Endothelium-dependent vasodilation in normotensive subjects with a familial history of essential hypertension and in young subjects with borderline hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate if young normotensive subjects with a familial history of essential hypertension (FHH) or young borderline-hypertensive (BHT) subjects have a defect endothelial function.


METHODS
Fifteen young (26 +/- 4 years) healthy normotensive (115 +/- 8/71 +/- 6 mmHg) subjects with a FHH, 31 matched healthy normotensive subjects without FHH and seven BHT (143 +/- 12/92 +/- 2 mmHg), otherwise healthy, young males underwent evaluation of endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV) and endothelium-independent vasodilation (EIDV), by means of local intra-arterial infusions of methacholine (MCh, evaluating EDV) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, evaluating EIDV) in the forearm. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography.


RESULTS
Although there was no significant difference between normotensive subjects with and without a FHH regarding FBF during vasodilation induced by MCh or SNP, the subjects with a FHH presented a significantly suppressed endothelial function index, calculated as the ratio between EDV and EIDV, when compared to subjects without FHH (1.04 +/- 0.15 vs. 1.24 +/- 0.23, p < 0.01). Also in the group of BHT subjects, the endothelial function index was suppressed (1.01 +/- 0.18, p < 0.01), in this case due to a significantly attenuated EDV (p < 0.05), when compared to male subjects without a FHH.


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings suggest an early occurrence of endothelial dysfunction in the development of essential hypertension.
Millgård
Jonas
J
Department of Medical Sciences, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Hägg
Anders
A
Sarabi
Mahziar
M
Lind
Lars
L
D000328:Adult; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D010991:Plethysmography; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014664:Vasodilation; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D009599:Nitroprusside