Chronic oxidative stress and sympathetic vasomotor tone in arterial hypertension.

摘要

Arterial hypertension is associated with increased oxidative stress; however, there is still a debate whether oxidative stress is a cause or a result of hypertension. Animal studies have generally supported the hypothesis that increased blood pressure is associated with increased oxidative stress; however, human studies have been inconsistent. This discrepancy is probably related to the fact that hypertension in humans is a multifactorial, polygenic syndrome that involves interactions between genetically determined homeostatic control mechanism and environmental factors. In experimental models of hypertension, the role of oxidative stress in the generation and/ or maintenance of hypertension has been recently reported in the 2 kidney-1 clip (2K1C) and 1 kidney-1 clip, spontaneously hypertensive rats, salt- and angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension. Ang II is one of the most important mechanisms leading to increased oxidative stress acting in AT_1 receptors in the brain with a consequent activation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activity, eliciting the production of reactive oxygen species.