Published online before print April 7, 2003, doi: 10.1161/01.HYP.0000067062.92836.9E
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(Hypertension. 2003;41:1102.)
© 2003 American Heart Association, Inc.
Scientific Contributions |
Smoking Activates Rho-Kinase in Smooth Muscle Cells of Forearm Vasculature in Humans
From the Department of Medicine and Molecular Science (K. Noma., D.J., K.H., M.K., K. Nakagawa, K.C.), the Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Medicine (Y.H., M.Y.), the Division of Physical Therapy, Institute of Health Sciences (C.G.), and the Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine (T.O.), Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Correspondence to Yukihito Higashi, MD, PhD, FAHA, Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan. E-mail yhigashi{at}hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Previous studies have shown that smoking is strongly associated with atherosclerosis and coronary vascular disease. Rho-kinase plays an important role in various cellular functions associated with atherosclerosis and hypertension. However, there is no information on the relationship between smoking and Rho-kinase activity in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine the Rho-kinase activity in forearm vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in healthy young male smokers. We evaluated the forearm blood flow (FBF) responses to fasudil (3, 10, and 30 µg/min for 5 minutes), a Rho-kinase inhibitor, or sodium nitroprusside (0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 µg/min for 5 minutes) in current smokers (n=8) and nonsmokers (n=8). FBF was measured with a strain-gauge plethysmograph. The vasodilatory effect of fasudil was significantly greater in smokers than in nonsmokers (14.9±3.5 versus 10.5±3.6 mL/min per 100 mL tissue; P<0.01). The FBF responses to sodium nitroprusside were similar in the 2 groups (34.7±10.4 versus 33.2±10.2 mL/min per 100 mL tissue; P=0.78). These findings suggest that smoking activates Rho-kinase in forearm VSMCs but does not alter the vasodilatory effect induced by exogenous nitric oxide in forearm VSMCs in healthy young men.
Key Words: smoking • muscle, smooth, vascular • endothelium • kinase
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