Abstract
Objective: Oxidative stress and inflammation are interconnected mechanisms which are potentially involved in the pathogenesis of heart disease. We examined whether phagocytic NADPH oxidase activation is related to hypertensive heart disease (HHD). Besides, we analyzed whether NADPH oxidase activation is mediated by cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), a cytokine that has been recently involved in the development of hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Design and Method: Normotensive individuals, hypertensives without cardiac abnormalities and hypertensives with LVH were studied. LVH was determined by two-dimensional echocardiography. NADPH oxidase-mediated superoxide production was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by luminescence. Serum CT-1 was measured by ELISA in samples from the antecubital vein. Results: Phagocytic NADPH oxidase activity and serum CT-1 levels were increased in hypertensives with LVH compared with normotensives and hypertensives without LVH. Phagocytic NADPH oxidase was positively correlated with serum CT-1 levels in all individuals, this association being independent of age and sex. In vitro experiments demonstrated that CT-1 stimulated NADPH oxidase activity in phagocytic cells. Conclusions: This study shows that phagocytic NADPH oxidase overactivity is associated with HHD. In addition, our data support a relevant role of CT1 as an additional player that promotes the activation of NADPH oxidase in phagocytic cells.
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