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(Hypertension. 2000;35:55.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.

Scientific Contributions

Increased Chymase Activity in Internal Thoracic Artery of Patients With Hypercholesterolemia

Yoshinari Uehara; Hidenori Urata; Manabu Sasaguri; Munehito Ideishi; Noriyuki Sakata; Tadashi Tashiro; Michio Kimura; Kikuo Arakawa

From the Department of Internal Medicine (Y.U., H.U., M.S., M.I., K.A.), Pathology (N.S.), and Cardiovascular Surgery (T.T., M.K.), School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.

Correspondence to Hidenori Urata, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan. E-mail uratah{at}fukuoka-u.ac.jp

Abstract—Apart from ACE, various angiotensin II (Ang II)–forming serine proteinases (eg, chymase, kallikrein, and cathepsin G) are known to exist in human tissues, but their clinical significance or the regulatory mechanisms that control their activities are not well established. A recent clinical study has shown that chymase activity was significantly increased in human atherosclerotic or aneurysmal aorta. The association between vascular Ang II–forming activities (AIIFAs) in the human internal thoracic artery (ITA) and various clinical parameters was studied with the use of ITAs obtained from 32 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Total and ACE- and chymase-dependent AIIFAs in homogenates of ITAs were determined. Total AIIFA was 8.67±0.86 (nmol Ang II formed · min^-1 · mg protein^-1 [U]), and 95% of the activities were due to chymase. Serum total cholesterol level, but no other risk factors, significantly correlated with chymase- (r=0.60, P<0.001) and ACE- (r=0.35, P<0.05) dependent AIIFAs, respectively. LDL cholesterol level was also correlated with chymase-dependent AIIFAs (r=0.47, P<0.05). Mast cells identified through the use of toluidine blue or immunohistochemical staining appeared in the adventitia but not in the intima or media of ITAs. Our results suggest that an increased plasma LDL cholesterol level may induce increased arterial chymase and ACE activity.

Key Words: renin-angiotensin system • angiotensin-converting enzyme • angiotensin II • atherosclerosis

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