Effects of nitric oxide donors on the retinal function measured with electroretinography

It has been reported that nitric oxide raises c-GMP in the vascular muscle to cause vasodilation and to improve blood flow in the retina. Consequently, a diverse group of potential nitric oxide (NO) donors were synthesized and evaluated for their effectiveness in improving the retinal function after ischemic insult. These compounds include an NO carrier, N-acetyl-S-nitrosoglutathione (RVC-593), several NO donors such as N-nitropyrazole derivatives (RVC-595, RVC-596, RVC-597, RVC-598, and RVC-599) and two fused N-heterocycles, 4H-[1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-5,7-dione 1-oxides, (RVC-600 and RVC-601). Most of the compounds demonstrated the pharmacological activity in the ophthalmic model, except the pyrazole derivatives (RVC-595, RVC-596 and RVC-599) that bear bulky aromatic substituents at the R2-position.