ISSN:
1432-5233
Keywords:
Arterial hypertension
;
Na+/H+ antiport
;
Obesity
;
Peripheral blood lymphocytes
;
Type 2 diabetes
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract It has been hypothesized that some genetic factors link different conditions characterized by the presence of insulin resistance: among them, obesity, type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension. A good candidate could be the Na+/H+ exchanger, the increased activity of which is considered a genetic marker of essential hypertension. In this study we looked at whether the Na+ dependence of the Na+/H+ antiporter is modified in obese and type 2 diabetic patients, in the absence of arterial hypertension. The activity of this ion exchanger was measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes by acidifying them in Na+-free buffer and then monitoring the recovery of intracellular pH after Na+ addition. Quiescent lymphocytes were used because they do not have insulin receptors, thus ruling out the effects of the elevated insulin concentrations on the Na+/H+ exchanger activity. Antiport activity, measured as the ability to extrude H+ in the presence of external Na+, showed no differences in normotensive obese and type 2 diabetic patients when compared with healthy subjects. Our data therefore suggest that an altered Na+/H+ exchange activity cannot be considered a common feature of insulin-resistant states.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00573496
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