[Relationship between plasma endothelin, nitric oxide, calcitonin gene-related peptide levels and pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with chronic cor pulmonale].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between plasma endothlin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) levels and hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. METHOD: Cardiac catheterization was performed in 55 cases of chronic cor pulmonale to monitor the changes of their hemodynamic indices and to determine the levels of pulmonary arterial plasma ET-1, NO and CGRP. RESULT: The plasma ET-1 level of patients with pulmonary hypertension (Group A) was significantly higher than that of patients without pulmonary hypertension (Group B) and controls. The plasma NO level of group A was significantly lower than that of Group B and controls. The plasma CGRP level of ET-1 had a significantly negative correlation with PaO2 and positive correlation with pulmonary arterial pressure. The levels of NO and CGRP had significantly positive correlation with PaO2 and negative correlation with pulmonary arterial pressure. After 60-min oxygenation with 30% oxygen inhalation, the level of ET-1 decreased remarkably, but the levels of NO and CGRP went up notably. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that hypoxia affects plasma ET-1, NO, CGRP levels in patients with chronic cor pulmonale. ET-1, NO, CGRP play synergistic roles in regulation of pulmonary arterial pressure.