Plasma endothelin-1 release during acute stress: role of ethnicity and sex.
OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this study were to examine possible ethnic and sex differences in plasma ET-1 levels at rest and in response to acute stress and to examine relationships between ET-1 and vasoconstrictive-mediated BP reactivity to stress.


METHODS
Two hundred twenty-two adolescents (mean age = 18.5 +/- 2.8 years; 130 [70 males] EAs and 92 [48 males] AAs) completed two stressors (video game, forehead cold). Hemodynamic measures and blood samples were collected at catheter insertion and before and immediately after the two stressors, separated by 20-minute rest periods.


RESULTS
AAs and males exhibited higher levels of SBP and DBP and of TPRI and ET-1 at each sampling point compared with EAs and females, respectively (p values <.001). AAs and males exhibited greater increases in SBP, TPRI, and ET-1 in response to each stressor (p values <.05). Intraindividual correlations between ET-1 and hemodynamic parameters revealed that most individuals exhibited a positive association between ET-1, BP, and TPRI. However, some individuals exhibited a negative association between ET-1 and the above-mentioned hemodynamics, suggesting a compensatory vasodilation mechanism.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings demonstrate significant sex and ethnicity differences in stress-induced vasoconstrictive peptide release and support the hypothesis that these differences may be important in explaining the ethnicity and sex differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease.
Treiber
Frank A
FA
Georgia Prevention Institute and the Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-3710, USA. ftreiber@mail.mcg.edu
Kapuku
Gaston K
GK
Davis
Harry
H
Pollock
Jennifer S
JS
Pollock
David M
DM
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*
D019332:Endothelin-1