title: ACE inhibitors improve endothelial function in type 1 diabetic patients with normal arterial pressure and microalbuminuria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to test whether a short-course treatment with ACE inhibitors may restore endothelium-dependent and/or -independent vasodilation in the femoral artery of microalbuminuric patients with type 1 diabetes and normal arterial pressure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied nine normotensive microalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients and two groups of control subjects matched for femoral artery diameter to type 1 diabetic patients after placebo (control group A, n = 17) and ACE inhibitor (control group B, n = 18) treatment, respectively. The patients were enrolled in a double-blind cross-over study with a 1-week trial of either placebo, captopril (25 mg t.i.d.), or enalapril (10 mg/day) in randomized order to ascertain whether short-term ACE inhibition obtained with (captopril) or without (enalapril) a sulfhydryl donor molecule ameliorates vessel wall function. Endothelium-mediated flow-dependent vasodilation and endothelium-independent vasodilation were evaluated in the right common femoral artery by echo Doppler.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both captopril and enalapril normalized (control group B 22.9+/-3.2% per 8 min) endothelium-dependent response (19.6+/-7.5 and 18.0+/-5.3 vs. -10.4+/-4.1% per 8 min, P < 0.01, for both captopril and enalapril versus placebo, respectively) in the type 1 diabetic patients. Captopril (28.4+/-3.5 vs. 17.1+/-3.5% per 5 min during placebo, P < 0.05) but not enalapril (20.1+/-3.0 vs. 31.7+/-2.8% per 5 min, P < 0.05 for enalapril versus control group B, and NS for captopril vs. control group B) ameliorated endothelium-independent vasodilation in type 1 diabetic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ACE inhibition improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the femoral artery of normotensive microalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients. Captopril also ameliorates endothelium-independent vasodilation, possibly through its sulfhydryl donor properties. These results may be of pathophysiological relevance to prevent cardiovascular complications in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera di Verona, University of Verona School of Medicine, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arcaro
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Zenere
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saggiani
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Zenti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Monauni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lechi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muggeo
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bonadonna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors