Vascular adaptation to weight gain in young adults
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Physiological mechanisms underlying the association between blood pressure and adiposity in young adults
IRAS ID
157590
Contact name
Jessica Middlemiss
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
609/M/C/1532, Co-sponsor
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 24 days
Research summary
Elevated blood pressure (BP) is the most important risk factor for death and disability globally. High blood pressure in young individuals is likely to be multi-faceted with factors such as obesity, an increased salt intake and a decreased level of physical activity all playing a significant role. Indeed, the links between hypertension and obesity are well-established but the mechanism remains unclear. We have demonstrated recently that vascular resistance distinguishes between overweight/obese young adults with high BP and those with normal BP and we hypothesize that the ability to adapt vascular resistance during periods of weight gain is pivotal to maintaining normal BP.
Nitric oxide (NO) is a key regulator of vascular tone thus peripheral vascular resistance (PVR). The importance of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) which is the enzyme that forms NO, in regulating vascular tone in healthy humans has recently been established. However, it is not known whether nNOS activity is involved in obesity-associated hypertension.
We wish to examine whether nNOS activity differs between obese and normal-weight subjects with different levels of BP, by blocking nNOS locally with the inhibitor, s-methyl l-citrulline (SMTC) and measuring the effects on forearm vascular tone, using the well-established technique of venous occlusion plethysmography. We then wish to examine the effect of weight gain in young, healthy males on PVR and whether any observed changes in PVR are due to changes in nNOS activity.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0024
Date of REC Opinion
17 Feb 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion