Asymmetric dimethylarginine, L-arginine, and endothelial dysfunction in essential hypertension.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Asymmetric dimethylarginine, L-arginine, and endothelial dysfunction in essential hypertension.

AU - Perticone, Francesco

AU - Sciacqua, Angela

AU - Maio, Raffaele

AU - Perticone, Maria

AU - Maas, Renke

AU - Boger, Rainer H

AU - Tripepi, Giuseppe

AU - Sesti, Giorgio

AU - Zoccali, Carmine

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - OBJECTIVES: We investigated the relationship between ADMA plasma levels and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in 36 never-treated essential hypertensives and in 8 normotensive healthy subjects. BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that endothelium-dependent vasodilatation is impaired in essential hypertension. The potential contribution of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) to endothelial dysfunction of hypertensive humans has received poor attention. METHODS: Endothelial function was measured during intra-arterial infusion of acetylcholine (ACh), alone and during co-infusion of L-arginine, and sodium nitroprusside at increasing doses. Concentrations of ADMA and L-arginine in plasma were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Hypertensive subjects had significantly higher ADMA and L-arginine plasma concentrations than normotensive healthy controls; ACh-stimulated forearm blood flow (FBF) was significantly reduced in hypertensive subjects in comparison to normotensive control subjects (p <0.0001). Intra-arterial coinfusion of L-arginine induced a further significant enhancement in ACh-stimulated vasodilation in hypertensive patients. In these, ADMA was strongly and inversely associated with the peak increase in FBF. In a multivariate model, only ADMA and L-arginine were independent correlates, accounting for 33.9% and 8.9% of the variability in the peak FBF response to ACh (p <0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The main finding in this study is that in essential hypertensives the L-arginine and endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, ADMA, are inversely related to endothelial function.

AB - OBJECTIVES: We investigated the relationship between ADMA plasma levels and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in 36 never-treated essential hypertensives and in 8 normotensive healthy subjects. BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that endothelium-dependent vasodilatation is impaired in essential hypertension. The potential contribution of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) to endothelial dysfunction of hypertensive humans has received poor attention. METHODS: Endothelial function was measured during intra-arterial infusion of acetylcholine (ACh), alone and during co-infusion of L-arginine, and sodium nitroprusside at increasing doses. Concentrations of ADMA and L-arginine in plasma were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Hypertensive subjects had significantly higher ADMA and L-arginine plasma concentrations than normotensive healthy controls; ACh-stimulated forearm blood flow (FBF) was significantly reduced in hypertensive subjects in comparison to normotensive control subjects (p <0.0001). Intra-arterial coinfusion of L-arginine induced a further significant enhancement in ACh-stimulated vasodilation in hypertensive patients. In these, ADMA was strongly and inversely associated with the peak increase in FBF. In a multivariate model, only ADMA and L-arginine were independent correlates, accounting for 33.9% and 8.9% of the variability in the peak FBF response to ACh (p <0.0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The main finding in this study is that in essential hypertensives the L-arginine and endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, ADMA, are inversely related to endothelial function.

M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz

VL - 46

SP - 518

EP - 523

JO - J AM COLL CARDIOL

JF - J AM COLL CARDIOL

SN - 0735-1097

IS - 3

M1 - 3

ER -