[Plasma adrenomodullin concentration in patients wtih essential hypertension]

Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a novel peptide secretion from vascular smooth muscle, endothelial cells and other peripheral organs. It has potent and long-lasting vasodilatatory and natriuretic properties which could participate in regulating systemic blood pressure. To examine the pathophysiological role of ADM in hypertension the plasma concentrations of ADM were measured in patients with essential hypertension, before and after effective antihypertensive therapy, and in normotensive control group. Plasma ADM concentrations were increases in patients with severe hypertension and normal in patients with mild and moderate hypertension, and were decreased after effective therapy. In all hypertensive patients plasma ADM concentrations where not correlated with blood pressure, plasma renin activity, plasma endothelin-1,2, or plasma aldosterone. These results may suggest that ADM participates in defense mechanisms acting against the high elevation blood pressure in patients with hypertension.