Investigation of the Changes in Serum Intercellular and Vascular Adhesion Molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and Nitric Oxide Levels in Response to Exercise Training and L-arginine Supplementation in Postmenopausal Hypertensive Women

The positive effects of exercise training in modulating cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with hypertension have been reported. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of 8 weeks of combined training and L-arginine supplementation on the serum levels of intercellular and vascular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and nitric oxide (NO) in postmenopausal hypertensive women.

The postmenopausal women with hypertension were assigned into four groups consisting of 12 individuals, including placebo (P), L-arginine (L), training (T), and training+Larginine (TL) groups. The combined training program (resistance-endurance) was conducted 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks. The L-arginine ingestion was 6 g daily. Blood sampling was performed at the beginning and the end of 8 weeks of intervention, and the levels of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and NO were measured. The collected data were analyzed in SPPSS software (version 24), one-way ANOVA, and Tukey post hoc test.

The levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in the T and TL groups compared to the P and L groups significantly decreased (P<0.05). Significant increases of NO levels in the L (P=0.003), T (P<0.001), and TL (P<0.001) groups compared to the P group, and also a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed in all intervention groups in comparison to the P group (P<0.05).

Based on the findings of the present study, L-arginine ingestion and combined training alone or combined together are effective in the reduction of blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Moreover, L-arginine was associated with amplifying combined training effectiveness in decreasing systolic blood pressure. Blood pressure reduction in the above-mentioned groups is probably exerted partly by the upregulation of NO levels