| Names | |
|---|---|
| Preferred IUPAC name 7-Nitro-1H-indazole | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) | |
| ChEBI | |
| ChEMBL | |
| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.019.032 |
PubChem CID | |
| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
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| Properties | |
| C7H5N3O2 | |
| Molar mass | 163.1335 |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
7-Nitroindazole, or 7-NI, is a heterocyclic small molecule containing an indazole ring that has been nitrated at the 7 position. Nitroindazole acts as a selective inhibitor for neuronal nitric oxide synthase, a hemoprotein enzyme that, in neuronal tissue, converts arginine to citrulline and nitric oxide (NO). [1] Nitric oxide can diffuse through the plasma membrane into neighbouring cells, allowing cell signalling, so nitroindazole indirectly inhibits this signalling process. [2] [3] [4] Other inhibitors exist such as 3-bromo-7-nitroindazole, which is more potent but less specific, [5] or N-propyl-L-arginine (NPA), which acts on a different site. [6]
7-Nitroindazole is under investigation as a possible protective agent against nerve damage caused by excitotoxicity or neurodegenerative diseases. [1] [7] It may act by reducing oxidative stress or by decreasing the amount of peroxynitrite formed in these tissues. These effects are related to the inhibition of type 1 nitric oxide synthase. However, anticonvulsive effect is derived from some other mechanisms. [8]