Effect of N-acetylcysteine on endothelial dysfunction in dialysis patients.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with K/DOQI stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) have higher incidence of cardiovascular events due to the oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which might prevent cardiovascular events by improving oxidative stress on endothelial cells in patients with CKD.


METHODS
Thirty uremic patients (age 40 +/- 12 years, 6 males) on hemodialysis (HD) were evaluated for ED by using high-resolution Doppler ultrasound of brachial artery before and after 6 weeks of oral NAC (2 x 600 mg) medication. Also, 13 healthy controls (35 +/- 9 years, 5 males) were included in the study. Reactive hyperemia following 5 min forearm ischemia was accepted as endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (flow-mediated dilatation; FMD) and compared to endothelium-independent vasodilatation in response to sublingual glyceril trinitrate (GTN).


RESULTS
Patients on HD had lower DeltaFMD (0.28 +/- 0.17 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.11, p < 0.05) and FMD% (7.5 +/- 5.05 vs. 11.33 +/- 2.95, p < 0.05) than the controls. Baseline DeltaGTN and GTN% were similar in two groups. NAC treatment significantly increased the DeltaFMD (0.41 +/- 0.11, p < 0.001 vs. baseline) and FMD% (10.59 +/- 3.22, p < 0.01 vs. baseline) of patients on HD, while it had no effect on DeltaGTN and GTN%.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that NAC treatment could improve the ED by preventing the reduction of FMD in patients on HD.
Sahin
Garip
G
Department of Nephrology, Osmangazi University Medical School, Eskisehir, Turkey. garipsahin@superonline.com
Yalcin
Ahmet Ugur
AU
Akcar
Nevbahar
N
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D018056:Hemorheology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014511:Uremia / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects
D000975:Antioxidants; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D000111:Acetylcysteine