title: Compromised arterial function in human type 2 diabetic patients.
abstract: Diabetes is associated with a perturbation of signaling pathways in vascular tissue, which causes vasomotor dysfunction such as hypertension and accelerated atherosclerosis. In the present study, the mechanisms of vasomotor dysfunction, Akt (Thr308 and Ser473) phosphorylation and expression of endothelial NO (nitric oxide) synthase, and inducible NO synthase were investigated in human diabetic internal mammary arteries. The phospho-Akt (Thr308) level in arteries from diabetic patients was reduced to about one-half of the level in nondiabetic patients, suggesting impaired insulin signaling in human diabetic vascular tissue. Augmented vasoconstriction was observed in diabetic arteries, due in part to deficiency of basal and stimulated NO production. This correlated with decreased endothelial NO synthase expression and activity in diabetic vessels. The sensitivity of diabetic vessels to the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, was reduced as well, suggesting that NO breakdown and/or decreased sensitivity of smooth muscle to NO are also responsible for abnormal vasoconstriction. In addition, the abnormal vasoconstriction in diabetic vessels was not completely abolished in the presence of Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, revealing that NO-independent mechanisms also contribute to vasomotor dysfunction in diabetes. In conclusion, diabetes downregulates the Akt-signaling pathway and compromises human arterial function through a decrease in NO availability as well as through NO-independent mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: James Hogg iCAPTURE Center, St. Paul's Hospital, Room 166, 1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6. eokon@mrl.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Elena B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Okon
authors.forename: Ada W Y
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rauniyar
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tejerina
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Honglin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Cornelis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van Breemen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014661:Vasoconstriction
chemical_list: D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D009599:Nitroprusside; D010656:Phenylephrine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester