Nitroglycerin is widely known as an explosive, but the fact that this substance can also be used as a treatment for angina explains an intriguing scientific principle, including an irony connected to Nobel’s life.
‘Nitroglycerin’ is a substance with the molecular formula C3H5(NO3)3, ranking among the most powerful explosives known to date. Liquid nitroglycerin possesses such power that at room temperature, its volume can instantly increase 1200-fold and its temperature can rise to 5000°C. It was commonly used as a bomb in past wars and is currently used as rocket fuel. Furthermore, nitroglycerin is an extremely unstable substance that can explode from ignition, static electricity, heating, or even a slight impact. The very first person to use this nitroglycerin was ‘Nobel’. Nobel used nitroglycerin to create dynamite and made a fortune. However, he suffered from angina and ultimately succumbed to the disease. But can you believe that nitroglycerin, the main component of dynamite, is now used as a treatment for angina? Indeed, nitroglycerin is currently used as an angina treatment, making it ironic that Nobel himself suffered from the very condition it treats. Perhaps dynamite was inside his own body? We will explore the angina that tormented Nobel and the nitroglycerin that made him wealthy.
The heart is an organ composed of muscle that acts as a pump, sending blood throughout the body. This heart itself requires oxygen and nutrients to function, receiving its blood supply through pathways called coronary arteries. When these coronary arteries harden and narrow, reducing the blood reaching the heart, the resulting chest pain is precisely what we call ‘angina’. The symptoms of angina primarily manifest as attacks. It often involves a sudden, crushing pain in the chest, frequently accompanied by shortness of breath, and typically lasts for about five minutes or less. In rare but serious cases, it can be dangerous enough to cause sudden fainting or cardiac arrest while the person is complaining of chest pain.
Until recently, angina was a difficult condition to treat effectively. However, the discovery that nitroglycerin—the main component of dynamite—interacts with enzymes in mitochondria led to the development of nitroglycerin-based medications for angina. What is the principle behind this dangerous substance resolving angina?
To understand nitroglycerin’s mechanism, one must first understand nitric oxide. Nitric oxide, also called NO, is a molecule composed of one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom. This substance is known to help blood vessels dilate effectively and prevent platelet aggregation and thrombus formation, which cause heart attacks. Nitroglycerin is precisely what produces this nitric oxide within the body. Nitroglycerin interacts with enzymes in the mitochondria. According to Dr. Stemler’s team at Duke University Medical Center, nitroglycerin identifies an enzyme called ‘mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase’ (mtALDH) within mitochondria. This enzyme breaks down nitroglycerin, converting it into substances related to nitric oxide. Through this mechanism, nitroglycerin intake produces nitric oxide in the patient’s body, causing blood vessels to dilate and resolving angina.
Thus, nitroglycerin is a dual-purpose substance used both as an explosive and as a medicine. Nitroglycerin, the angel of death that claimed countless lives on past battlefields, became the angel of life for angina patients, silently visiting to save their lives. This is the nature of science and technology. Used for good, it becomes the science and technology that guides humanity’s prosperity; used for evil, it becomes the science and technology that threatens humanity’s survival. Thus, science and technology always force us to make harsh choices.
Countless scientific technologies and achievements are still being developed and discovered today. In what direction are we truly utilizing these technologies? We must pause to consider which way our choices are leaning. Furthermore, let us contemplate how many substances, like nitroglycerin, ironically offer humanity this dual nature. This goes beyond mere scientific discovery; depending on its utilization and application, it can become a crucial factor determining humanity’s future.
The advancement of science and technology is an unstoppable current, presenting us with many challenges and opportunities. Amidst these challenges, we must possess the wisdom and responsibility to make better choices. The case of nitroglycerin serves as a good reminder of this importance.
