Abstract
Chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI) is the most common comorbidity in COPD. Impaired Nitric Oxide (NO) metabolism is considered to be a key point in the pathogenesis of these diseases.
The study was aimed to investigate NO metabolism in patients with COPD, CCI and in those with combination of both diseases.
The investigation included 110 patients aged 51-76 years: 27 stable COPD patients (II and III stages according to the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease); 58 patients with CCI (II and III stages); 25 – with both diseases. The control group included 20 healthy non-smokers of the same age. Serum levels of NO2-, NO3-, total NO2-/NO3- and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) were measured.
In all groups serum 3-NT levels were under the lower threshold of method sensitivity (3.2 ng/ml). Significant increase in total NO2-/NO3- was observed in CCI, COPD and COPD+CCI groups compared to healthy controls (1,7-fold, 1,9-fold and 2,5-fold respectively). Increase in serum NO3- level was also found in CCI, COPD and COPD+CCI groups compared to control group (21.3 ± 2.0 µM, p <0.05 (1.7-fold); 23.5±5.5 µM, p<0.05 (1.9-fold) and 27.8 ± 4.3 µM, p<0.05 (2.2-fold) respectively). NO3- level in COPD+CCI patients was significantly higher than in CCI group.
Serum NO2- was a significantly increase in stable COPD compared to the control group (3.7±1.0 µM and 1.6±0.8 µM, respectively, p=0.03), in COPD+CCI the same difference was noticed, p <0.05. NO2- level was higher in COPD and COPD+CCI patients compared to CCI group (p<0.05). The highest NO2- level was revealed in COPD+CCI patients (p<0.05).
These data suggest that COPD and CCI are characterized by different mechanisms of NO cycle impairments.
- © 2014 ERS