Effects of antihypertensive treatment on plasma apelin, resistin, and visfatin concentrations

INTRODUCTION Adipose tissue has been recently recognized as an endocrine organ secreting a number of adipokines contributing to the development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, and vascular remodeling.
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine whether treatment with a β-blocker, calcium antagonist, thiazide-like diuretic, or angiotensin II receptor type 1 influences plasma concentrations of apelin, resistin, and visfatin in obese hypertensive patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 84 obese patients with essential hypertension. One control group included obese subjects without hypertension, and the other, lean subjects without hypertension. Patients with hypertension were randomized into 4 groups treated for 6 weeks with bisoprolol, amlodipine, indapamide, or candesartan, respectively.
RESULTS Mean daily plasma apelin concentrations in patients treated with amlodipine was significantly higher than the baseline values, whereas the difference in plasma apelin concentrations in other treatment groups was not significant. Mean daily plasma resistin concentrations were significantly lower after 6-week treatment with amlodipine, bisoprolol, or indapamide compared with the baseline values. In patients treated with candesartan, no significant differences in resistin concentrations were shown. After 6-week treatment with bisoprolol, mean daily plasma concentrations of visfatin were significantly lower compared with the baseline values. Treatment with amlodipine, candesartan, or indapamide did not significantly affect plasma visfatin levels.
CONCLUSIONS Antihypertensive treatment exerts significant and varied effects on adipokine secretion in obese hypertensive patients. Changes in apelin secretion, caused by the use of different antihypertensive drugs, may protect the cardiovascular system and kidneys. The involvement of adipokins in the mechanism of diverse protective effects of antihypertensive drugs, independently of the effect on blood pressure, requires further research.