Pharmaceutically pure physiologically active N.sup.G -aminoarginine (i.e., the L or D,L form) or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in a nitric oxide synthesis inhibiting amount to a subject in need of such inhibition (e.g. a subject with low blood pressure or needing immunosuppressive effect) or is added to a medium containing isolated organs, intact cells, cell homogenates or tissue homogenates in an amount sufficient to inhibit nitric oxide formation to elucide or control the biosynthesis, metabolism or physiological role of nitric oxide. N.sup.G -amino-L-arginine is prepared and isolated as a pharmaceutically pure compound by reducing N.sup.G -nitro-L-arginine, converting L-arginine by-product to L-ornithine with arginase and separating N.sup.G -amino-L-arginine from the L-ornithine. N.sup.G -amino-D,L-arginine is prepared in similar fashion starting with N.sup.G -nitro-D,L-arginine.
纯度高的生理活性N.sup.G-
氨基精
氨酸(即L或D,L形式)或其药学上可接受的盐以抑制一定量的
一氧化氮合成被施用给需要这种抑制的受试者(例如,低血压或需要免疫抑制作用的受试者),或者在含有分离的器官、完整的细胞、细胞匀浆或组织匀浆的
培养基中添加足够的量以抑制
一氧化氮的形成,以阐明或控制
一氧化氮的
生物合成、代谢或生理作用。通过还原N.sup.G-硝基-
L-精氨酸,将
L-精氨酸副产物转化为
L-鸟氨酸,并从
L-鸟氨酸中分离出N.sup.G-
氨基-
L-精氨酸,制备和分离纯度高的N.sup.G-
氨基-
L-精氨酸。类似地,从N.sup.G-硝基-D,
L-精氨酸开始,以相似的方式制备N.sup.G-
氨基-D,
L-精氨酸。