Objective: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous modulator of endothelial function and oxidative stress, and increased levels of this molecule have been reported in some metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this work was to analyze the time course of dimethylarginine compounds and oxidative stress levels and the relationship between these and cardiovascular function in fructose-hypertensive rats.
Methods and results: 90 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 2 groups, fed for 3 months with standard (C) chow supplemented or not with fructose (F, 60%). After sacrifice at different weeks (W), the aorta and plasma were harvested to assess the vascular and biochemical parameters. Our work showed that the plasma levels of ADMA in the fructose-fed rats increased after 2 weeks of the diet (1.6 ± 0.3 μM vs. 1.2 ± 0.3 μM, p < 0.05) with no changes in plasma levels of either SDMA or L-arginine and after an increase in glycemia. Levels of vascular oxidative stress, estimated in aortic segments using an oxidative fluorescence technique, were higher in the F group (W2: 1.14 ± 0.2% vs. 0.33 ± 0.02%, p < 0.01). An increase in expression levels of nitrotyrosine (3-fold) and iNOS (2-fold) were noted in the fructose-fed rats. After 1 month, this was associated with a significant increase in NAD(P)H oxidase activity. Concerning vascular function, a 15% decrease in maximal endothelium-dependent relaxation was found in the aorta of the F group. Our work showed that the presence of exogenous L-MMA, an inhibitor of NO synthase, was associated with a significant reduction in endothelium-dependent relaxation in isolated aorta rings of the C group; this effect was not observed in the vessels of fructose-fed rats.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the elevated levels of ADMA observed could in part be secondary to the early development of oxidative stress associated with the development of hypertension.
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