Asymmetrical dimethyl arginine ADMA

Fig. 9. Plasma asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA), a compound detectable in human plasma and an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), increases after a fat meal in diabetic patients. It is associated with an increase in plasma triglycerides and impaired flow-mediated (FM) vasodilation [data from Fard etal. (92), reproduced with permission]. The increase in plasma ADMA in response to the high-fat meal was significantly and inversely related to a decrease in the percentage of vasodilation (r = -0.37, P= 0.007, n = 10).

DDAH itself may also have potential as a therapeutic protein in disease states marked by excess N dimethyl-L-arginine. For example, overexpression of DDAH has beneficial effects in transgenic mouse models of graft coronary artery disease and can enhance sensitivity to insulin. DDAH may also have beneficial effects in treating chronic kidney disease, as overexpressed DDAH appears to slow progression of renal dysfunction in rat models. " Elevated asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels have also been identified in the development of chronic lung diseases, specifically pulmonary fibrosis. However, the causal relationship between ADMA and these conditions has yet to be explored in detail. ... 

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