The effect of Ca2+ channel antagonists on plasma concentrations of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in essential hypertension

• Published in: American journal of hypertension 2004-03, Vol.17 (3), p.273-276
• Main Authors: Zervoudaki, Alexandra, Economou, Emanuel, Pitsavos, Christos, Vasiliadou, Karmen, Aggeli, Constantina, Tsioufis, Konstantinos, Toutouza, Marina, Stefanadis, Christodoulos, Toutouzas, Pavlos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Calcium Channel Blockers - therapeutic use; Cardiology. Vascular system; Diastole - drug effects; Diltiazem - therapeutic use; extracellular matrix; Felodipine - therapeutic use; Female; Heart Ventricles - drug effects; Humans; Hypertension - blood; Hypertension - enzymology; Hypertension - physiopathology; Male; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 - blood; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 - drug effects; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 - blood; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 - drug effects; Medical sciences; Metalloproteinases; Middle Aged; remodeling; Systole - drug effects; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Resistance - drug effects
• ISSN: 0895-7061; 1941-7225; 1879-1905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjhyper.2003.11.007

The ability of some antihypertensive drugs to protect from vascular damage in hypertension might be partially due to their ability to control matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)–mediated extracellular matrix metabolism, which in turn may contribute to vascular remodeling. This study was designed to investigate whether treatment with felodipine or diltiazem has any effect on plasma levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in essential hypertensive patients. We measured plasma levels of active MMP-2 and MMP-9 in 72 hypertensive subjects and 45 controls, both before and after 6 months of treatment with felodipine (group A) or diltiazem (group B). Mean adjusted differences, before and after each treatment, for MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels were: 19.8 (P = .01) for MMP-2, 0.2 (P = .5) for MMP-9 (group A), and 1.4 (P = .4) for MMP-2, 0.2 (P = .7) for MMP-9 (group B). These findings show that MMP-2 level is raised by treatment with felodipine but not diltiazem, whereas MMP-9 is unaffected by either treatment.