A common CD36 variant influences endothelial function and response to treatment with phosphodiesterase 5 inhibition

Context: The scavenger receptor CD36 influences the endothelial nitric oxide-cGMP pathway in vitro. Genetic variants that alter CD36 level are common in African Americans (AAs), a population at high risk of endothelial dysfunction. Objective: To examine if the minor allele (G) of coding CD36 variant rs3211938 (G/T) which reduces CD36 level by approximately 50% influences endothelial function, insulin sensitivity (IS), and the response to treatment with the nitric oxide-cGMP potentiator sildenafil. Design: IS (frequently sampled iv glucose tolerance) and endothelial function (flow mediated dilation [FMD]) were determined in age-and body mass index-matched obese AA women with or without the G allele of rs3211938 (protocol 1). Effect of chronic sildenafil treatment on IS and FMD was tested in AA women with metabolic syndrome and with/without the CD36 variant, using a randomized, placebo-controlled trial (protocol 2). Setting: Two-center study. Participants: Obese AA women. Intervention: A total of 20-mg sildenafil citrate or placebo thrice daily for 4 weeks. Main outcome: IS, FMD. Results: G allele carriers have lower FMD (P <.03) and cGMP levels (P <.01) than noncarriers. Sildenafil did not improve IS, mean difference 0.12 (95% confidence interval [CI], <0.33 to 0.58; P <.550). However, there was a significant interaction between FMD response to sildenafil and rs3211938 (P <.018). FMD tended to improve in G carriers, 2.9 (95% CI,-0.9 to 6.8; P <.126), whereas it deteriorated in noncarriers,-2.6 (95% CI,-5.1 to-0.1; P <.04). Conclusions: The data document influence of a common genetic variant on susceptibility to endothelial dysfunction and its response to sildenafil treatment.