Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Endogenous peptide apelin has profound hypotensive and inotropic effects, improves glucose utilization, which emphasizes its importance in the pathogenesis as essential hypertension (EH) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this study was to investigate the blood levels of apelin in patients with EH in combination with T2DM.

Description of methods/design: The examination involved 19 patients with EH grades 2–3 with T2DM (eight men and 11 women), aged 43–70 years. The investigation complex included measuring anthropometric indices, levels of fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, fasting blood insulin with insulin resistance index calculation (HOMA index). The blood level of apelin-12 was tested using an ELISA. The control group consisted of 12 practically healthy people.

Results: Blood levels of apelin-12 in the patients with EH and T2DM were significantly lower compared to healthy volunteers – 0.866 (0.788; 0.992) ng/ml vs 1.087 (0.861; 1.318) ng/ml, P<0.05. Correlation analysis in the whole group of patients showed a significant correlation between blood levels of apelin-12 with a duration of EH (r=−0.56, P<0.05). Gender differences in blood levels of apelin-12 in the patients or in the healthy people were not found. In males with EH and T2DM blood level of apelin-12 was significantly correlated with body weight (R=+0.92, P<0.01), BMI (R=+0.79, P<0.05), waist circumference (R=+0.9, P<0.01) and hips circumference (R=+0.79, P<0.05).

Conclusion: The patients with EH and T2DM compared to the healthy subjects have decreasing of blood levels of apelin-12, the degree of which correlates with the duration of hypertension. At the same time, these data suggest that in the male patients with EH and T2DM increased body weight indicators can contribute to the preservation of secretion of the peptide, which is synthesized mainly in the adipose tissue cells.