European Heart Journal Advance Access originally published online on March 16, 2006
European Heart Journal 2006 27(19):2294-2299; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehi831
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Leptin is an endothelial-independent vasodilator in humans with coronary artery disease: evidence for tissue specificity of leptin resistance
1 Cardiovascular Division, King's College School of Medicine at Guy's, King's College, and St Thomas' Hospitals, King's College London, Bessemer Road, London SE5 9PJ, UK
2 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, King's College Hospital, London, UK
3 Department of Clinical Biochemistry, King's College Hospital, London, UK
Received 21 August 2005; revised 11 January 2006; accepted 23 February 2006; online publish-ahead-of-print 16 March 2006.
* Corresponding author. Tel: +44 20 73464025; fax: +44 20 73464771. E-mail address: mark.kearney{at}kcl.ac.uk
See page 2263 for the editorial comment on this article (doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehl246)
Aims We sought to define the mechanisms and correlates of leptin's vascular actions in humans with coronary artery disease.
Methods and results In 131 patients (age 65.7±0.7 years mean±SEM), ex vivo vascular reactivity to leptin (1013107 M) was assessed in saphenous vein (SV) rings. Leptin led to SV relaxation (maximal relaxation 24.5±1.6%). In separate experiments, relaxation to leptin was unaffected by L-NMMA (17.4±3.4 vs.17.8±3.3%, P=0.9) or endothelial denudation (17.4±4.4 vs. 22.5±3.0%, P=0.4). We explored the possibility that leptin's vascular effects are mediated via smooth muscle hyperpolarization. In the presence of KCl (30 mmol/L) to inhibit hyperpolarization, the vasodilator effect of leptin was completely blocked (0.08±4.1%, P<0.001 vs. control). Similar results were demonstrated in internal mammary artery rings. The only independent correlate of leptin-mediated vasodilatation was plasma TNF-alpha (r=0.25, P<0.05). Neither body mass index nor waist circumference correlated with leptin-mediated vasorelaxation. This lack of a correlation with markers of total body fat/fat distribution suggests that leptin resistance may not extend to the vasculature.
Conclusion Leptin is a vasoactive peptide in human SV and internal mammary artery. Its action is not nitric oxide or endothelial-dependent. Markers of body fat did not correlate with leptin-mediated vasodilatation, raising the intriguing possibility of selective resistance to leptin's actions.
Key Words: Leptin Nitric oxide Endothelial function Coronary artery disease
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