PMID: 11913620Mar 27, 2002Paper

Selective downregulation of endothelin-B receptors in diabetic African-American patients

Ethnicity & Disease
Thomas E BrothersAdviye Ergul

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in the expression of the endothelin (ET) system in the peripheral vasculature of diabetic African-American (AA) and Caucasian (CA) patients. Tibial artery specimens were obtained from diabetic (MD = 8 and CAD = 5) and non-diabetic (AAND = 6 and CAND = 5) patients undergoing lower limb amputation. The gene expression of ET-1 precursor (PPET-1), ET(A)R and ET(B)R was determined by a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction technique. PPET-1 and ET(A)R expression was up-regulated 4- and 3-fold, respectively, in both AA and CA diabetics (P<.05 vs non-diabetics). ET(B)R mRNA was significantly lower in AA diabetic patients. Function of ET-1 and ET receptors was assessed by vascular contractility assays. Vascular relaxation in response to sodium nitroprusside in arteries precontracted with ET-1 was significantly lower in AA (58% +/- 9) as compared to CA diabetics (74% +/- 5) (P<.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the ET system is altered in favor of the contractile phenotype in AA diabetics and may contribute to the increased incidence of vascular complications in this population.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Autoimmune Diabetes & Tolerance

Patients with type I diabetes lack insulin-producing beta cells due to the loss of immunological tolerance and autoimmune disease. Discover the latest research on targeting tolerance to prevent diabetes.

Related Papers

Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition
Zhi-gang ChenXue Yu
Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology : an Official Journal of the Polish Physiological Society
M OhtaA S Tarnawski
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved