FREE NEJM E-TOC    HOME   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES   |   COLLECTIONS   |   Search Term  Advanced Search

Sign in | Get NEJM's E-Mail Table of Contents — Free | Subscribe

Previous Volume 316:509-513 February 26, 1987 Number 9 Next

	Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited PubMed Citation

Abstract

Intracellular free (cytosolic) calcium has been reported to be increased in the platelets of patients with essential hypertension. We investigated the possibility that the high cytosolic calcium concentration may be caused by a circulating plasma factor, by incubating platelets from normotensive subjects with plasma ultrafiltrates from patients with essential hypertension. The cytosolic calcium concentration in normal platelets increased after incubation with plasma from patients with untreated hypertension (80 +/- 15 percent [+/- SEM]) or from patients in whom hypertension was well controlled by calcium-influx blockers (129 +/- 33 percent). In contrast, the cytosolic calcium concentration was unchanged after incubation with plasma from normotensive subjects. When platelets from the patients were incubated with plasma from the controls, cytosolic calcium in platelets decreased by more than 30 percent, into the normal range (P less than 0.01). These data demonstrate that plasma from patients with essential hypertension contains a substance that increases the cytosolic calcium concentration in platelets. Cytosolic calcium is a trigger for vascular smooth-muscle-cell contraction, and if the plasma factor acts on these cells as it acts on platelets, it may be responsible for the increased peripheral vascular resistance associated with hypertension.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Blankenship, K. A., Dawson, C. B., Aronoff, G. R., Dean, W. L. (2000). Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Human Platelet Plasma Membrane Ca2+-ATPase in Hypertension. Hypertension 35: 103-107 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• LINDNER, A., HINDS, T. R., JOLY, A., SCHREINER, G. F. (1999). Neutral Lipid from Proteinuric Rat Urine Is a Novel Inhibitor of the Red Blood Cell Calcium Pump. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 10: 1170-1178 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ennis, I. L., Alvarez, B. V., de Hurtado, M. C. C., Cingolani, H. E. (1998). Enalapril Induces Regression of Cardiac Hypertrophy and Normalization of pHi Regulatory Mechanisms. Hypertension 31: 961-967 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Horiguchi, M., Kimura, M., Lytton, J., Skurnick, J., Nash, F., Awad, G., Poch, E., Aviv, A. (1998). Ca2+ in the Dense Tubules : A Model of Platelet Ca2+ Load. Hypertension 31: 595-602 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rostand, S. G. (1997). Ultraviolet Light May Contribute to Geographic and Racial Blood Pressure Differences. Hypertension 30: 150-156 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fujinishi, A., Takahara, K., Ohba, C., Nakashima, Y., Kuroiwa, A., Takahara, K. (1997). Effects of Nisoldipine on Cytosolic Calcium, Platelet Aggregation, and Coagulation/Fibrinolysis in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease. ANGIOLOGY 48: 515-521 [Abstract]  
• Delva, P. T., Pastori, C., Degan, M., Montesi, G. D., Lechi, A. (1996). Intralymphocyte Free Magnesium in a Group of Subjects With Essential Hypertension. Hypertension 28: 433-439 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Stern, N., Kisch, E. S., Knoll, E. (1996). Platelet Lipoxygenase in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Hypertension 27: 1149-1152 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ting, C.-T., Chen, J.-W., Chang, M.-S., Yin, F. C. P. (1995). Arterial Hemodynamics in Human Hypertension : Effects of the Calcium Channel Antagonist Nifedipine. Hypertension 25: 1326-1332 [Abstract] [Full Text]