunction. The application of Nox inhibitors is a key to elucidating our understanding of the contribution of Nox to various physiological and pathophysiological functions in vascular cells. Nox is commonly termed the major source of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a professional producer of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide. The Nox isozymes belong to a family of transmembrane proteins responsible for catalyzing the reduction of molecular oxygen to generate superoxide and/or hydrogen peroxide expending NADPH as an electron donor. In order to dissect the roles of Noxs in redox signaling pathways, one or more isoform-selective inhibitors or gene silencing techniques ought to be employed.
