Skip Navigation

Cardiovascular Research 2002 55(2):270-278; doi:10.1016/S0008-6363(02)00401-7
© 2002 by European Society of Cardiology
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bronzwaer, J. G.F
Right arrow Articles by Paulus, W. J
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bronzwaer, J. G.F
Right arrow Articles by Paulus, W. J
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Copyright © 2002, European Society of Cardiology

Endomyocardial nitric oxide synthase and the hemodynamic phenotypes of human dilated cardiomyopathy and of athlete's heart

Jean G.F Bronzwaera,b,*, Christopher Zeitzc, Cees A Vissera,b and Walter J Paulusb

aCardiology, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
bInstitute for Cardiovascular Research Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
cCardiology, Queen Elisabeth Hospital, 28 Woodville Road, Woodville South, South Australia, Australia 5011

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +31-20-444-2441; fax: +31-20-444-3984 jgf.bronzwaer{at}vumc.nl

Objective: In dilated cardiomyopathy and in athlete's heart, progressive LV dilatation is accompanied by rightward displacement of the diastolic LV pressure–volume relation. In dilated cardiomyopathy, an increase in diastolic LV stiffness can limit this rightward displacement thereby decreasing LV systolic performance. Because nitric oxide (NO) reduces diastolic LV stiffness, the present study relates diastolic LV stiffness and LV systolic performance to intensity of endomyocardial NO synthase (NOS) gene expression in dilated cardiomyopathy and in athlete's heart. Methods: Microtip LV pressures, conductance-catheter or angiographic LV volumes, echocardiographic LV wall thicknesses and snap-frozen LV endomyocardial biopsies were obtained in 33 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and in three professional cyclists referred for sustained ventricular tachycardia. Intensity of LV endomyocardial inducible NOS (NOS2) and constitutive NOS (NOS3) gene expression was determined using quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR). Results: Dilated cardiomyopathy patients with higher diastolic LV stiffness-modulus and lower LV stroke work had lower NOS2 and NOS3 gene expression at any given level of LV end-diastolic wall stress. The intensity of NOS2 and NOS3 gene expression observed in athlete's heart was similar to dilated cardiomyopathy with low LV diastolic stiffness-modulus and preserved LV stroke work. Conclusions: High LV endomyocardial NOS gene expression is observed in athlete's heart and in dilated cardiomyopathy with low diastolic LV stiffness and preserved LV stroke work. Favourable effects on the hemodynamic phenotype of high LV endomyocardial NOS gene expression could result from a NO-mediated decrease in diastolic LV stiffness and a concomitant rise in LV preload reserve.

KEYWORDS ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme; CVF, collagen volume fraction; HR, heart rate; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; IL-6, interleukin 6; k, left ventricular chamber stiffness constant; LV, left ventricular; LV dP/dtmax, peak rate of left ventricular pressure rise; LVEDP, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure; LVEDV, left ventricular end-diastolic volume; LVEDVI, left ventricular end-diastolic volume index; LVEDWS, left ventricular end-diastolic wall stress; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; LVPSP, left ventricular peak systolic pressure; LVSW, left ventricular stroke work; NO, nitric oxide; NOS, nitric oxide synthase; NOS2, inducible nitric oxide synthase; NOS3, constitutive nitric oxide synthase; RT–PCR, reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction; Stiffness-Mod, radial myocardial left ventricular stiffness modulus; TNF{alpha}, tumor necrosis factor {alpha}


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.