Blood pressure and free radicals
Oxidants help maintain normal blood pressure levels
LifeSciencesToday based on materials from King's College London:
Oxidants help maintain healthy blood pressureA new study conducted by scientists from King's College London shows that oxidants – a group of molecules involved, as is known, in the aging process and the development of cancer – play a positive role in the regulation of blood pressure.
The work published in the journal Nature Medicine (Single atom substitution in mouse protein kinase G eliminates oxidant sensing to cause hypertension), conducted under the supervision of Professor of cardiovascular biochemistry Dr. Philip Eaton, showed that oxidants "steal" electrons from other molecules during a chemical reaction that helps prevent high blood pressure.
The researchers worked with mice carrying a mutation in a protein that helps keep blood pressure under control, protein kinase G. They showed that mice with this mutation develop high blood pressure because protein kinase G is unable to interact normally with oxidants. The mutation is very insignificant and sufficient only to change one atom in protein kinase G, but it is enough to interfere with its normal functioning.
"Our work adds data to the change in views on oxidants that is taking place in the scientific community; there is increasing evidence that they are produced in healthy cells, where they perform vital regulatory functions. Now, having shown the importance of oxidants for lowering blood pressure in a healthy body, we are in an ideal position to make a logical conclusion that some cases of high blood pressure can be explained by the occurrence of disorders in this pathway," says Dr. Eaton.
"You can't just say "oxidants are harmful" or "oxidants are useful." This study in mice brings us one step closer to understanding how blood pressure levels are controlled in the human body, showing for the first time that oxidants play an important role in this control. In addition, it provides a potential target for medications for the treatment of hypertension, which is the main risk factor for heart attacks and strokes," says Dr. Helene Wilson of the British Heart Foundation, who co–funded this study.
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30.01.2012