ABSTRACT
Objective: Nitric oxide plays an important role in vascular biology. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the endothelial nitric oxide gene (NOS3) have been previously associated with arterial
hypertension. We investigated whether these SNPs might be associated with arterial phenotypes in the
Czech general population.
Methods: We genotyped three NOS3 SNPs in 426 subjects not treated for arterial hypertension (mean
age, 49.1 years; 55.9% women). Arterial properties were measured using applanation tonometry. In
multivariate-adjusted analyses, we assessed the gene effects of rs3918226 (−665 C > T), rs1799983 (glu298asp
G > T) and rs2070744 (786 T > C) on augmentation index (AIx), central augmentation pressure (AP) and
aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV).
Results: Carriers of rs3918226 mutated T allele had marginally higher AIx (145.3 ± 2.5 vs. 140.2 ± 1.1%;
P = 0.064) and significantly higher AP (12.7 ± 0.7 vs. 11.1 ± 0.3 mm Hg; P = 0.033). These associations were
independent of potential confounding factors. Aortic PWV was not different in the two rs39182226 genotypes groups (P = 0.35). In single gene analyses, we did not observe any association between measured
phenotypes and rs1799983 or rs2070744 (P ≥ 0.11). In haplotype analysis, we observed trend for higher
PWV in haplotypes containing rs3918226 mutated T allele compared with other allelic combination
(P ≤ 0.079).
Conclusion: Mutated T allele of rs3918226 polymorphism in NOS3 gene was associated with parameters
reflecting central arterial stiffness and wave reflection. We hypothesize that genetic modulation of intermediate arterial phenotypes might lead to higher blood pressure.
© 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.