Levels of plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in normotensive and essential hypertensive males with and without a family history of hypertension.

Prostacyclin may act physiologically as an antihypertensive hormone. It remains uncertain, however, whether prostacyclin may be involved in the etiology of primary hypertension. As an index of prostacyclin production, we measured the levels of venous plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha by specific radioimmunoassay after silicic acid column chromatographic purification in 31 normotensive and 36 hypertensive males. The subjects were grouped according to the presence or absence of a family history of hypertension, and matched for age and blood pressure. Levels of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in normotensive males with a family history of hypertension (12.0 +/- 1.7 pg/ml; mean +/- SEM; n = 18) were lower than in normotensive males without a family history of hypertension (17.7 +/- 2.0 pg/ml; n = 13) (p less than 0.01). Levels of plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in hypertensive males with a family history of hypertension (10.2 +/- 1.2 pg/ml; n = 15) were lower than in hypertensive males without a family history of hypertension (20.5 +/- 1.5 pg/ml; n = 21) (p less than 0.005). The levels of plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in males with a family history of hypertension may be decreased genetically. The decrease in production of prostacyclin in males with a family history of hypertension may be a factor in the etiology of hypertension.