title: Increased rho-kinase activity in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is experimental evidence on the role of Rho-kinase (ROCK) activation in cardiac hypertrophy but no information on its role in human hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We hypothesized that ROCK activity is higher in hypertensive patients with LVH compared with hypertensive patients without LVH.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing untreated hypertensive patients with (n = 41) and without LVH (n = 46) determined by echocardiography with a healthy normotensive control group (n = 51). Measurements included LV mass, dimensions, and function and ROCK activity determined in circulating leukocytes by measuring Western blot levels of phosphorylated to total myosin light chain phosphatase 1 (MYPT1-p/t).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with normotensive subjects, MYPT1-p/t was significantly increased by 4.5-fold in the hypertensive patients without LVH and by 9-fold in the hypertensive patients with LVH. Compared with the hypertension without LVH group, MYPT1-p/t was significantly increased by 2-fold in the hypertension with LVH gorup. In patients with eccentric LVH, the mean MYPT1-p/t ratio was significantly higher by 4-fold compared with hypertensive patients without eccentric LVH. Patients with an E/e' ratio ≥15 (n = 6) showed a higher MYPT1-p/t ratio (by 26%) compared with patients with a lower E/e' ratio (P ≤ 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ROCK activity is higher in hypertensive patients with LVH compared with hypertensive patients without LVH, and it is further increased when eccentric LVH is present. Thus, in hypertension, ROCK activation is related to pathological cardiac remodeling and might have a role as an LVH marker.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Laboratories of Cardiology and Molecular Cardiology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McNab
authors.forename: Ivonne
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cordova
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rigotti
authors.forename: Ulises
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Novoa
authors.forename: Italo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ocaranza
authors.forename: Jorge E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Jalil
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D043263:Myosin-Light-Chain Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography; D015854:Up-Regulation; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D043263:Myosin-Light-Chain Phosphatase; C490372:PPP1R12A protein, human
keywords: Rho-kinase.; blood pressure; hypertension; hypertrophy; remodeling