Method and formulation for treating vascular disease

Abstract

A therapeutic mixture comprised of L-arginine and inhibitors of Hmg-CoA-Reductase is disclosed for the treatment of diseases related to endothelial dysfunction, wherein the endothelial dysfunction is relieved by stimulating the constitutive form of nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) to produce native nitric oxide (NO).

1 . A method of treating a disease condition in a subject comprising: 
 selecting a subject; and    administering a mixture of L-arginine and an inhibitor of Hmg-CoA reductase.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formulation is administered intravenously, buccal, intracoronary, intramuscularly, topically, intranasally, rectally, sublingually, orally, subcutaneously, by patch, or inhalation.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said disease condition is hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and renovascular disease.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said coronary heart disease is restenosis post angioplasty.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein L-arginine and said inhibitor of Hmg-CoA reductase are mixed in vivo.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein L-arginine and said inhibitor of Hmg-CoA reductase are administered at a therapeutic concentration.  
     
     
         7 - 11 . (canceled)  
     
     
         12 . A therapeutic mixture comprised of an effective amount of a substrate of NOS and an effective amount of an inhibitor of Hmg-CoA reductase.  
     
     
         13 . The therapeutic mixture of  claim 12 , which said substrate of NOS is a biological equivalent of L-arginine.  
     
     
         14 - 15 . (canceled)  
     
     
         16 . A method of stimulating Nitric Oxide Synthase, said method comprising: 
 administering L-arginine and an Hmg-CoA reductase inhibitor.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said L-arginine is in excess to said Hmg-CoA reductase.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a therapeutically effective amount of said L-arginine is combined with a therapeutically effective amount of said Hmg-CoA reductase inhibitor prior to said administration.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of obtaining periodic indicators of vasorelaxations for the subject; and continuing administration of the mixture until a desirable state of vasorelaxation is obtained.  
     
     
         20 . The therapeutic mixture of  claim 12 , wherein said inhibitor of Hmg-CoA reductase is an agonist of NOS.