title: A calcium-channel blocker, benidipine, improves forearm reactive hyperemia in patients with essential hypertension.
abstract: The pathophysiological role of endothelial cells is important in the mechanism of progression of atherosclerosis and improvement of endothelial function may be important for cardiovascular morbidity. Calcium antagonists are reported to have protective effects on the endothelium in vitro and in vivo. In this clinical study, we investigated the effect of calcium antagonist, benidipine, on endothelial function in the patients with essential hypertension, which causes endothelial dysfunction. Twenty-five patients with hypertension without other risk factors for atherosclerosis were treated with monotherapy (8 mg benidipine, n=25) for 8 weeks. Blood pressure was reduced significantly. Endothelial function was evaluated using forearm blood flow by strain-gauge plethysmography after 8 weeks of treatment. Changes in vasodilator response to reactive hyperemia were significantly improved (p<0.01), while the response to nitroglycerin was not changed, suggesting the improvement of endothelial function. Moreover, we focused on hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which is a novel angiogenic growth factor with an anti-apoptotic action on endothelial cells, and evaluated involvement of HGF in improvement of endothelial function. Serum HGF concentration in subjects treated with benidipine was significantly elevated at 8 weeks (p<0.05). Overall, these results demonstrated that benidipine improved endothelial dysfunction in patients with hypertension. Interestingly, an increase in serum HGF concentration by benidipine might contribute to the improvement of endothelial dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Motokuni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Naotaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hashiya
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogihara
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morishita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005542:Forearm / Q000473:pathology*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004095:Dihydropyridines; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C061004:benidipine; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D005996:Nitroglycerin