Variability of nitric oxide signalling in atrial fibrillation: potential modulation.

Understanding of the biochemical bases of thromboembolic risk in atrial fibrillation (AF) is incomplete. In a cohort of AF patients admitted to hospital, integrity of platelet nitric oxide (NO) signalling, and its modulation by dimethylarginines, myeloperoxidase, thrombospondin-1and thioredoxin-interacting protein, was investigated. This study identified that, (1) new onset AF is associated with impaired platelet NO response; (2) gender-specific platelet dysfunction exists in AF where females display increased platelet aggregability and impaired NO response compared to males; (3) plasma symmetric dimethylarginine correlated inversely with platelet aggregability in chronic AF patients. Abnormalities of NO signalling and its various determinants occur frequently in AF patients at risk of thromboembolism.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Medicine, 201