Determinants of aortic sclerosis progression: implications regarding impairment of nitric oxide signalling and potential therapeutics.

AIMS: Aortic valve stenosis (AS) and its precursor, aortic valve sclerosis (ASc), occur frequently in Western populations. Investigations to retard the progression of AS using statins have been unsuccessful. Development of ASc in humans is associated with increased aortic valve backscatter (AVBS) and poor tissue nitric oxide (NO) responsiveness. In an animal model, ramipril retarded AS/ASc development. We have now set out to identify factors associated with the progression of ASc in humans. METHODS AND RESULTS: At baseline and after 4 years, 204 randomly selected subjects (age 63 ± 6 years at study entry) underwent echocardiography with the determination of AVBS values, measurements of platelet NO responsiveness, plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations, lipid profile, high-sensitivity-C-reactive protein, routine biochemistry, and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels. During the study period, 68% of subjects had detectable AVBS progression. On multivariate analysis, higher calcium concentrations (ß = 0.22; P = 0.004), poor platelet NO responsiveness (ß = 0.18; P = 0.018), and increased arterial stiffness (ß = 0.15; P = 0.044) were independent predictors of disease progression. The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ACE-I/ARB) predicted the lack of disease progression (assessed categorically) in the overall cohort and in those without ASc at baseline (n = 159) (ß = 0.8; P = 0.025 and ß = 1.3; P = 0.001, respectively). No conventional coronary risk factors were associated with disease progression. CONCLUSION: This study of early aortic valve disease (i) demonstrates that disease progression occurs in the majority of the normal ageing population over a 4-year period; (ii) provides evidence of the importance of the NO signalling cascade in disease development and progression; and (iii) provides additional data linking ACE-I/ARB use with the retardation of ASc.

Aging of the nitric oxide system: are we as old as our NO?

BACKGROUND: Impaired generation and signaling of nitric oxide (NO) contribute substantially to cardiovascular (CV) risk (CVR) associated with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. In our rapidly aging society, advanced age is, in itself, a consistent and independent CVR factor. Many processes involved in aging are modulated by NO. We therefore postulated that aging might be independently associated with impaired NO signaling. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a prospective cohort study of 204 subjects (mean age 63±6 at study entry), we evaluated the effects of 4 years of aging on parameters of NO generation and effect, including platelet aggregability and responsiveness to NO, and plasma concentrations of the NO synthase inhibitor, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). Clinical history, lipid profile, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, routine biochemistry, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were obtained at study entry and after 4 years of follow-up. Aging was associated with marked deterioration of responsiveness of platelets to NO (P<0.0001) and increases in plasma ADMA concentrations (P<0.0001). There was a significant correlation between changes in these parameters over time (r=0.2; P=0.013). On multivariable analyses, the independent correlates of deterioration of responsiveness of platelets to NO were female gender (ß=0.17; P=0.034) and low vitamin D concentrations (ß=0.16; P=0.04), whereas increases in ADMA were associated with presence of diabetes (ß=0.16; P=0.03) and impaired renal function (ß=0.2; P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Aging is associated with marked impairment of determinants of NO generation and effect, to an extent which is commensurate with adverse impact on CV outcomes. This deterioration represents a potential target for therapeutic interventions.

Reciprocal regulation of NO signaling and TXNIP expression in humans: impact of aging and ramipril therapy.

BACKGROUND: Impaired tissue responsiveness to nitric oxide (NO) occurs in many cardiovascular diseases as well as with advanced age and is a correlate of poor outcomes. This phenomenon results from oxidative stress, with NO "scavenging" and dysfunction of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is a major intracellular regulator of inflammatory activation and redox stress, but its interactions with NO/sGC are poorly understood. We have now evaluated the relationship between platelet TXNIP expression and function of the NO/sGC axis in subjects of varying age and during therapy with ramipril. METHODS & RESULTS: Young (n=42) and aging (n=49) subjects underwent evaluation of platelet TXNIP content. Aging subjects additionally had measurements of platelet NO responsiveness and routine biochemistry. Platelet TXNIP content was greater (376±33 units) in the aging compared to younger subjects (289±13 units; p<0.05). In the aging subjects there was a significant negative correlation (r=-0.50, p<0.001) between platelet TXNIP content and NO responsiveness. In a separate cohort of 15 subjects two week treatment with ramipril, which reversed platelet NO resistance and potentiated sGC activity, also decreased platelet TXNIP content by 40% (p=0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Platelet TXNIP content increases with aging, varies inversely with responsiveness to NO, and diminishes rapidly following treatment with ramipril. These data suggest that TXNIP-induced oxidative stress may be a critical modulator of tissue resistance to NO, a fundamental basis for cardiovascular disease. Analogously suppression of TXNIP expression can potentially be utilized as an index of restoration of cardiovascular homeostasis.