Exercise increases endothelin-1 plasma concentrations in patients with coronary artery disease: modulatory role of LDL cholesterol and of pentaerithrityltetranitrate

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Endothelin-1 in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of ergometric exercise on plasma ET-1 concentrations, and the potential modulatory role of LDL cholesterol, and the effects of an orally administered nitrate, PETN, in patients with CAD.

Why It Was Studied

Ten men with CAD and 10 healthy men underwent bicycle ergometry according to the WHO-standards.

Venous blood samples for determination of ET-1 concentrations were drawn directly before and 5 min after ergometric exercise.

Who Took Part

The study group was 10 men.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults, men only.

Patients were randomized and treated for 72 h in a crossover design either with placebo or pentaerithrityltetranitrate (PETN).

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Endothelin-1 and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Some men received a placebo instead of Endothelin-1, giving a reference point.

In the crossover set-up each of the men took both Endothelin-1 and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

Basal plasma levels of ET-1 were 6.1 +/- 0.7 pg/ml (patients) and 5.5 +/- 0.6 pg/ml (controls) (n.s.).

ET-1 levels remained unaffected by ergometric exercise in healthy controls.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Cholesterol, LDL, Coronary Disease, Endothelins, Exercise, Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate and Vasodilator Agents.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, placebo-controlled and crossover study of Endothelin-1 in 10 men.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1995 (Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Endothelin-1 compound page, all human trials.