Administration of a single dose of nitrate intervention or water alone to healthy volunteers. Before and up to 4 hours (short-term)/6 days (long-term) after ingestion, marker of vascular function are measured in plasma and by using high-resolution ultrasound.
Measurements are taken before and up to 4 h after double blind cross-over per os administration of a single dose of nitrate intervention (150 ml tab water with 150 umol/kg sodium-nitrate) or water control (100 ml Chapelle mineral water) to healthy volunteers. Circulating angiogenic cells are measured as CD34+/KDR+ and CD133+/KDR+ mononuclear cells in blood by flow cytometry and plasma is analyzed for nitrate and nitrite, as well as mobilization markers and cytokines including stromal cell derived factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and stem cell factor. All measurements are performed after \>12h overnight fasting.
