Author(s): YASUI, T., OI, N., TAGA, K., KUME, D., OKUDA-ASHITAKA, E., NISHIWAKI, M., Institution: OSAKA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 1507

INTRODUCTION:
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) is involved in the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the endothelium, and the NOS3 gene polymorphism T-786C (rs2070744) is reported to reduce NOS3 promoter activity by mutation. However, in the general population, the effects of NOS3 gene polymorphisms on arterial stiffness using the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI), which is theoretically adjusted by blood pressure, have not been reported. This study thus aimed to examine the effect of the T-786C (rs2070744) gene polymorphisms on CAVI.
METHODS:
Saliva sampling, CAVI assessment, and physical tests were conducted on 217 Japanese adult participants (18-84 years). DNA was extracted from saliva, and T-786C polymorphism (rs2070744) was screened using a TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. The subjects were also divided into three groups according to age: 122 young (18-37 years), 46 middle-aged (38-57 years), and 49 elderly (58 years and older).
RESULTS:
In the Japanese group, the frequency of NOS3 gene polymorphism rs2070744 was TT type in 184 participants (84.8%), TC type in 30 participants (13.8%), and CC type in 3 participants (1.4%). No significant differences in CAVI value were observed between TT and TC+CC. However, the CAVI value tends to be higher in TC+CC than in TT (TT young: 6.0 ± 0.1 unit, TC+CC young: 6.0 ± 0.1 unit, TT middle-aged: 7.3 ± 0.1 unit, TC+CC middle-aged: 7.6 ± 0.2 unit, TT elderly: 9.0 ± 0.2 unit, TC+CC elderly: 9.3 ± 0.2 unit; Two-way ANOVA indicates Factor of Polymorphism: P = 0.2132, Factor of Age: P < 0.001, and Interaction: P = 0.5675).
CONCLUSION:
These findings indicate that the tendency towards higher CAVI is found due to the mutations, but the gene polymorphism in NOS3 could not significantly affect age-related increases in arterial stiffness as assessed by CAVI in the Japanese general group, suggesting that the impacts of gene polymorphism in NOS3 may be a lesser magnitude compared to the polymorphism of monogenic disorders.