Impairment of Endothelium-Dependent Relaxation by Increasing Percentages of Glycosylated Human Hemoglobin

Abstract

High levels of glycosylated human hemoglobin impair nitric oxide–mediated responses. However, the percentage of glycosylation for which this effect is observed and the mechanisms involved are unknown. We tested endothelium-dependent relaxations caused by acetylcholine in rat aortic segments either in control conditions or after preincubation with increasing percentages of glycosylated human hemoglobin. Human hemoglobin (1 and 10 nmol/L) inhibited endothelium-dependent relaxations only when glycosylated at 9% or higher. We evaluated the effect of 14% glycosylated human hemoglobin on acetylcholine-evoked responses in vessels preincubated with scavengers of superoxide anions, hydroxyl radical, or hydrogen peroxide (superoxide dismutase, deferoxamine, and catalase, respectively); with inhibitors of xanthine oxidase, cyclooxygenase, or thromboxane synthase (allopurinol, indomethacin, and dazoxiben, respectively); with blockers of thromboxane A ₂ /prostaglandin H ₂ or endothelin receptors (SQ 30741 and BQ-123); and with the precursor of nitric oxide synthesis l -arginine. Superoxide dismutase abolished the effect of glycosylated hemoglobin, and the other substances did not have any effect. Glycosylated hemoglobin at 14% did not modify either the vasoconstrictions induced by the blocker of nitric oxide synthase N ^G -nitro- l -arginine methyl ester or the relaxations evoked in deendothelialized vessels by sodium nitroprusside and 8-bromo-cGMP. However, it inhibited the vasodilations evoked by exogenous nitric oxide. Superoxide dismutase abolished this latter effect. We conclude that the threshold for glycosylated human hemoglobin (Hb A ₁ ) to inhibit endothelium-dependent relaxation is 9%. This effect is due to interference with endothelial nitric oxide by means of superoxide anion production.