Endothelin-1 response to mental stress in early ischemic lesions of the extremities due to systemic sclerosis.
We studied circulating levels of endothelin-1, catecholamines and nitric oxide after a mental arithmetic test in 14 patients with early ischemic lesions of the extremities due to systemic sclerosis and slightly impaired peripheral vascular flow. The test induced an increase (P<0.01) in blood pressure, heart rate, endothelin-1 and catecholamine levels, whereas it did not change the low basal levels of nitric oxide. In healthy subjects (n=20) the test significantly (P<0.01) decreased endothelin-1 without affecting nitric oxide. The low basal levels of nitric oxide and the high plasma concentration of endothelin-1 after psychological stress cannot be explained by an impaired release from the limited ischemic lesions alone. This suggests a diffuse microvascular derangement that aggravates the course of peripheral microvascular ischemic lesions.
Fontana
Fiorella
F
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Cardioangiologia, Epatologia, Ospedale S. Orsola, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. ffontana@med.unibo.it
Bernardi
Pasquale
P
Lanfranchi
Giuseppina
G
Conti
Eleonora
E
Spampinato
Santi
S
Di Toro
Rosanna
R
Bonafè
Francesca
F
Coccheri
Sergio
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood*
D019332:Endothelin-1; D009569:Nitric Oxide