Impairment of endothelial function in salt-sensitive hypertension in humans

In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the endothelium-dependent vasodilation and salt sensitivity in patients with essential hypertension. Fifteen untreated hypertensive male patients (age, 29 to 54 years) were sodium restricted (5 g/day) for 1 week, and placed on a high salt diet (20 g/day) the second week. At the end of each period, measurements of forearm vascular responses to drugs (acetylcholine, 3 to 24 microg/min; sodium nitroprusside, 0.15 to 1.2 microg/min; norepinephrine, 0.15 to 1.2 microg/min; and N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine [L-NMMA], 1 to 8 micromol/min) were obtained by using strain-gauge venous plethysmography. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the blood pressure response to sodium loading: salt-sensitive hypertensive group (24-h mean increase of arterial pressure > or = 10%; n = 6) and salt-resistant group (< 10%; n = 9). The two groups showed no significant difference in clinical data or mean arterial pressure during low salt intake. The dose-dependent vasodilation induced by acetylcholine was significantly reduced (P < .05) in the salt-sensitive hypertensive patients v the salt-resistant patients regardless of sodium loading. There were no differences between the two groups in response to sodium nitroprusside, norepinephrine, or L-NMMA. These results indicate that vasodilation to acetylcholine is reduced in salt-sensitive hypertensive patients even on restricted sodium diets. This may contribute to blood pressure elevation when sodium intake is increased.