0000000000406306
AUTHOR
Magda Heras
An affordable method to obtain cultured endothelial cells from peripheral blood
The culture of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) provides an excellent tool to research on EPC biology and vascular regeneration and vasculogenesis. The use of different protocols to obtain EPC cultures makes it difficult to obtain comparable results in different groups. This work offers a systematic comparison of the main variables of most commonly used protocols for EPC isolation, culture and functional evaluation. Peripheral blood samples from healthy individuals were recovered and mononuclear cells were cultured. Different recovery and culture conditions were tested: blood volume, blood anticoagulant, coating matrix and percentage of foetal bovine serum (FBS) in culture media. The succ…
[Evolution and scientific impact of research grants from the spanish society of cardiology and spanish heart foundation (2000-2006)].
Abstract Introduction and objectives The Sociedad Espanola de Cardiologia (Spanish Society of Cardiology) every year awards grants to finance research in the field of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to identify the impact of these investments during the period 2000-2006 from the subsequently published articles in scientific journals. Methods Using the identifying data of each project as search terms, all articles that resulted from these grants were located in the Spanish Indice Medico Espanol and Indice Bibliografico Espanol en Ciencias de la Salud databases, and in Science Citation Index-Expanded and Scopus. Descriptive statistical analysis of these articles included typ…
Usefulness of pain presentation characteristics for predicting outcome in patients presenting to the hospital with chest pain of uncertain origin
Background Decision making in chest pain of uncertain origin is challenging. Objectives To evaluate the predictive value of simple characteristics of pain presentation in patients coming to the emergency department with chest pain and without electrocardiogram ischaemia or raised troponin. Methods 789 patients were studied. The following categorical pain characteristics were collected: effort related pain, pressing character, radiation, associated symptoms, and ≥2 episodes in 24 h. Additionally, a predefined semi-quantitative pain score including seven items (Geleijnse score) was completed. Risk factors and co-morbidities were also recorded. The primary and secondary endpoints were cardiac …
Aging enhances contraction to thromboxane A2 in aorta from female senescence mice
The time-course for aging-associated effects on vascular reactivity to U46619, a stable analogue of thromboxane A2 (TXA2), was studied in aorta from female senescence-accelerated mice-prone (SAMP8), a murine model of accelerated senescence. SAMP8 and senescence-accelerated mice-resistant (SAMR1) were divided into three groups: 3-, 6- and 10-month-old. Contractile curves to U46619 (10−9 to 10−6 M) were performed in aortic rings in the absence or in the presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 10−4 M) and/or cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor indomethacin (10−5 M). Protein and gene expression for COX-1 and COX-2 were determined by immunofluoresce…
Aging Negatively Affects Estrogens-Mediated Effects on Nitric Oxide Bioavailability by Shifting ERα/ERβ Balance in Female Mice
AIMS: Aging is among the major causes for the lack of cardiovascular protection by estrogen (E2) during postmenopause. Our study aims to determine the mechanisms whereby aging changes E2 effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in a mouse model of accelerated senescence (SAM). METHODS AND RESULTS: Although we found no differences on NO production in females SAM prone (SAMP, aged) compared to SAM resistant (SAMR, young), by either DAF-2 fluorescence or plasmatic nitrite/nitrate (NO2/NO3), in both cases, E2 treatment increased NO production in SAMR but had no effect in SAMP. Those results are in agreement with changes of eNOS protein and gene expression. E2 up-regulated eNOS expression in SAMR…
Influence of Comorbid Conditions on One-Year Outcomes in Non–ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome
To investigate comorbid conditions with prognostic influence in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS).The study group consisted of a derivation cohort of 1017 patients (admitted from October 1, 2002, through October 1, 2008) and an external validation cohort of 652 patients (admitted from February 1, 2006, through September 30, 2009). Comorbid conditions, including risk factors and components of the Charlson comorbidity index (ChCI) and coronary artery disease-specific index, were recorded. The main outcome was one-year mortality.During follow-up, 103 patients died. After adjusting for variables associated with NSTEACS characteristics (base model), 5 comorbid conditions…
Identification of very low risk chest pain using clinical data in the emergency department
Abstract Background Evaluation of chest pain of uncertain origin in the emergency department is a challenge. Chest pain units, involving non-invasive stress testing, have logistic constraints. Our aim was to identify very low risk patients for early discharge using clinical data. Methods A total of 772 patients were studied. Ischemia in the electrocardiogram, troponin elevation or history of ischemic heart disease, were exclusion criteria. The primary end point was 30day cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction or revascularization). The secondary end point was 1year major events (death or myocardial infarction). Results The primary and secondary end point rates were 123 (18%) and 31 (4…
Combination of clinical risk profile, early exercise testing and circulating biomarkers for evaluation of patients with acute chest pain without ST-segment deviation or troponin elevation
Objective: To investigate the combination of clinical data, exercise testing and biomarkers for the evaluation of patients with chest pain without ST-segment deviation or troponin elevation. Design: Prospective cohort design. Settting: Two teaching hospitals in Spain. Patients: 422 patients presenting to the emergency department were studied. Leukocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) were determined. A validated clinical risk score (number of points according to pain characteristics and risk factors) was used for clinical evaluation and early exercise testing was performed. Main outcome m…
Effects of Estrogen on Vascular Inflammation
Objective— Our study aims to determine the role of time of menopause on vascular inflammation biomarkers and how it affects their modulation by estrogen and raloxifene in postmenopausal women. Methods and Results— Uterine arteries from 68 postmenopausal women were divided into 3 segments and cultured for 24 hours in tissue culture media containing 17β-estradiol (100 nmol/L), raloxifene (100 nmol/L), or vehicle. Assessment of arterial concentration of 13 inflammatory biomarkers was performed by multiplex immunobead-based assay. Aging per se has a positive correlation with the generation of several proinflammatory markers. Although short-term estradiol exposure correlates with lower expressi…
Evolución y repercusión científica de las becas de investigación de la Sociedad Española de Cardiología y la Fundación Española del Corazón (2000-2006)
Resumen Introduccion y objetivos La Sociedad Espanola de Cardiologia convoca anualmente becas para financiar proyectos de investigacion en el campo de las enfermedades cardiovasculares. Nuestro objetivo es identificar la repercusion de estas inversiones durante el periodo 2000-2006 a partir de los articulos derivados de las becas y publicados en revistas cientificas. Metodos Utilizando los datos de identificacion de cada proyecto como terminos de busqueda, se recuperaron todos los articulos derivados de estas becas en las bases de datos del Indice Medico Espanol, el Indice Bibliografico Espanol en Ciencias de la Salud, el Science Citation Index-Expanded y Scopus. Los articulos se sometieron…
Randomized comparison between clinical evaluation plus N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide versus exercise testing for decision making in acute chest pain of uncertain origin
Background Exercise testing constitutes the usual tool for decision making in chest pain units. This policy implies logistical constrains. Our aim was to evaluate a new strategy, combining a clinical risk score and N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), in patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain, without ischemic electrocardiogram changes or troponin elevation. Methods A total of 320 patients were randomized to either usual management, involving exercise testing, or a new strategy combining a clinical risk score and NT-proBNP without exercise testing. In the usual management, discharge decision was guided by the result of exercise test. In the new str…
Endothelial Progenitor Cells Predict Cardiovascular Events after Atherothrombotic Stroke and Acute Myocardial Infarction. A PROCELL Substudy.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine prognostic factors for the risk of new vascular events during the first 6 months after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or atherothrombotic stroke (AS). We were interested in the prognostic role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and circulating endothelial cells (CEC). METHODS: Between February 2009 and July 2012, 100 AMI and 50 AS patients were consecutively studied in three Spanish centres. Patients with previously documented coronary artery disease or ischemic strokes were excluded. Samples were collected within 24h of onset of symptoms. EPC and CEC were studied using flow cytometry and categorized by quartiles. Patients were foll…
Gathering of aging and estrogen withdrawal in vascular dysfunction of senescent accelerated mice.
The aim of this work was to characterize a mouse model of experimental menopause and cardiovascular aging that closely reflects menopause in women. Senescence accelerated mouse (SAM)-Resistant type 1 (SAMR1, n=30) and SAM-Prone type 8 (SAMP8, n=30) were separated at 5months of age into three groups: 1) sham-operated (Sham); 2) ovariectomized (Ovx); and 3) ovariectomized chronically-treated with estrogen (Ovx+E2). Contractile responses to KCl (60mM) and thromboxane A(2) were greater in aorta from SAMP8 mice compared with SAMR1 in all groups. Neither ovariectomy nor estrogen replacement modified the contractile responses from SAMR1 mice. Conversely, in Ovx SAMP8 the increased maximal contract…
Mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells in acute cardiovascular events in the PROCELL study: Time-course after acute myocardial infarction and stroke
The mobilization pattern and functionality of endothelial progenitor cells after an acute ischemic event remain largely unknown. The aim of our study was to characterize and compare the short- and long-term mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells after acute myocardial infarction or atherothrombotic stroke, and to determine the relationship between these cell counts and plasma concentrations of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) and Von Willebrand factor (VWF) as surrogate markers of endothelial damage and inflammation. In addition, we assessed whether endothelial progenitor cells behave like functional endothelial cells. We included 150 patients…