title: Endothelin-1 and big endothelin-1 in NIDDM patients with and without microangiopathy.
abstract: To examine a possible role for endothelin-1 in the pathophysiology of diabetic microangiopathy, we measured plasma levels of endothelin-1 and big endothelin-1, a precursor peptide of endothelin-1, in 33 untreated patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. There was no significant difference among the mean plasma endothelin-1 concentrations in 18 patients with microangiopathy, in 15 patients without microangiopathy and in 33 age-matched normal subjects. In contrast, the mean plasma big endothelin-1 concentration in patients with microangiopathy was significantly higher than in those without microangiopathy or in normal subjects. As a consequence, the mean big endothelin-1 to endothelin-1 ratio in patients with microangiopathy was significantly higher than in the other two groups. There was no significant correlation between plasma levels of endothelin-1 or big endothelin-1 and fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, mean blood pressure, or period of duration of diabetes mellitus in the patient groups. The results indicate that elevation of plasma big endothelin-1 levels with diminished conversion of big endothelin-1 to endothelin-1 is associated with diabetic microangiopathy, which may be the effect rather than the cause of endothelial dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nagaoka Red Cross Hospital, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamoi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019332:Endothelin-1; D016232:Endothelins / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D019332:Endothelin-1; D016232:Endothelins; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D011498:Protein Precursors