Plasma Levels of Dimethylarginines in Preterm Very Low Birth Weight Neonates: Its Relation with Perinatal Factors and Short-Term Outcome

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Rob M. Moonen³  Maurice J. Huizing⁵  Giacomo Cavallaro²  Gema E. González-Luis¹  Pilar Bas-Suárez¹  Jaap A. Bakker⁴  Eduardo Villamor⁵ 

[1] Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario Materno-Infantil de Canarias, Las Palmas de Gran, Canaria 35016, Spain; E-Mails:;Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan 20122, Italy; E-Mail:;Department of Pediatrics, Atrium Medical Center Parkstad, Heerlen 6401CX, The Netherlands; E-Mail:;Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), Maastricht 6202AZ, The Netherlands; E-Mail:;Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht 6202AZ, The Netherlands; E-Mail:

关键词: dimethylarginine;    arginine;    preterm infants;    nitric oxide;    preeclampsia;    chrorioamnionitis;    respiratory distress;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms16010019

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Endogenously produced inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, in particular asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), are currently considered of importance in various disease states characterized by reduced NO availability. We investigated the association between plasma levels of ADMA, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), l-arginine, and citrulline and perinatal factors and outcome in 130 preterm (gestational age ≤30 weeks) very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g) infants. Plasma samples were collected 6–12 h after birth. We did not find significant correlations between ADMA, SDMA, l-arginine, and citrulline levels and gestational age or birth weight. However, the arginine:ADMA ratio (AAR, a better indicator of NO availability than either arginine or ADMA separately) was positively correlated with gestational age. ADMA and arginine levels were not significantly different between males and females but males showed a negative correlation between ADMA levels and gestational age. Perinatal factors such as preeclampsia, chrorioamnionitis, prolonged rupture of membranes, or form of delivery did not significantly alter dimethylarginine levels or AAR. In contrast, the AAR was significantly reduced in the infants with respiratory distress, mechanical ventilation, and systemic hypotension Therefore, our data suggest that altered NO availability may play a role in the respiratory and cardiovascular adaptation in preterm VLBW infants.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.