title: Effects of smoking on nitric oxide synthesis in epicardial normal and atheromatous coronary arteries.
abstract: The effects of an intracoronary infusion of N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (LNMMA) followed by intracoronary administration of nitroglycerin in non-stenotic proximal and distal coronary segments were studied in 11 patients with coronary artery disease and in 19 subjects with "normal arteriograms". In normal subjects, LNMMA induced significant constriction (p<0.01) of proximal and distal vessels in non-smokers and smokers. In normal non-smokers, the reduction in coronary luminal diameter of proximal segments was significantly greater compared to normal smokers (p<0.05). In patients with coronary artery disease, LNMMA induced significant constriction of proximal and distal vessels in smokers, and only distal constriction in non-smokers (p<0.01). The reduction in coronary luminal diameter of the distal segments in normal smokers, and in both groups in patients with coronary artery disease was significantly greater compared with proximal segments (p<0.05). Therefore, the difference in vasomotor response to LNMMA in relation to smoking is localised to the proximal coronary segments.
authors.affiliation: Hippokration Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Greece.
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tentolouris
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tousoulis
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsioufis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kallikazaros
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michailidis
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trikas
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toutouzas
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide