Research Progress of Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Stimulators and Activators

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is a cytosolic heterodimeric protein consisting of α and β subunits with heme groups located in the β subunit (heme binding domain, H-NOX domain). NO stimulates sGC activity by binding to Fe²⁺ of the heme group, causing cGMP levels to rise. sGC can exist in two different forms, the natural heme-containing form as an endogenous NO receptor and the heme-free form that cannot bind NO. Stimulation of sGC with sGC stimulators or activators is a promising treatment strategy for cardiovascular and cardiac and renal diseases. This article briefly reviews the research progress of sGC stimulators and activators, aiming to provide some reference for the in-depth study of the regulatory mechanism of sGC and the development of sGC stimulators and activators.