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on January 13, 2003

Circulation. 2003
Published online before print January 13, 2003, doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000046489.24563.79
A more recent version of this article appeared on January 28, 2003
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Submitted on July 30, 2002
Revised on October 8, 2002
Accepted on October 8, 2002

Acute Intravenous L-Arginine Infusion Decreases Endothelin-1 Levels and Improves Endothelial Function in Patients With Angina Pectoris and Normal Coronary Arteriograms. Correlation With Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Levels

PierMarco Piatti MD*, Gabriele Fragasso MD, Lucilla D. Monti MD, Emanuela Setola MD, Pietro Lucotti MD, Isabella Fermo MD, Rita Paroni MD, Elena Galluccio MD, Guido Pozza MD, Sergio Chierchia MD, FESC, and Alberto Margonato MD

From Divisione di Medicina, Unitá di Diabetologia, Endocrinologia e Malattie Metaboliche (P.P., L.D.M., E.S., P.L., E.G.), Cattedra di Clinica Medica Generale e Terapia Medica (G.P.), Università Vita-Salute (G.F., S.C., A.M.), Laboratorio di Tecniche Separative (I.F., R.P.), Dipartimento di Cardiologia e Scienze Cardiovascolari, Unità di Cardiologia Clinica, IRCCS H San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: piermarco.piatti{at}hsr.it.

Background--We tested the hypothesis that asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels could be elevated and influence endothelin-1 and nitric oxide release and action in patients with cardiac syndrome X (CSX). In addition, we evaluated whether an intravenous infusion of L-arginine would improve endothelial function in these subjects.

Methods and Results--Nine patients with CSX and 14 control subjects underwent a continuous infusion of L-arginine (0.125 g/min) or saline for 120 minutes. Sixty minutes after L-arginine or saline infusions, an intravenous insulin bolus (0.1 U/kg) combined with a euglycemic clamp was performed. Basal ADMA and endothelin-1 levels were higher in patients with CSX than in controls. At the end of the first hour of infusion, compared with saline, L-arginine infusion increased basal forearm blood flow, nitrite and nitrate (NOx), and forearm cGMP release and decreased endothelin-1. After insulin bolus, during saline, insulin-induced NOx, endothelin-1, and forearm cGMP release was almost abolished. Conversely, L-arginine restored a physiological profile of all endothelial variables compared with control subjects. In control subjects, compared with saline infusion, L-arginine infusion did not modify any parameter. ADMA levels were positively correlated with basal endothelin-1 levels and negatively correlated with insulin-induced incremental levels of NOx and forearm cGMP release.

Conclusions--Plasma ADMA levels are increased in patients with CSX, and they are correlated with increases in endothelin-1 and reductions in insulin-induced increments in plasma NOx and cGMP, effects that are reversed by intravenous L-arginine. These data suggest that increased ADMA levels play a role in the abnormal vascular reactivity that is observed in patients with CSX.


Key words: endothelin • nitric oxide • amino acids • angina • arteries




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