Journal of hypertension
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Journal of hypertension · Mar 2015
Arginase-endothelial nitric oxide synthase imbalance contributes to endothelial dysfunction during chronic intermittent hypoxia.
Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), the main feature of obstructive sleep apnoea, is associated with impaired vascular function despite unaltered response to nitric oxide donors. This study addressed whether arginase contributes to the endothelial dysfunction in CIH rats. ⋯ The current results suggest that endothelial dysfunction in CIH-induced hypertension may result from imbalanced arginase-1 to eNOS expression, vascular remodelling and increased contractile capacity, rather than decreased vascular response to nitric oxide.