MORIMOTO Satoshi
   Department   School of Medicine(Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital), School of Medicine
   Position   Associate Professor
Article types Original article
Language English
Peer review Peer reviewed
Title Sympathetic activation and contribution of genetic factors in hypertension with neurovascular compression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla.
Journal Formal name:Journal of hypertension
Abbreviation:J Hypertens
ISSN code:02636352/02636352
Domestic / ForeginForegin
Volume, Issue, Page 17(11),pp.1577-82
Author and coauthor Morimoto S†*, Sasaki S, Itoh H, Nakata T, Takeda K, Nakagawa M, Furuya S, Naruse S, Fukuyama R, Fushiki S
Authorship Lead author,Corresponding author
Publication date 1999/11
Summary OBJECTIVE:The rostral ventrolateral medulla is an important center for the regulation of sympathetic and cardiovascular activities. Reportedly, neurovascular compression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla may be causally related to essential hypertension. We aimed to determine the mechanism behind elevated blood pressure in hypertensive patients with compression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla and to investigate whether genetic factors contribute to the etiology of hypertension with compression.DESIGN AND METHODS:The study included 56 patients with essential hypertension and 25 normotensive individuals. With the use of magnetic resonance imaging, the essential hypertension group was subdivided into hypertension with compression and without compression groups. We compared plasma levels of hormones that raise blood pressure and family histories of hypertension between the two hypertension groups and the normotension group.RESULTS:Plasma norepinephrine levels, but not plasma renin activity, aldosterone, epinephrine, or vasopressin levels, were significantly higher in the hypertension with compression group (389+/-53 pg/ml) than in the hypertension without compression group (217+/-38, P<0.05) or in the normotension group (225+/-30, P<0.05). The percentage of individuals who had two hypertensive parents was significantly higher in the hypertension with compression group (39.4%) than in the hypertension without compression group (13.0%, P<0.05) or in the normotension group (8.0%, P<0.01).CONCLUSIONS:These results indicate that neurovascular compression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla might be, at least in part, causally related to essential hypertension by increasing sympathetic nerve activity. They also suggest that genetic factors might contribute to the etiology of hypertension with neurovascular compression.
DOI 10.1097/00004872-199917110-00011
PMID 10608471