Related Experiment Videos
Erythrocyte ion fluxes in essential hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy
A de la Sierra1, A Coca, J C Paré
1Department of General Internal Medicine, Hospital Clinico, School of Medicine, Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
Essential hypertension patients with left ventricular hypertrophy show altered erythrocyte ion transport. Specifically, increased sodium-hydrogen (Na+-H+) exchange and decreased sodium-potassium-chloride (Na+-K+-Cl-) cotransport are linked to LVH development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Cellular Physiology
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular events in essential hypertension (EH).
- Cellular ion mobilization abnormalities are implicated in LVH development.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for managing hypertension-related cardiovascular risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate ion transport system differences in erythrocytes of EH patients with and without LVH.
- To identify specific ion transport abnormalities associated with LVH in essential hypertension.
- To explore the role of these abnormalities in the pathogenesis of LVH.
Main Methods:
- Erythrocytes from 50 EH patients were analyzed for ion transport systems.
- Patients were categorized based on LVH presence determined by M-mode echocardiography.
- Key parameters measured included Na+-H+ exchange, intracellular Na+ content, and Na+-K+-Cl- cotransport rates.
Main Results:
- Of 50 EH patients, 32 (64%) had LVH and 18 (36%) did not.
- Patients with LVH were older and showed significantly higher erythrocyte Na+-H+ exchange rates and intracellular Na+ content.
- Multiple linear regression identified Na+-H+ exchange and Na+-K+-Cl- cotransport as independently associated with increased left ventricular mass index (LVMI).
Conclusions:
- Increased erythrocyte Na+-H+ exchange and decreased Na+-K+-Cl- cotransport are associated with LVH in EH.
- These ion transport abnormalities may increase intracellular Na+ content.
- Such alterations could play a role in the development of LVH in essential hypertension.
Background:
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in essential hypertension (EH). Several hemodynamic and nonhemodynamic factors have been involved in the development of LVH in hypertension, including abnormalities in cellular ion mobilization.
Methods And Results:
We measured different ion transport systems in erythrocytes from 50 patients with EH classified as having or not having LVH measured by M-mode echocardiography. Thirty-two EH patients (64%) exhibited criteria of LVH, and 18 (36%) did not. When the two groups were compared, patients with LVH were older (44.7 +/- 7.4 versus 37.6 +/- 9.2 years; P < .01) and exhibited higher rates of erythrocyte Na(+)-H+ exchange (9.8 +/- 4.1 versus 7.1 +/- 2.6 mmol.[L.cells.h]-1; P < .05) and higher intraerythrocyte Na+ content (8.5 +/- 1.3 versus 7.5 +/- 0.8 mmol/L per cell; P < .01). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values, as well as biochemical, hormonal, and other erythrocyte ion transport systems studied did not differ between EH with or without LVH. The results of a multiple linear regression analysis using left ventricular mass index (LVMI) as the dependent variable showed that Na(+)-H+ exchange and the maximal rate of the Na(+)-K(+)-Cl- cotransport were the only two independently significant parameters associated with an increased LVMI.
Conclusions:
The increased rate of the erythrocyte Na(+)-H+ exchange and the decreased maximal rate of the Na(+)-K(+)-Cl- cotransport system are both associated with the presence of LVH in EH patients. These abnormalities of ion transport pathways tend to increase the intracellular Na+ content and may be involved in the pathogenesis of LVH in EH.