Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on systemic inflammation and myocardial sympathetic innervation in normotensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) may cause an increase in the inflammatory status and oxidative stress as well as sympathetic nervous system overactivity, even in the absence of any other organic heart disease. We investigated the effect of perindopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-i), on indexes of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in normotensive patients with type 2 DM. We also examined the effect of the drug on the disturbances of left ventricular myocardial adrenergic innervation that may be seen in these patients. We studied 62 normotensive patients with type 2 DM, who were randomized to receive perindopril (n=32) or placebo (n=30). At the start of the study and after 6 months' therapy blood samples were taken to evaluate total peroxides (TP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and the patients underwent a (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine myocardial scintigraphy study. ACE-i caused a significant reduction in levels of cytokines and TP (P<0.001 for IL-6 and TNF-alpha, P=0.001 for TP). There was also a reduction in total defect score (P<0.001) and the heart to mediastinum ratio at 10 min and 4 h was improved (P<0.001 for both). No significant alterations were observed in the placebo group. Our data indicate that the addition of ACE-i to the medication of normotensive diabetic type 2 patients may improve the disturbed myocardial adrenergic innervation, the systemic inflammatory status and oxidative stress. Our findings indicate the cardioprotective action of ACE-i and suggest that earlier treatment might be appropriate in those patients.