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Acute Chlamydia pneumoniae infection causes coronary endothelial dysfunction in pigs.

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Author

Summary, in English

Background: Coronary endothelial dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes (ACSs). Acute Chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been epidemiologically associated with ACS. In this study, we investigated whether acute C. pneumoniae infection could alter the endothelial vasomotor function of porcine coronary vessels. Methods and results: Twenty pigs, 7–9 kg in weight, were inoculated intratracheally with C. pneumoniae (n=12) or saline (n=8), and investigated at 3 days (five infected/four non-infected) and 2 weeks (5+2 infected/four non-infected) after inoculation. The endothelium-dependent reactivity of coronary microcirculation was assessed at both time points by measuring peak coronary flow velocity (CFV) in response to bradykinin, before and after infusions with glutathione, an antioxidant, and Image-arginine, a substrate for nitric oxide synthase (NOS). CFV after bradykinin was significantly decreased in infected animals at both time points. At 2 weeks, both glutathione and Image-arginine significantly improved CFV after bradykinin. CFV after sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was similar in both groups. At 3 days, the relaxation responses of bradykinin-induced pre-contracted left anterior descending (LAD) coronary rings to bradykinin were significantly less in infected animals. NG-nitro-Image-arginine-methyl-ester, an NOS inhibitor, had significantly greater inhibitory effect on bradykinin-induced relaxation in infected animals. Plasma nitrate–nitrite and fibrinogen, and NOS activity from LAD coronary samples were significantly increased in infected animals. Conclusion: Acute C. pneumoniae infection causes endothelial dysfunction of both resistance and epicardial coronary vessels, and favours a pro-coagulant status. These effects could in part account for the epidemiologically suggested association between acute infection and ACS.

Publishing year

2003

Language

English

Pages

215-222

Publication/Series

Atherosclerosis

Volume

167

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems

Keywords

  • Acute infection
  • Endothelium
  • Coronary
  • Chlamydia pneumoniae

Status

Published

Research group

  • Clinical Microbiology, Malmö

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1879-1484