title: Impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation of coronary resistance vessels in hypercholesterolemic patients.
abstract: To determine the relationship between hypercholesterolemia and the endothelial function of coronary resistance vessels, we studied the changes in coronary blood flow (CBF) in response to acetylcholine, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, and adenosine, an endothelium-independent vasodilator, in patients with hypercholesterolemia (n = 17) and in control patients (n = 17). All patients had normal epicardial coronary arteries. Serial 2-min infusions of acetylcholine, at 3 micrograms/min and 30 micrograms/min, caused a dose-dependent increase in CBF in each group. The acetylcholine-induced maximal increases in CBF were inversely correlated with the serum cholesterol level (r = -0.55, p < 0.01), and were significantly smaller in the hypercholesterolemic patients than in control patients. However, the adenosine-induced increases in CBF were similar in the two groups. These results suggest that the endothelium-dependent vasodilation of resistance vessels is lessened in patients with hypercholesterolemia even before the formation of atherosclerotic stenotic lesions in epicardial coronary arteries, and that hypercholesterolemia impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilation of coronary resistance vessels.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Hiroshima University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shiode
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kajiyama
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000241:Adenosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D014664:Vasodilation; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D002784:Cholesterol; D000241:Adenosine; D000109:Acetylcholine