[Level of nitrous oxide in peripheral blood serum in patients with various severity of arterial hypertension]

To elucidate the role of nitrous oxide (NO) in development of severe primary arterial hypertension (AH) including malignant hypertension and concomitant ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Patients with diagnosis of primary 1-3 degree AH (n=62, 21 men, 41 women aged 39-87 years, mean age 63.7+/-2.7 years) and 28 subjects with normal arterial pressure (AP) (n=28, 13 men, 15 women aged 30-85 years, mean age 57.5+/-7.8 years). Blood serum levels of NO stable metabolites (nitrates and nitrites) were measured by reaction of their reduction in the presence of vanadium chloride and by reaction of diazotization of sulfanilamide by generated nitrite (modification by R.M.Miranda et al., 2001).

NO level (level of its stable metabolites) was substantially elevated in patients with various severity of AH compared with subjects with normal AP. Severe and malignant course of AH was not associated with substantial lowering of NO level in blood serum. Relation between NO level and age found in subjects with normal AP, was not observed in patients with labile and stable course of AH. In patients with AH, normal serum NO level and signs of chronic involvement of cardiovascular system the disease was several times more often associated with atrial fibrillation and class II-III angina than in patients with high NO levels. Patients with AH combined with IHD more often had signs of heart failure and history of myocardial infarction.