Search results for "aorta"

2015

Patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases have an increased mortality risk resulting from cardiovascular disorders due to enhanced atherosclerotic and thrombotic events. Until now, it is not completely understood in which way an abnormal expression of pro-inflammatory mediators contributes to this elevated cardiovascular risk, but there is a need for new drugs that on the one hand suppress the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and on the other hand inhibit arterial platelet adhesion. Thus, we analyzed the anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic capacity of the fungal metabolite Galiellalactone in atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Treatment of the mice w…

Role of C-reactive protein in atherogenesis: can the apolipoprotein E knockout mouse provide the answer?

2005

Objective—Human C-reactive protein (CRP) was reported to accelerate atherosclerotic lesion development in male but not in female apolipoprotein E (apoE) knockout mice. Here, mice expressing rabbit CRP (rbCRP) were crossbred onto apoE knockout animals, and the effect on atherogenesis was studied.Methods and Results—Hemolytic complement activity could not be detected in apoE knockout mice. Furthermore, in contrast to human complement, neither rabbit nor human CRP complexed to modified low-density lipoprotein–activated murine complement. At 52 weeks, rbCRP levels were similar in male and female transgenic animals. Serum cholesterol levels were equivalent in female animals irrespective of rbCRP…

Deficiency of glutathione peroxidase-1 accelerates the progression of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

2007

Background— We have recently demonstrated that activity of red blood cell glutathione peroxidase-1 is inversely associated with the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. The present study analyzed the effect of glutathione peroxidase-1 deficiency on atherogenesis in the apolipoprotein E-deficient mouse. Methods and Results— Female apolipoprotein E-deficient mice with and without glutathione peroxidase-1 deficiency were placed on a Western-type diet for another 6, 12, or 24 weeks. After 24 weeks on Western-type diet, double-knockout mice (GPx-1 −/− ApoE −/− ) developed significantly more atherosclerosis than control apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Moreover…

Opposite vascular activity of (R)-apomorphine and its oxidised derivatives. Endothelium-dependent vasoconstriction induced by the auto-oxidation meta…

2003

We have synthetised a series of oxidised apomorphine derivatives (orto and para quinones 2-5), in order to analyse their vascular activity. We have performed radioligand binding assays on rat cortical membranes and functional studies on rat aortic rings. Instead the relaxant activity exhibited by (R)-apomorphine, o-quinones 2, 4, show contractile activity dependent on endothelium in rat aortic rings. Compound 2, the main metabolite of (R)-apomorphine auto-oxidation, was the product which showed enhanced contractile activity by a complex mechanism related to activation of Ca(2+) channels through release and/or inhibition of endothelial factors. Moreover, this compound disrupts the endothelia…

Vascular Activity of (-)-Anonaine, (-)-Roemerine and (-)-Pukateine, Three Natural 6a(R)-1,2-Methylenedioxyaporphines with Different Affinities for α1…

2004

We have studied the mechanism of action of three 6a( R)-1,2-methylenedioxyaporphines as vasorelaxant compounds. The alkaloids assayed showed different affinities for the three human cloned alpha (1)-adrenoceptor (AR) subtypes stably expressed in rat-1 fibroblasts, showing lower affinity for alpha(1B)-AR with regard to the alpha(1A)- or alpha(1D)-subtypes. These three natural compounds are more potent inhibitors of [ (3)H]-prazosin binding than of [ (3)H]-diltiazem binding to rat cerebral cortical membranes. As all these alkaloids inhibited noradrenaline (NA)-induced [ (3)H]-inositol phosphate formation in cerebral cortex and rat tail artery, they may be safely viewed as alpha (1)-AR antagon…

Influence of the metabolic syndrome on aortic stiffness in never treated hypertensive patients

2004

Summary Background and aim Metabolic syndrome (MS) carries an increased risk for cardiovascular events and there is a growing awareness that large artery stiffening is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Little is known about the relationship of MS with aortic stiffness. The aim of our study was to analyze, in patients with essential hypertension, the influence of MS, defined according to the criteria proposed by the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (NCEP-ATP III), on carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), a measure of aortic stiffness. Methods N…

The Relationship Between Aortic Root Size and Hypertension: An Unsolved Conundrum

2017

Thoracic aortic aneurysms rupture and dissection are among the most devastating vascular diseases, being characterized by elevated mortality, despite improvements in diagnostic imaging and surgical techniques. An increased aortic root diameter (ARD) represents the main risk factor for thoracic aortic dissection and rupture and for aortic valve regurgitation. Even though arterial hypertension is commonly regarded as a predisposing condition for the development of thoracic aorta aneurysms, the role of blood pressure (BP) as determinant of aortic root enlargement is still controversial. The use of different methods for indexation of ARD may have in part contributed to the heterogeneous finding…

Isolation and characterization of a complement-activating lipid extracted from human atherosclerotic lesions.

1990

The major characteristics of human atherosclerotic lesions are similar to those of a chronic inflammatory reaction, namely fibrosis, mesenchymal cell proliferation, the presence of resident macrophages, and cell necrosis. Atherosclerosis exhibits in addition the feature of lipid (mainly cholesterol) accumulation. The results of the present report demonstrate that a specific cholesterol-containing lipid particle present in human atherosclerotic lesions activates the complement system to completion. Thus, lipid could represent a stimulatory factor for the inflammatory reaction, whose underlying mechanistic basis may be, at least in part, complement activation. The complement-activating lipid …

Immunopathogenesis of atherosclerosis: endotoxin accelerates atherosclerosis in rabbits on hypercholesterolemic diet.

2001

Background—On the basis of our concept that atherosclerosis has an immunopathological background, we tested whether activation of the innate immune system influences its progression.Methods and Results—Hypercholesterolemic (0.5% wt/wt diet) rabbits received either repeated intravenous injections of endotoxin (Escherichia colilipopolysaccharide 1.25 to 2.5 μg, once per week) or a self-limiting cutaneousStaphylococcus aureusinfection with or without a quinolone antibiotic. Measured laboratory parameters, including LDL and HDL cholesterols, were similar in the different groups of hypercholesterolemic animals. All endotoxin-treated animals developed transient episodes of fever after endotoxin a…

Successful use of impella CP through femoral access in a patient with bilateral iliac and aortic endoprosthesis in the setting of cardiogenic shock

2019

We report the case of a 67-year-old male, with previous history of severe peripheral vascular disease (abdominal aorta aneurism and bilateral iliac stenosis) requiring the implantation of 3 endoprostheses 7 months ago (Figure 1(A)), and previous myocardial infarction 10 years ago. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was preserved at last control (58%). The patient was referred for acute coronary syndrome complicated with pulmonary oedema and cardiogenic shock. Echocardiography showed a severe impairment of LVEF (18%) and the patient was transferred to cathlab for emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Coronary angiography via right femoral 7Fr access showed a chronic …