Endothelial dysfunction in patients with salt-sensitive essential hypertension

Gaiane Simonia, Javara Ugrekhelidze, Irina Andronikashvili, Maka Kutateladze

Department of Internal Medicine, Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of endothelium-derived factors (NO and ET) in the development of the salt-sensitive hypertension and to assess possible interaction between these substances. A total of 52 patients with mild arterial hypertension were studied. Patients were divided in two groups (salt-sensitive and salt-resistant groups) in accordance with the type of their response to the changes in dietary sodium content. Data obtained show that all hypertensive patients irrespective from their type of salt-sensitivity exhibited significantly decreased NO and ET plasma levels. The salt sensitive hypertensive patients showed significant decreases in plasma NO concentrations compared to salt-resistant patients. The highest levels of ET were found in salt-sensitive hypertensives. In conclusion, salt-sensitive hypertension is accompanied by endothelial dysfunction expressed by decreased NO and elevated ET plasma levels with significant negative correlation between these endothelium-derived agents. It might be suggested that salt-sensitivity additionally contributes to the further deterioration of the endothelial function, presumably via impairing NO production and enhancing ET release.

Keywords:  endothelial function, NO, endothelin, salt-sensitive hypertension