title: Endothelium-dependent vasodilation and carotid artery wall remodeling in athletes and sedentary subjects.
abstract: In this study, the relationship between age, carotid artery remodeling, and endothelium-dependent vasodilation is investigated in sedentary subjects and athletes. Thirty-two young and old healthy sedentary subjects and 32 age-matched endurance athletes underwent ultrasonography of the carotid wall for measuring intima-media thickness (IMT) and corrected integrated backscatter (C-IBS), two early indicators of the atherosclerosis process. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation was assessed by intra-brachial acetylcholine (strain-gauge plethysmography), at baseline and during NO sythase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), and the antioxidant Vitamin C. Response to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was also evaluated. Independently of trained status, IMT and C-IBS were higher in older than in young individuals (p<0.0001), while response to acetylcholine, but not to SNP, was lower (p<0.0001). Older athletes showed lower IMT, lower C-IBS (p<0.0001), greater response to acetylcholine (p<0.0001), and greater inhibition of acetylcholine by L-NMMA (p<0.001) than older controls. Only in older sedentary individuals, Vitamin C increased response to acetylcholine (p<0.001) and restored the inhibiting effect of L-NMMA (p<0.01). In the whole population maximal acetylcholine-induced vasodilation was inversely related to IMT (r=-0.60, p<0.0001) and to C-IBS (r=-0.56, p<0.0001). In conclusion, regular physical training can attenuate the age-related impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilation, which is related to an attenuation of the age-induced remodeling of the carotid wall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa School of Medicine, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy. fgaletta@med.unipi.it
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galetta
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franzoni
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Virdis
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ghiadoni
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taddei
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salvetti
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santoro
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male; D010991:Plethysmography; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D000109:Acetylcholine; D001205:Ascorbic Acid