Developmental changes in the L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway from infancy to adulthood: plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine levels decrease with age
Abstract
Background: The L-arginine/nitric oxide (NO) pathway has multiple physiological functions including vasodilation, inhibition of platelet aggregation and neurotransmission. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of all known NO synthase isoforms, has adverse effects on renal and cardiovascular function in adults. It is unknown whether ADMA might also exert similar effects in younger individuals including infants. Also, reference data for important members of the L-arginine/NO family, notably ADMA and the NO metabolites, nitrite and nitrate, in infancy are lacking.
Methods: In the present study, we investigated the status of the L-arginine/NO pathway in 34 healthy volunteers aged 2 days to 24 years by measuring the concentration of ADMA, nitrite, nitrate and L-arginine in plasma and urine using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods.
Results: We found that ADMA levels in plasma decreased with age (Pearson correlation coefficient r=–0.619, p<0.001). In contrast, urinary excretion of nitrate (r=0.471, p=0.036) and nitrite increased with age (r=0.484, p=0.037).
Conclusions: Our study suggests that in infants ADMA biosynthesis accompanied by an inhibition of NO synthesis is higher than in adults and diminishes considerably with age.
Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1525–30.
©2007 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Articles in the same Issue
- Current state and future directions of neurochemical biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease
- Use of SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry for identification of new biomarkers: potential and limitations
- Analysis of ferritin genes in Parkinson disease
- Multimers and adiponectin gene 276G>T polymorphism in the Japanese population residing in rural areas
- Evaluation of genus-specific and species-specific real-time PCR assays for the identification of Brucella spp.
- A polymorphism in the resistin gene promoter is related to increased C-reactive protein levels in patients with coronary artery disease
- Association of a 27-bp repeat polymorphism in intron 4 of endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase gene with myocardial infarction in Tunisian patients
- How useful are housekeeping genes? Variable expression in melanoma metastases
- Combined androgen blockade therapy can convert RT-PCR detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) transcripts from positive to negative in the peripheral blood of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer and increase biochemical failure-free survival after curative therapy
- Isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency with a novel ACAD8 gene mutation detected by tandem mass spectrometry newborn screening
- Circulating levels of osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand in patients with chronic renal failure
- Altered angiogenesis in preeclampsia: evaluation of a new test system for measuring placental growth factor
- Impact of rosiglitazone on the expression of β3-AR in the stable cell lines expressed β3-AR gene
- Biochemical and hormonal composition, cytological examination of thyroid cyst fluid, and comparison according to gender and color of cyst fluid
- Redefining functional sensitivity of thyroglobulin assay on Immulite platform: implications in thyroid cancer management
- Developmental changes in the L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway from infancy to adulthood: plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine levels decrease with age
- Umbilical cord blood serum procalcitonin by Time-Resolved Amplified Cryptate Emission (TRACE) technology: reference values of a potential marker of vertically transmitted neonatal sepsis
- Point-of-care creatinine testing in children at risk for sudden deterioration of renal function
- Utility of PFA-100® closure time vs. optical aggregometry in assessing the efficacy of platelet membrane glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists in vitro
- Reliability assessment of glucose measurement by HemoCue analyser in a neonatal intensive care unit
- Validation study of Axis-Shield carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) on ARCHITECT® chemistry analyzer
- High free serum acrolein levels in bacterial infection and other disease states associated with oxidative stress: a potential biomarker?
- Increased serum S100B protein in chronic schizophrenic patients in Korea
- Addendum to the recent report of EC4 on the accreditation of medical laboratories in the European Union
- Reply to the letter written by Haeckel
- The systemic inflammatory response syndrome C-reactive protein and transthyretin conundrum
- Transthyretin, nutrition, and inflammation: response to Dr. Bernstein
- Erratum
Articles in the same Issue
- Current state and future directions of neurochemical biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease
- Use of SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry for identification of new biomarkers: potential and limitations
- Analysis of ferritin genes in Parkinson disease
- Multimers and adiponectin gene 276G>T polymorphism in the Japanese population residing in rural areas
- Evaluation of genus-specific and species-specific real-time PCR assays for the identification of Brucella spp.
- A polymorphism in the resistin gene promoter is related to increased C-reactive protein levels in patients with coronary artery disease
- Association of a 27-bp repeat polymorphism in intron 4 of endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase gene with myocardial infarction in Tunisian patients
- How useful are housekeeping genes? Variable expression in melanoma metastases
- Combined androgen blockade therapy can convert RT-PCR detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) transcripts from positive to negative in the peripheral blood of patients with clinically localized prostate cancer and increase biochemical failure-free survival after curative therapy
- Isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency with a novel ACAD8 gene mutation detected by tandem mass spectrometry newborn screening
- Circulating levels of osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand in patients with chronic renal failure
- Altered angiogenesis in preeclampsia: evaluation of a new test system for measuring placental growth factor
- Impact of rosiglitazone on the expression of β3-AR in the stable cell lines expressed β3-AR gene
- Biochemical and hormonal composition, cytological examination of thyroid cyst fluid, and comparison according to gender and color of cyst fluid
- Redefining functional sensitivity of thyroglobulin assay on Immulite platform: implications in thyroid cancer management
- Developmental changes in the L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway from infancy to adulthood: plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine levels decrease with age
- Umbilical cord blood serum procalcitonin by Time-Resolved Amplified Cryptate Emission (TRACE) technology: reference values of a potential marker of vertically transmitted neonatal sepsis
- Point-of-care creatinine testing in children at risk for sudden deterioration of renal function
- Utility of PFA-100® closure time vs. optical aggregometry in assessing the efficacy of platelet membrane glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists in vitro
- Reliability assessment of glucose measurement by HemoCue analyser in a neonatal intensive care unit
- Validation study of Axis-Shield carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) on ARCHITECT® chemistry analyzer
- High free serum acrolein levels in bacterial infection and other disease states associated with oxidative stress: a potential biomarker?
- Increased serum S100B protein in chronic schizophrenic patients in Korea
- Addendum to the recent report of EC4 on the accreditation of medical laboratories in the European Union
- Reply to the letter written by Haeckel
- The systemic inflammatory response syndrome C-reactive protein and transthyretin conundrum
- Transthyretin, nutrition, and inflammation: response to Dr. Bernstein
- Erratum