First evaluation of real-time nitric oxide changes in the coronary circulation in patients with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy using a catheter-type sensor

• Published in: European heart journal Vol. 31; no. 23; pp. 2862 - 2870
• Main Authors: Takarada, Shigeho, Imanishi, Toshio, Goto, Masami, Mochizuki, Seiichi, Ikejima, Hideyuki, Tsujioka, Hiroto, Kuroi, Akio, Takeshita, Tatsuya, Akasaka, Takashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.12.2010
• Series: Editor's Choice
• Subjects: Acetylcholine; Acetylcholine - pharmacology; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Flow Velocity - drug effects; Cardiac Catheterization - instrumentation; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated - physiopathology; Clinical Research; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Circulation - physiology; Coronary heart disease; Coronary Vessels - drug effects; Female; Heart; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Microcirculation; Middle Aged; Myocarditis. Cardiomyopathies; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis; Nitric Oxide - blood; omega-N-Methylarginine - pharmacology; Vasodilation - drug effects; Vasodilator Agents - pharmacology; Human; Evaluation; Microcircutation; Coronary artery; Catheter; Cardiovascular disease; Patient; Change; Real time; Myocardial disease; Coronary heart disease; Type; Congestive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; Ischemia; Dilated cardiomyopathy; Nitric oxide; Acetylcholine; Circulatory system; Cardiology
• ISSN: 0195-668X; 1522-9645
• DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq156

Aims No direct method has yet been developed to measure real-time plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentration in humans. In this study, we evaluated a new method for measuring plasma NO concentration in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and in normal controls using a catheter-type sensor. Methods and results We simultaneously measured average peak velocity (APV) of the coronary artery flow and change in plasma NO concentration using the NO sensor placed in the great cardiac vein of 10 DCM patients and 10 control subjects. These evaluations were performed in response to sequential intracoronary infusions of acetylcholine (ACh, 10−8–10−6 M), NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA, 200 µmol) and co-infusion of ACh and l-NMMA. The change in plasma NO concentration in DCM patients was significantly impaired compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Pretreatment with l-NMMA completely suppressed the ACh-induced NO concentration, whereas APV in the left anterior descending coronary artery was partially suppressed in both groups. Plasma NO concentration reached its peak value later than the maximum APV following the injection of ACh (10−6 M) in both groups. Conclusion The catheter-type NO sensor could be applied to clinically evaluate the endothelial function (i.e. reduced endothelium-derived NO bioavailability) in patients with cardiovascular diseases.