Phenotypic Consequences of a Genetic Predisposition to Enhanced Nitric Oxide Signaling.

Circulation
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide signaling plays a key role in the regulation of vascular tone and platelet activation. Here, we seek to understand the impact of a genetic predisposition to enhanced nitric oxide signaling on risk for cardiovascular diseases, thus informing the potential utility of pharmacological stimulation of the nitric oxide pathway as a therapeutic strategy.

METHODS: We analyzed the association of common and rare genetic variants in 2 genes that mediate nitric oxide signaling (Nitric Oxide Synthase 3 [] and Guanylate Cyclase 1, Soluble, Alpha 3 []) with a range of human phenotypes. We selected 2 common variants (rs3918226 in and rs7692387 in ) known to associate with increased and expression and reduced mean arterial pressure, combined them into a genetic score, and standardized this exposure to a 5 mm Hg reduction in mean arterial pressure. Using individual-level data from 335 464 participants in the UK Biobank and summary association results from 7 large-scale genome-wide association studies, we examined the effect of this nitric oxide signaling score on cardiometabolic and other diseases. We also examined whether rare loss-of-function mutations in and were associated with coronary heart disease using gene sequencing data from the Myocardial Infarction Genetics Consortium (n=27 815).

RESULTS: A genetic predisposition to enhanced nitric oxide signaling was associated with reduced risks of coronary heart disease (odds ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-0.45; =5.5*10], peripheral arterial disease (odds ratio 0.42; 95% CI, 0.26-0.68; =0.0005), and stroke (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.37-0.76; =0.0006). In a mediation analysis, the effect of the genetic score on decreased coronary heart disease risk extended beyond its effect on blood pressure. Conversely, rare variants that inactivate the or genes were associated with a 23 mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure (95% CI, 12-34; =5.6*10) and a 3-fold higher risk of coronary heart disease (odds ratio, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.29-7.12; =0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: A genetic predisposition to enhanced nitric oxide signaling is associated with reduced risks of coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and stroke. Pharmacological stimulation of nitric oxide signaling may prove useful in the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Year of Publication
2018
Journal
Circulation
Volume
137
Issue
3
Pages
222-232
Date Published
2018 01 16
ISSN
1524-4539
DOI
10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.028021
PubMed ID
28982690
PubMed Central ID
PMC5771958
Links
Grant list
KL2 TR001100 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States
RC2 HL102923 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
U54 HG003067 / HG / NHGRI NIH HHS / United States
RC2 HL102926 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
MC_QA137853 / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom
CS/14/2/30841 / British Heart Foundation / United Kingdom
HHSN268201300048C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL127564 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
K08 HL114642 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
RC2 HL102924 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
HHSN268201300049C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
HHSN268201300047C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
HHSN268201300050C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL131961 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
RC2 HL103010 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
HHSN268201300046C / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
U54 GM115428 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States
RC2 HL102925 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States