Red blood cell ATP/ADP & nitric oxide: The best vasodilators in diabetic patients

Background Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar (glucose) levels that result from defects in insulin secretion, or action, or both. Inspired by previous report the release of ATP from RBCs, which may participate in vessel dilation by stimulating NO production in the endothelium through purinergic receptor signaling and so, the aim of this study is to clearly determined relationship between RBC ATP/ADP ratio with nitric oxide. Methods The ATP/ADP ratio of erythrocytes among four groups of normal individuals (young & middle age), athletes’ subjects and diabetic patients were compared and the relationship between ATP/ADP ratio and NO level of plasma was determined with AVOVA test and bioluminescence method. Results ATP/ADP level in four groups normal (young & middle age), athletes, diabetes] are measured and analyzed with ANOVA test that show a significant difference between groups (P-value < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between RBC ATP/ADP content (r = 0.705; P < 0.001). Plasma NO content is also analyzed with ANOVA test which shows a significant difference between groups. Conclusion In this study, a positive relationship between RBC ATP/ADP ratio and NO was found. Based on the obtained result, higher RBC ATP/ADP content may control the ratio of plasma NO in different individuals, also this results show that ATP can activate endothelial cells in NO production and is a main factor in releasing of NO from endothelial cells.