Impaired L-arginine transport is present in normotensive individuals at high risk for hypertension, suggesting it is an early mechanistic link in the development of essential hypertension.
Similar to their hypertensive counterparts, normotensive individuals at high risk for the development of hypertension are characterized by impaired L-arginine transport, which may represent the link between a defective L-arginine/NO pathway and the onset of essential hypertension. The observed transport defect is not due to apparent alterations in CAT-1 expression or elevated endogenous ADMA.
Schlaich et al. (Tue,) studied this question.