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The effects of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms on endothelial function and metabolic risk factors in healthy subjects: the significance of plasma adiponectin levels

Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan¹ Cardiovascular Research Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan and ² Medical Science of Proteases, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan

(Correspondence should be addressed to K Okumura; Email: kenji{at}med.nagoya-u.ac.jp)

Objective: Genetic variants of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene, Glu298Asp and T–786C, have been reported to be associated with cardiovascular disease. Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived plasma protein with insulin-sensitizing and vascular protective effects; its levels are typically low in metabolic syndrome. Therefore, eNOS gene polymorphisms may also be associated with specific metabolic profiles, including plasma adiponectin levels and atherogenic lipids.

Methods: We evaluated the functional significance of eNOS gene Glu298Asp and T–786C polymorphisms on endothelial function and metabolic profiles in 101 healthy young men (mean age 30.3 years) before the progression of atherosclerotic lesions.

Results: No linkage disequilibrium was found between the two genotypes. The Asp298 allele carriers of the eNOS gene presented significantly higher plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, LDL particle size, malondialdehyde-modified LDL (MDA-LDL), and fasting insulin levels and lower plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I levels, and endothelium-dependent vasodilation when compared with noncarriers. In spite of higher MDA-LDL levels, Asp298 carriers had significantly larger LDL particle size. By contrast, in C–786 allele carriers, systolic blood pressure was significantly higher, and plasma high-molecular-weight adiponectin levels and endothelium-dependent vasodilation were significantly lower than those in non-carriers.

Conclusions: Although both eNOS polymorphisms induced endothelial dysfunction, the eNOS T–786C polymorphism may be associated with adiponectin levels, whereas the Glu298Asp polymorphism may be associated with atherogenic lipid levels.