title: Endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation of large arteries in normoalbuminuric insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Vascular complications in diabetes mellitus are associated with endothelial dysfunction. Whether endothelium-dependent vasodilation is impaired in normoalbuminuric patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is controversial. Using a noninvasive echo-Doppler method, we investigated endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation in the brachial artery of IDDM patients. There were 52 normoalbuminuric and normotensive patients with IDDM (aged 31.9 +/- 9.8 years; diabetes duration, 14.9 +/- 7.9 years; glycated hemoglobin, 7.9 +/- 1.2%) and 52 healthy control group (C) subjects comparable for age and sex studied. Brachial artery diameter was measured at baseline, during postocclusion reactive hyperemia (flow-mediated, endothelium-dependent dilation [FMD]), and after 400 micrograms glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) sublingually (endothelium-independent vasodilation). Vasodilation was expressed as the percentage change relative to the baseline diameter. Baseline flow and blood pressure were similar for IDDM patients and C. Baseline vessel diameter was slightly larger in IDDM patients (3.10 +/- 0.52 mm) compared with C (2.89 +/- 0.55 mm, P = 5.0). FMD in IDDM patients was decreased (12.0 +/- 9.1% versus 15.7 +/- 9.5% in C, P = .046), as was GTN-induced vasodilation (14.9 +/- 8.2% versus 18.3 +/- 8.5% in C, P = .045). After correction for the difference in baseline diameter, FMD and GTN-induced dilation were not different between the groups. GTN-induced vasodilation decreased slightly with increasing diabetes duration. There was no relation between the vasodilatory responses and HbA1c. In normoalbuminuric IDDM patients, endothelium-dependent as well as endothelium-independent vasodilation are normal when the difference in baseline diameter is taken into account.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Hospital, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aarsen
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Donker
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Stehouwer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D005996:Nitroglycerin