Impaired Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation of Coronary Resistance Vessels in Hypercholesterolemic Patients.

1 January 1996

journal article
Published by Japanese Society of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine

Vol. 35 (2) , 89-93
https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.35.89

Abstract

To determine the relationship between hypercholesterolemia and the endothelial function of coronary resistance vessels, we studied the changes in coronary blood flow (CBF) in response to acetylcholine, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, and adenosine, an endothelium-independent vasodilator, in patients with hypercholesterolemia (n=17) and in control patients (n=17). All patients had normal epicardial coronary arteries. Serial 2-min infusions of acetylcholine, at 3 μg/min and 30 μg/min, caused a dose-dependent increase in CBF in each group. The acetylchol-ineinduced maximal increases in CBF were inversely correlated with the serum cholesterol level (r=-0.55, p<0.01), and were significantly smaller in the hypercholesterolemic patients than in control patients. However, the adenosine-induced increases in CBF were similar in the two groups. These results suggest that the endothelium-dependent vasodilation of resistance vessels is lessened in patients with hypercholesterolemia even before the formation of atherosclerotic stenotic lesions in epicardial coronary arteries, and that hypercholesterolemia impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilation of coronary resistance vessels.(Internal Medicine 35: 89-93, 1996)

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