Antioxidant-Amino Acid Mix Shields Blood Vessels
(NY, Reuters Health, 1/22/03)

When Dr. Louis J. Ignarro from the University of California in Los Angeles and colleagues exposed human cells to the "shear-stress" force of flowing fluid in a culture dish, the researchers found that the cells produced inflammatory compounds. When they coated the cells with a combination of antioxidants and the amino acid, L-arginine, the cells produced fewer inflammatory substances and, in fact, manufactured eNOS, an enzyme that helps blood vessels expand. In a separate study, these scientists found that the antioxidant-amino acid mixture reduced shear-stress damage in the blood vessels of mice. These findings suggest that combining antioxidants, which block free radicals, with L-arginine, which promotes blood vessel elasticity, may protect against damage from the force of blood flowing through the circulatory system