With the emergence of pharmacological NOX4 inhibitors in clinical trials, caution should be taken in identifying potential side effects in patients prone to acute kidney injury and cardiovascular disease.
Further, elevated expression of Nox4 has been reported in a number of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, cardiac failure, ischemic stroke, and PAH.
Prostacyclin promotes the up-regulation of Nox4 in endothelial cells, which opens up a novel strategy that protects and enhances endothelial cell functions in cardiovascular disease, such as repair after myocardial infarction or other ischemic conditions.
Nox4, a Nox linked to cardiovascular disease, angiogenesis, and insulin signaling, is unique in its ability to produce hydrogen peroxide constitutively.