Arginase is the focal enzyme of the urea cycle hydrolysing L-arginine to urea and L-ornithine. Emerging studies have identified arginase in the vasculature and have implicated this enzyme in the regulation of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis and the development of vascular disease. Arginase also redirects the metabolism of L-arginine to L-ornithine and the formation of polyamines and L-proline, which are essential for smooth muscle cell growth and collagen synthesis. Arginase is encoded by two recently discovered genes (Arginase I and Arginase II). In most mammals, Arginase 1 (ARG1) also known as Arginase, liver, which functions in the urea cycle, and is located primarily in the cytoplasm of the liver. The second isozyme, Arginase II, has been implicated in the regulation of the arginine/ornithine concentrations in the cell. It is located in mitochondria of several tissues in the body, with most abundance in the kidney and prostate. It may be found at lower levels in macrophages, lactating mammary glands, and brain.
