C-type natriuretic peptide plasma levels and whole blood mRNA expression show different trends in adolescents with different degree of endothelial dysfunction

Publication date: Available online 30 November 2019Source: PeptidesAuthor(s): Silvia Del Ry, Manuela Cabiati, Vanessa Bianchi, Emioli Randazzo, Diego Peroni, Aldo Clerico, Giovanni FedericoAbstractC-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is an endogenous adipogenesis regulator whose plasma levels in childhood are known, while no data are available on its expression. Our aim was to evaluate both CNP plasma levels and CNP system expression in whole blood obtained from normal-weight (N, n = 24) and obese (O, n = 16) adolescents (age:13.5 ± 0.4 years). Endothelial function was assessed measuring reactive hyperemia index (RHI). CNP plasma levels, evaluated with specific RIA, resulted significantly lower in O than in N (6.1 ± 0.8 vs.15.2 ± 1.3 pg/mL; p < 0.0001), while CNP/NPR-B/NPR-C mRNA, measured by Real-Time PCR, resulted similar in N (4.1 ± 1.7; 5.0 ± 1.6; 2.2 ± 0.9) and in O (4.3 ± 1.6; 3.5 ± 1.1; 2.3 ± 0.8). RHI was significantly lower in O than in N (1.4 ± 0.08 vs.2.1 ± 0.04, p < 0.0001). Dividing all subjects according to the RHI median value, irrespective of the presence or absence of obesity (Group 1 > 1.9, n = 23, Group 2 < 1.9, n = 17), CNP plasma concentrations resulted significantly (p = 0.014) higher in Group 1 (14.6 ± 1.6) than in Group 2 (7.5 ± 1.0), showing a significant correlation with RHI (p = 0.0026), while CNP mRNA expression was, surprisingly, high...
Source: Peptides - Category: Biochemistry Source Type: research