Change of plasm endothelin and nitric oxide and their clinic significance in patients with essential hypertension

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the changes of plasm endothelin (ET) and nitric oxide (NO) and blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension (EH).Methods:30 normotensive controls (NC) and 67 EH patients in different stage were studied.Plasm ET were detected by radioimmunoassay (RIA) method and serum NO level by colorimeteric.Results:The plasm ET level in EH patients was higher and serum NO level was lower than those in NC groups (all P0.01).NO/ET ratio was decreased in EH (P0.01),there was significant difference between patients and NC.The change was correlated to the severity of disease.Mean artery pressure(MAP)is positively correlated with ET but negative correlated with NO.Conclusion:The patients with essential hypertension had a vascular endothelial dysfunction.The imbalance of ET and NO released by vascular endothelial cell may be the important causes of the hypertention.It might be served as an index to access the severity of disease and a basis for therapy.[