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Updated: May 3, 2026

Murine Model of Thoracic Aortic Dissection Induced by Oral β-Aminopropionitrile and Subcutaneous Angiotensin II Infusion
Published on: May 16, 2025
Association between endothelial nitric oxide synthase intron 4a/b polymorphism and aortic dissection.
Ahmet Ekmekçi1, Mahmut Uluganyan2, Barış Güngör3
1Department of Cardiology, Siyami Ersek Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Center, İstanbul, Turkey. ahmetekmekci@yahoo.com.
Genetic variations in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene were studied in relation to aortic dissection (AD). While eNOS gene polymorphism distribution differed in AD patients versus controls, it was not an independent risk factor.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Aortic Diseases
Background:
- Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening condition with complex etiology.
- Genetic factors are implicated in the risk of developing AD.
- The role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene polymorphism in AD requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene polymorphism and aortic dissection (AD).
- To determine if specific eNOS genotypes are more frequent in patients with AD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of patients diagnosed with AD and controls.
- Genotyping of the eNOS intron 4a/b polymorphism using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Statistical analysis to compare genotype frequencies between AD patients and controls.
Main Results:
- The study included 39 patients with AD (88% type A, 12% type B).
- A significant difference in eNOS intron 4a/b genotype distribution was observed between AD patients and the control group (p=0.03).
- Higher frequencies of eNOS 4a/a and 4a/b genotypes were found in the AD group.
Conclusions:
- The distribution of eNOS genotypes differs between individuals with and without aortic dissection.
- The eNOS intron 4a/b polymorphism was not identified as an independent risk factor for the development of AD.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complete genetic landscape of aortic dissection.
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