Benutzerspezifische Werkzeuge

Dr. Jens Passauer

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Endothelial dysfunction in chronic renal failure

Previous and current research


Patients with renal insufficiency and end stage renal disease bear a considerably increased risk of accelerated arteriosclerosis and fatal cardiovascular events. The vascular endothelium with its wide variety of physiological functions plays a pivotal role in atherogenesis and hypertension. In previous studies we could demonstrate that uremia is associated with severe endothelial dysfunction and that the latter could be ameliorated by successful kidney transplantation. Furthermore we were able to show that uremic endothelial dysfunction mainly reflects an inability of the endothelium to generate sufficient amounts of nitric oxide in response to certain stimuli whereas a deficiency of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor is not critically involved.

Future prospects and goals


Based on our previous clinical findings we aim 1) to identify the mechanisms underlying endothelial dysfunction in uremia and 2) to develop treatment strategies.

  •    Is supplementation of co-factors of nitric oxide synthesis useful to treat uremic endothelial    
       dysfunction?
  •    Which role for micro-inflammation and oxidative stress in this context?
  •    Is uremia associated with a significant vascular expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase?



Selected publications

  1. Passauer J, Büssemaker E, Range U, et al. Evidence in vivo showing increase of baseline nitric oxide generation and impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilation in normotensive patients on chronic hemodialysis. J Am Soc Nephrol 11: 1726-34, 2000
  2. Passauer J, Büssemaker E, Lässig G, et al. Kidney transplantation improves endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with endstage renal disease. Transplantation 15:1907-10, 2003
  3. Passauer J, Pistrosch F, Büssemaker E, et al. Reduced agonist-induced endothelium-dependent vasodilation in uremia is attributable to an impairment of vascular nitric oxide. J Am Soc Nephrol 16: 959-65, 2005
  4. Passauer J, Pistrosch F, Büssemaker E, et al. Nitric oxide- and EDHF-mediated arteriolar tone in uremia is unaffected by selective inhibition of vascular cytochrom P450 2C9. Kidney Int 67: 1907-12, 2005
  5. Passauer J, Pistrosch F, Büssemaker E: Nitric oxide in chronic renal failure. Kidney Int 67:1665-7, 2005



Curriculum vitae


1991-2000: Internship, residency and fellowship in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at the Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Dresden

2000: Senior physician at the Department of Nephrology