Roles of Rho-Associated Kinase and Oxidative Stress in the Pathogenesis of Aortic Stiffness

Roles of Rho-Associated Kinase and Oxidative Stress in the Pathogenesis of Aortic Stiffness Kensuke Noma, Chikara Goto, Kenji Nishioka, Daisuke Jitsuiki, Takashi Umemura, Keiko Ueda, Masashi Kimura, Keigo Nakagawa, Tetsuya Oshima, Kazuaki Chayama, Masao Yoshizumi, James K. Liao, Yukihito Higashi Multivariate analysis showed that age and smoking were independent predictors of Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) activity before or after infusion of NG -monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) and that age and ROCK activity before or after co-infusion of L-NMMA were independent predictors of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) in 51 healthy male subjects. The concentration of serum malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein was significantly correlated with ROCK activity before and after co-infusion of L-NMMA and cf-PWV. Aging and accumulating smoking habit, which might induce excessive oxidative stress, are involved in ROCK activity in the vasculature, leading to an increase in aortic stiffness.