An overview of literature data concerning the interactions between hypertension and vascular endothelium is presented. Arterial hypertension is accompanied by morphological and functional changes of endothelium. The laboratory methods measuring endothelial damage are very useful tools in evaluation of endothelium state.
Glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism (GRA), also known as familial hyperaldosteronism type I (FH-I, OMIM 103900), is a monogenic form of inherited hypertension caused by the presence of a chimaeric gene originating from an unequal cross-over between the CYP11B1 (11?-hydroxylase) and CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase) genes. The hybrid gene has the CYP11B1 sequence at the 5' end, including the promoter, and the CYP11B2 sequence at the 3' end. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of GRA in a Polish population of 129 patients with primary hyperaldosteronism (PHA) and 132 patients with essential hypertension (EH), through the use of a PCR-based test revealing the chimaeric gene. None of our PHA or EH patients was positive for the CYP11B1/CYP11B2 chimaeric gene. These data suggest that GRA is unlikely to be a common cause of hypertension in Polish subjects. However, the real prevalence of GRA in Poland, both in the high-risk group of individuals with primary hyperaldosteronism and in the general population, remains to be established.
It is known that NO is involved in a variety of physiological functions including the regulation of blood pressure. Dysregulation of L-arginine/NOS/NO biological activity occurs in blood hypertension. The present review will focus on a significance of NO in pathogenesis of essential hypertension.
Linkage and association studies suggested the relationship between alpha-adducin polymorphism (Gly460Trp; rs4961) and genetic susceptibility to salt-sensitivity. However, the currently available results were inconsistent. This study aimed to define quantitatively the association between salt-sensitivity and alpha-adducin Gly460Trp polymorphism in all published case-control studies. Publications from PubMed and other databases were retrieved. The major inclusion criteria were: (1) case-control design; (2) salt-sensitivity confirmed by sodium loading tests, and (3) the distribution of genotypes given in detail. Seven case-control studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In total they involved 820 subjects (454 salt-sensitive and 366 non-salt-sensitive). The meta-analysis shows that Gly460Trp polymorphism in general is not significantly associated with salt-sensitivity [OR (95%CI): 1.40 (0.96, 2.04), P = 0.08]. Subgroup analysis showed that the association is statistically significant in Asian people [OR (95%CI):1.33 (1.06, 1.69), P = 0.02] but not in Caucasian people [OR (95%CI):1.98 (0.57, 6.92), P = 0.28]. This indicates that blood pressure response to sodium varies between ethnical groups. More studies based on a larger population are required to evaluate further the role of ?-adducin Gly460Trp polymorphism in salt-sensitive hypertension.
This paper described newly discovered peptides, brain natriuretic peptide and C - type natriuretic peptide.Their structure and metabolism as well as peptides participation to many physiological and pathological states have been reviewed with a special emphasis to their role in blood pressure regulation and mineral and fluid balance.
Some lectins were used to study the localization of sugar residues on the endothelial cell surface in the pia mater vessels of control (WKY) and hypertensive rats (SHR). The lectins tested recognized the follwing residues: beta-D-galactosyl (Ricinus communis agglutinin 120, RCA-1), alpha-L-fucosyl (Ulex europaeus agglutinin, UEA-1), N-acetylglucosaminyl and sialyl (Wheat germ agglutinin, WGA), N-glocyl-neuraminic acid (Limax flavus agglutinin, LFA) and N-acetyl-D-galactosaminyl (Helix pomatia agglutinin, HPA). Several differences were revealed in the presence of sugar receptors on the surface of endothelial cells between the control and the hypertensive rats. Our studies showed also differences in the localization of the tested glycoconjugates between pial capillaries, small,medium-size and large pial arteries. The histochemical evaluation of alkaline phosphatase revealed an increased activity of the enzyme in the pial vessels of SHRs as compared with control rats, with a similar localization of the enzyme activity. Some differences in the distribution of lectin binding sites and alkaline phosphatase activity could be associated with the different functions of particular segments of the pial vascular network.