Plasma ADMA concentrations associate with aerobic fitness in postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, an enzyme responsible for the generation of NO. Plasma concentrations of ADMA increase in the elderly and in postmenopausal women. In fact, an elevated ADMA level is a risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Aerobic exercise has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between ADMA and aerobic fitness is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether plasma ADMA concentrations correlate with aerobic fitness levels in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Thirty healthy postmenopausal women aged 50-76 years participated in this study. We measured plasma concentrations of ADMA and oxygen consumption at the ventilatory threshold (VO2VT) as an index of aerobic fitness. Subjects were divided into the low aerobic fitness (Low fitness) and high aerobic fitness (High fitness) groups, and the dividing line was set at the median VO2VT value.


RESULTS
VO2VT was significantly higher in the High fitness group than in the Low fitness group (P<0.01). The plasma ADMA concentrations in the High fitness group were significantly lower than those in the Low fitness group (P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between plasma ADMA concentrations and VO2VT (r=-0.532, P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
We found that plasma ADMA concentrations were associated with aerobic fitness in postmenopausal women. The results of this study suggest that habitual aerobic exercise may decrease plasma ADMA concentrations.
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Koichiro
K
Tanahashi
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Nobuhiko
N
Akazawa
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Asako
A
Miyaki
Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Youngju
Y
Choi
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Song-Gyu
SG
Ra
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Tomoko
T
Matsubara
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Hiroshi
H
Kumagai
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Oikawa
Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Takashi
T
Miyauchi
Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. Electronic address: maeda@taiiku.tsukuba.ac.jp.
Seiji
S
Maeda
D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D017698:Postmenopause
C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine
ADMA; Aerobic exercise capacity; Aging; Cardiovascular disease; Endothelin