Search results for "Enos"
showing 10 items of 1576 documents
THE ROLE OF INFLAMMATION IN TYPE A AORTIC DISSECTION: A PILOT STUDY
2013
Type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is a severe cardiovascular disease with high mortality rates. Current evidence suggests inflammation as the main mechanism of its complex pathophysiology. Accordingly, in this study the eventual presence of inflammatory cells in aorta specimens and any contribution of these cells in both apoptosis and metalloproteinase levels were assessed. The potential relationship between plasma inflammatory molecules and TAAD was also detected. In addition, implication in TAAD susceptibility of ten common and functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)s of six candidate genes (CCR5, TLR4, ACE, eNOs, MMP-9 and −2) was determined. Thus, histo-pathological and immunois…
Reconstitution of bacteriorhodopsin and ATP synthase from Micrococcus luteus into liposomes of the purified main tetraether lipid from Thermoplasma a…
1995
The archaebacterium Thermoplasma acidophilum is cultivated at 59 degrees C in a medium containing sulfuric acid of pH 2. The purified bipolar membrane spanning main phospholipid (MPL) of this organism can be used to produce stable liposomes of 100-500 nm in diameter either using a French pressure cell detergent dialysis or sonication. Despite a potassium diffusion potential of 186 mV very low ionic permeability of sonicated MPL liposomes was measured using the potassium binding fluorescent indicator benzofuran isophthalate PBF1, which measures net K+ uptake. The latter also remained very low, in the presence of the K(+) ionophore valinomycin and palmitic acid. Addition of valinomycin and th…
Cardiac output following fetoscopic coagulation of major placental vessels in fetal sheep.
2008
Objectives To measure changes in cardiac output (CO) after partial cord occlusion in fetal sheep in order to investigate pathophysiological fetal adaptation mechanisms in a simulated acute placental insufficiency model under standardized conditions, with the aim of finding relevant methods for monitoring human fetuses during stress situations. Methods We used minimally invasive, percutaneous endoscopic techniques to close umbilical vessels in mid-gestational fetal sheep. Placental blood flow was reduced by preferentially closing first arterial and then the concomitant venous umbilical vessels within a short time interval. The investigations were carried out on 11 pregnant ewes at a median g…
Nitroglycerin-induced cardioprotection is endothelial nitric oxide synthase- dependent
2015
Purpose We sought to evaluate the contribution of the endogenous NO pathway to the cardioprotective action of nitroglycerin (NTG). Methods and Results Anesthetized rabbits were subjected to 30-min myocardial ischemia (isc) and 3-h reperfusion (rep) and randomized into: Control group (no further intervention); PostC group (application of 8 cycles 30-sec isc/rep) and NTG treated group (2 μg/kg-1/min-1 IV bolus) for 65 min starting 10 min prior to rep. In additional groups, pharmacological inhibitors of NOS, nNOS, iNOS, PI3K, adenosine receptors and PKG were administrated with or without NTG. The infarcted (I) to risk (R) ratio was estimated. In a second experimental series tissue samples were…
“The importance of being external”: review of the literature of the rare phenomenon of common carotid occlusion with bulb reverse-crossed stenosis an…
2022
Common carotid artery occlusion (CCAO) is a rare phenomenon associated with the development of neurological symptoms. In CCAO, diversion of blood flow from the external carotid artery (ECA) to the internal carotid artery (ICA) via the carotid bulb (CB) may occur. This pathway activation has been called "carotid steal". Starting from a particular case we describe the ECD finding of a complete occlusion of CCA with patency of ICA and ECA. In case of occlusion of CCA, inversion of the ECA flow may occur, towards the ICA, and it can be damped by a significant stenosis crossed in retrograde direction that may concur to maintain the pressure balance between the two circulations. Usually, this par…
1267 HSP70-2 polymorphism as a risk factor for carotid plaque rupture and cerebral ischaemia in old type 2 diabetes-atherosclerotic patients.
2005
Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) are at risk for macrovascular disease complications, such as myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke from plaque rupture. Cytokines play a key role in plaque vulnerability. IFN-gamma inhibits collagen synthesis thereby affecting plaque stability. High IL-6, TNF-alpha, and dyslipidemia are risk factors for thrombosis. Abnormal increments of HSP70 in atherosclerotic plaques might lead to plaque instability and rupture caused by chronic inflammation, which up-regulates the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-alpha) in human monocytes. Studies of a polymorphic PstI site lying in the coding region at position 1267 of the HSP70-2 gene…
Prognostic role of endothelial dysfunction and carotid intima-media thickness in patients undergoing coronary stent implantation
2009
Aim. Impaired endothelial function and increased carotid intima-media thickness are key events in the atherosclerotic process and predict future cardiovascular events in subjects with and without coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the vasodilator response to increased flow in the brachial artery and the presence of carotid lesions may have a prognostic significance for in-stent restenosis in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty. Methods. The study population included 58 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting and at least 10 months of follow-up. All patients underwent ultrasound detection of brachial artery re…
Atrial natriuretic factor, but not oxytocin, is present in atherosclerotic plaques of human common carotid arteries
2010
We performed a study on 25 common carotid arteries (CCA) affected by atherosclerotic plaques, comparing them to 25 normal CCA. We researched the presence and localisation of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and oxytocin (OX) by immunohistochemistry. We found ANF abundantly expressed in plaques, mainly localising in intima and subintima layers; by contrast normal vessels were scarcely positive or negative; finally, OX resulted negative or weakly positive in both atherosclerotic and normal vessels. Our results show for the first time ANF presence in atherosclerotic plaques of CCA and are in agreement with other studies, mainly performed in vitro, that hypothesise the involvement of this molecu…
Carotid restenosis is associated with plasma ADMA concentrations in carotid endarterectomy patients
2011
Abstract Background: The aim of this work has been to study the association between plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentrations and carotid stenosis in a group of 64 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Methods: Arginine, ADMA and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) were measured using capillary electrophoresis with UV detection. An evaluation of plasma concentrations of total cysteine (tCys) and total homocysteine (tHcy) was also performed. Results: Pearson’s analysis show a positive correlation between ADMA and carotid stenosis (r=0.37, p=0.003), which is also confirmed after stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. ADMA plasma concentrations were significantl…
Association between asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis and degenerative aortic stenosis.
2012
OBJECTIVE: Degenerative aortic stenosis shows similarities with atherosclerosis. To confirm the hypothesis that aortic stenosis is an "atherosclerosis-like" disease, we investigated the association between degenerative aortic stenosis and atherosclerosis of carotid arteries. METHODS: We studied 270 consecutive patients, 135 with degenerative aortic stenosis (trans-aortic peak velocity ≥ 2 m/sec) and other 135 subjects without aortic valve disease. All patients underwent echocardiography and ultrasound scan of the supra-aortic trunks to assess the presence of plaque and/or intima-media thickening (IMT). RESULTS: Atherosclerosis of carotid arteries (IMT and plaque) was significantly more freq…