Vascular Health and Risk Management (Sep 2018)
Endothelin-1, nitric oxide, serotonin and high blood pressure in male adolescents
Abstract
Gulfiia Nagimovna Aflyatumova,1 Razina Ramazanovna Nigmatullina,2 Dinara Ilgizarovna Sadykova,3 Mariia Dmitrievna Chibireva,4 Francesco Fugetto,5 Raffaele Serra6,7 1Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Republican Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation; 2Department of Normal Physiology, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation; 3Department of Hospital Pediatrics, Kazan State Medical Academy, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation; 4Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation; 5Department of Vascular Surgery, Interuniversity Center of Phlebolymphology (CIFL), International Research and Educational Program in Clinical and Experimental Biotechnology, Headquarters: University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy; 6Department of Vascular Surgery, Interuniversity Center of Phlebolymphology (CIFL), International Research and Educational Program in Clinical and Experimental Biotechnology, Headquarters: University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy; 7Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy Background: Essential arterial hypertension (EAH) in adolescents represents a social burden. The endothelium is involved in the pathogenesis of EAH. Imbalance of key vasoactive factors – namely nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) – is observed, and serotonin (5-HT) release is also impaired. The relationship between the factors and high blood pressure (BP) has been established mainly in preclinical studies and in the adult age. The aim of the present manuscript is to establish the association between plasma ET-1, serum NO and 5-HT, platelet 5-HT levels and BP in male adolescents, analyzing their concentrations in controls, prehypertensive and hypertensive children. Consequently, we want to evaluate ET-1, NO and 5-HT levels as preclinical biomarkers of EAH. Methods: Outpatient adolescents, examined at Children’s Republican Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan, were recruited between 26th of May and 25th of September 2016. Predictor variables identified were plasma ET-1, serum NO and 5-HT levels and were evaluated in serum and platelets of case and control groups. Results: Plasma ET-1 and serum 5-HT concentrations in prehypertensive and hypertensive children were higher than in controls, with hypertensive adolescents showing higher levels of both factors compared with prehypertensive adolescents. Platelet 5-HT levels were lower in prehypertensive and hypertensive children compared with controls, while serum NO levels were higher in prehypertensive children than in hypertensive children. Conclusion: Measurable ET-1, NO and 5-HT are related to BP in adolescents and may serve as diagnostic biomarkers of EAH. Furthermore, they could help to better define prehypertensive and hypertensive children. Keywords: endothelin-1, serotonin, nitric oxide, pediatric arterial hypertension, biomarkers, pre-hypertension, monoamines, endothelial dysfunction
