title: Changes in iNOS activity, oxidative stress and melatonin levels in hypertensive patients treated with lacidipine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes in macrophage inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity, plasma levels of nitrite, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and melatonin in human essential hypertension before and 6 months after 4 mg/day lacidipine treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out in a total of 25 subjects--11 healthy subjects and 14 hypertensive patients. Blood pressure and peripheral blood samples were taken before and after 6 months of lacidipine treatment (4 mg/day).
  
  
  METHODS
  Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), renal function, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, renin, aldosterone and catecholamine levels were measured by routine methods. The activity of macrophage iNOS and plasma nitrite, LPO and melatonin levels were also measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Besides reducing blood pressure, lacidipine treatment significantly decreased plasma LPO and macrophage iNOS activity, without changes in NO. Melatonin significantly increases in hypertensive patients, returning to control after lacidipine. Thus, lacidipine reduced blood pressure and free radicals, avoiding the oxidative damage to endothelium. It is suggested that administration of lacidipine plus melatonin may enhance the beneficial effects of each drug in essential hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Germaine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Escames
authors.forename: Hoda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khaldy
authors.forename: Josefa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Darío
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Acuña-Castroviejo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004095:Dihydropyridines; C060285:lacidipine; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002784:Cholesterol; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D008550:Melatonin