The Effect of Nitroglycerin on Arterial Stiffness of the Aorta and the Femoral-Tibial Arteries.
OBJECTIVE
The effect of nitroglycerin on proper arterial stiffness of the arterial tree has not been fully clarified. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), which is an application of the stiffness parameter β theory on the arterial tree from the origin of the aorta to the ankle, was developed recently. Furthermore, the stiffness of the aorta (heart-thigh β (htBeta)) and of the femoral-tibial arteries (thigh to ankle β (taBeta)) could be monitored by applying the same theory. The effects of nitroglycerin on CAVI, htBeta, and taBeta were studied comparing the values of healthy people and those of arteriosclerotic patients.


METHODS
The subjects were healthy people (CAVI ＜7.5, n=25) and arteriosclerotic patients (CAVI ＞9, n=25). Nitroglycerin (0.3 mg) was administrated sublingually, and various arterial stiffness indices were measured at one-minute intervals for a period of 20 minutes using Vasera VS-1500 (Fukuda Denshi, Tokyo).


RESULTS
After the administration of nitroglycerin in healthy people, CAVI decreased significantly after 5 min. [from 6.76(6.32-7.27) to 5.50(4.70-6.21), P＜0.05], and recovered after 15 min. htBeta [from 5.10(4.76-5.76) to 3.96(3.35-4.79), P＜0.05], and taBeta [from 14.41(10.80-16.33) to 10.72 (9.19-13.01), P＜0.05] also decreased significantly. In arteriosclerotic patients, CAVI decreased after 5 min. [from 10.47(9.67-11.29) to 9.71(8.74-10.57), P＜0.05] and recovered after 15 min. htBeta did not significantly change [from 12.00(11.46-13.21) to 11.81(10.14-13.83), ns], but taBeta decreased significantly [from 18.55(12.93-23.42) to 12.37(9.68-16.99), P＜0.05].


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that a nitroglycerin-induced decrease of arterial stiffness is more prominent in muscular arteries than in elastic arteries, and this effect was preserved much more prominently in arteriosclerotic patients than in healthy people.
Toho University Graduate School of Medicine.|Element Technology Department, Fukuda Denshi Co., Ltd.
Tomoyuki
T
Yamamoto
Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University Sakura Medical Center.
Kazuhiro
K
Shimizu
Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University Sakura Medical Center.
Mao
M
Takahashi
Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University Sakura Medical Center.
Ichiro
I
Tatsuno
Department of Vascular Function, Toho University, Sakura Medical Center.|Seijinkai Mihama Hospital.
Kohji
K
Shirai
D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D016909:Tibial Arteries / Q000187:drug effects*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000187:drug effects*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D005996:Nitroglycerin
Arterial stiffness; Cardio-ankle vascular index; Nitroglycerin; Stiffness parameter