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Blood pressure response to type A endothelin receptor antagonism in human obesity and diabetes mellitus

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 20, pages 798–800 (2006)Cite this article

Increased endogenous endothelin activity contributes to vascular dysfunction in obesity and diabetes. We report augmented effects of BQ123, an antagonist of type A endothelin receptors, to reduce systemic blood pressures in diabetic subjects compared to obese and lean control subjects. These differences were not explained by cross-group differences in obesity or baseline blood pressure, suggesting contributions from other features of the diabetic state.

We and others have recently reported evidence for increased endogenous activity of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in skeletal muscle resistance vessels in obesity and diabetes.1, 2 This excess endothelin tone appears to contribute to impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation.1 Another feature of obesity and diabetes is an increase in the prevalence of hypertension, and more generally a rightward shift of the distribution of blood pressures in affected individuals. Endothelin plays an important role in a variety of forms of human hypertension.3 Given that local regulation of vascular tone in peripheral resistance vessels impacts systemic blood pressure, it is possible that the observed excess peripheral vascular ET-1 tone in obesity and diabetes contributes to this net increase in blood pressure. This has not been systematically studied to date.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NIDDK 42469 and the American Diabetes Association.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Eulji University, Seoul, Korea

    K A Han

  2. Department of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    A A Lteif & K J Mather

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  1. K A Han
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Correspondence to K J Mather.

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Han, K., Lteif, A. & Mather, K. Blood pressure response to type A endothelin receptor antagonism in human obesity and diabetes mellitus. J Hum Hypertens 20, 798–800 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002061

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