In hypercholesterolemic rabbits, oral L -arginine (the substrate for endothelium derived nitric oxide) attenuates endothelial dysfunction and atheroma formation, but the effect in hypercholesterolemic humans is unknown. Using high resolution external ultrasound, we studied arterial physiology in 27 hypercholesterolemic subjects aged 29 Ϯ 5 (19-40) years, with known endothelial dysfunction and LDL-cholesterol levels of 238 Ϯ 43 mg/dl. Each subject was studied before and after 4 wk of L -arginine (7 grams ϫ 3/ day) or placebo powder, with 4 wk washout, in a randomized double-blind crossover study. Brachial artery diameter was measured at rest, during increased flow (causing endothelium-dependent dilation, EDD) and after sublingual glyceryl trinitrate (causing endothelium-independent dilation). After oral L -arginine, plasma L -arginine levels rose from 115 Ϯ 103 to 231 Ϯ 125 mol/liter ( P Ͻ 0.001), and EDD improved from 1.7 Ϯ 1.3 to 5.6 Ϯ 3.0% ( P Ͻ 0.001). In contrast there was no significant change in response to glyceryl trinitrate. After placebo there were no changes in endothelium-dependent or independent vascular responses. Lipid levels were unchanged after L -arginine and placebo.

Abnormalities of systemic endothelial function are present many years after resolution of acute KD, even in patients without detectable early coronary artery involvement. Because this may be an important factor in the genesis of late vascular complications, long-term follow-up of all patients with KD is indicated.

Exercise training enhances endothelium-dependent dilation in young men of average fitness. This may contribute to the benefit of regular exercise in preventing cardiovascular disease.

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Healthy young adults with a family history of premature coronary disease may have impaired endothelium-dependent dilatation, even in the absence of other cardiovascular risk factors. Those subjects, who were free of risk factors and whose affected first-degree relative was free of risk factors, had the most impaired endothelial function, suggesting a genetic influence on early arterial physiology that may be relevant to later clinical disease.