Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0004153 (atherosclerosis)
 77,401 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

New Zealand white rabbits were fed a diet enriched with cholesterol (0.25%) for 4 months. At that time, the aortae and coronary vessels of the cholesterol-fed rabbits were extensively covered with atherosclerotic lesions while those of age-matched control rabbits were normal. Langendorff-perfused hearts from the rabbits were compared for their ability to release PGI2 and PGE2 into the coronary sinus effluent during basal perfusion and after exposure to a bolus injection of 50 mumoles of arachidonic acid. No differences were detected in prostaglandin production between the cholesterol-fed and control animals. Nor were any differences in coronary hemodynamics observed. Aortic arachidonic acid metabolism was studied in an intimal en-face preparation. No differences were observed in the basal release of the PGI2 metabolite, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, or PGE2. PGI2 and PGE2 production increased in response to arachidonic acid and to the calcium ionophore, A23187, but no differences were observed between cholesterol-fed or control tissues. Using minced aortic tissue, the production of 5-, 11-, 12- and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETE) were quantified by GC/MS. Differences in basal or A23187-stimulated HETE biosynthesis were not detected between the normal and atherosclerotic rabbit tissues. The data demonstrate that alterations in vascular prostaglandin and HETE are not prominent in rabbits with stable atherosclerosis produced by 4 months of cholesterol feeding.
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PMID:Prostaglandin and HETE synthesis by aortae and hearts of normal and atherosclerotic rabbits. 205 57

Cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk and extent of advanced atherosclerotic vascular disease in peripheral as well as coronary arteries. The likelihood of claudication, amputation, stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and failure of vascular reconstruction is higher in smokers than nonsmokers. Smoking exerts its deleterious effects through many interactive mechanisms. Nicotine and carbon monoxide produce acute cardiovascular consequences, including altered myocardial performance, tachycardia, hypertension, and vasoconstriction. Smoking injures blood vessel walls by damaging endothelial cells, thus increasing permeability to lipids and other blood components. Among metabolic and biochemical changes induced by smoking are elevated plasma, free fatty acids, elevated vasopressin, and a thrombogenic balance of prostacyclin and thromboxane A2. Chronic smoking is associated with a tendency for increased serum cholesterol, reduced high density lipoprotein, and other lipid effects that contribute to atherosclerosis. In addition to rheologic and hematologic changes from increased erythrocytes, leukocytes, and fibrinogen, smokers have alterations in platelet aggregation and survival that produce thrombosis. Considering the ubiquitous repercussions of this menace, vascular surgeons should play an active role in motivating their patients to quit smoking.
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PMID:The peripheral vascular consequences of smoking. 206 25

Fifty coronary male patients aged 34 to 63 (the mean age 46) and 32 normal male subjects aged 18 to 32 (mean age 23) were examined for the levels of Willebrand's factor, induced platelet aggregation, beta-thromboglobulin, thromboxane, prostacyclin levels, and vascular wall antiaggregation activity (by the cuff test). Basing on literature data and their own findings the authors come to a conclusion that elevated plasma concentration of Willebrand's factor combined with increased functional activity of platelets and reduced vascular wall antiaggregation activity is the key factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis development and progress.
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PMID:[Willebrand's factor, functional activity of blood platelets and antiaggregation activity of the vascular wall in ischemic heart disease]. 207 27

Aortas from atherosclerotic rabbits have increased levels of 15-lipoxygenase, but the relationship between induction of this enzyme and the atherosclerotic process has not been defined. We found that dietary administration of cortisone acetate significantly suppressed atherosclerotic plaque formation in both Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic (WHHL) and cholesterol-fed WHHL/NZW heterozygous rabbits. There was, however, no corresponding decrease in the elevated 15-lipoxygenase activity. In addition, the elevated 15-lipoxygenase activity in atherosclerotic rabbit aortas was uniformly distributed throughout the aorta, and was not preferentially localized in the lesions. These results indicate that induction of the 15-lipoxygenase is not necessarily causally related to plaque development, and that plaques are not the major source of the increased enzyme activity. However, the results confirm that hypercholesterolemia is a necessary condition for both atherosclerosis and 15-lipoxygenase induction, suggesting that perhaps the 15-lipoxygenase may represent a protective response to the hyperlipidemic stress. This possibility is supported by the finding that the induced 15-lipoxygenase converts linoleic acid, which is the predominant essential fatty acid in aorta, to 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE). This compound is a chemorepellant factor for platelets, inhibits platelet thromboxane synthesis, and stimulates prostacyclin synthesis by endothelial cells.
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PMID:Relationship of vascular 15-lipoxygenase induction to atherosclerotic plaque formation in rabbits. 207 42

Prostacyclin and endothelium-derived relaxing factor (or nitric oxide) are unstable mediators produced by the vascular endothelium, that are important for local regulation of platelet behavior and blood flow. This review focuses on the basic biochemistry and pharmacology of prostacyclin, its interactions with nitric oxide and nitrovasodilator drugs, and the implications of disturbances in this system for vascular disease, particularly hypertension and atherosclerosis. Prostacyclin and its stable analogs are also finding limited therapeutic applications in preservation of platelet function, pulmonary hypertension, and investigation into the cytoprotective and antiatherosclerotic properties is continuing.
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PMID:Prostacyclin and vascular function: implications for hypertension and atherosclerosis. 208 4

A number of experimental studies have reported that dietary fish oil can attenuate the development of atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rats, quails, rabbits, pigs, and monkeys. Epidemiologic studies suggest that dietary fish oil can reduce the development of cardiovascular disease in humans. Data are limited but suggest that laboratory animals, normal volunteers, and patients with hyperlipidemia show similar responses to the consumption of fish oil. The major effect of dietary fish oil on serum lipoproteins is a reduction in plasma triglyceride levels, with inconsistent effects on plasma cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Dietary fish oil induces a significant reduction of platelet aggregation associated with a prolonged bleeding time. This antithrombotic effect may be partially related to a decreased thromboxane A2 and to an increased prostacyclin level. Dietary fish oil may also have anti-inflammatory and anti-immunologic effects through an elevation of prostaglandins and a reduction in the level of leukotriene B4. Recent experimental data suggest that either fish oil or verapamil can bring on a regression in atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rabbits put on a normal diet; however, there was no additive effect of the combination of these agents. Overall, data suggest that fish oil may have a role in attenuating the development of atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Modification of experimental and clinical atherosclerosis by dietary fish oil. 210 47

A segment of fresh rabbit thoracic aorta (RbA) was turned inside out and superfused (1.5 ml/min) with citrated (3.8%) or heparinized (10 U/ml) blood of rabbit and the superfusate was discarded. RbA gained in weight due to deposition of thrombi on its endothelial surface. These thrombi were mainly composed of platelets. The interaction between platelets and endothelium was augmented in RbAs from animals with atherosclerosis and in RbAs pretreated with aspirin (110 microM) or 15-HPETE (150 microM) or by the enzymatic system generating oxygen free radicals (xanthine:xanthine oxidase - 100 microM: 0.1 U/ml). On the other hand, this interaction was impaired by superoxide dismutase (20 U/ml) or catalase (0.2 U/ml). Finally, the dissipation of thrombi by thromboxane A2-synthetase inhibitor--dazoxiben was found to be related to an increase in endothelial generation of prostacyclin.
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PMID:A biological method for studying the interaction between platelets and vascular endothelium. 210 94

Differential inhibition of thromboxane A2 (TxA2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) biosynthesis has an antithrombotic potential, since it may change the TxA2/PGI2 formation ratio in a favourable direction. Very low doses of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) have been demonstrated to elicit differential inhibition of TxA2 and PGI2 formation in healthy subjects; whether a similar effect can be obtained in patients with atherosclerosis is still an open question. We addressed this by analyzing the urinary excretion of the 2,3-dinor-metabolites of TxA2 (Tx-M) and PGI2 (PGI-M) in 10 patients with severe atherosclerosis during 10 consecutive days. The first three days were a basal period, under which no treatment was given. During the subsequent seven days a daily 50 mg oral dose of ASA was administered. In the basal state urinary Tx-M did not differ from that of PGI-M, the median excretion rates of the two eicosanoid metabolites being 526 (range 68-1490) and 562 (range 93-1970) pg/mg creatinine, respectively. During ASA treatment urinary Tx-M fell to a lower (p less than 0.001) level than PGI-M. Thus, during the last 5 days of ASA treatment the median excretion of Tx-M was depressed (p less than 0.001) to 148 (range 48-428) pg/mg creatinine, while that of PGI-M was decreased (p less than 0.01) to 313 (range 42-2658) pg/mg creatinine. These data indicate that a daily 50 mg dose of ASA inhibits cardiovascular formation of eicosanoids in patients with severe atherosclerosis and increased platelet TxA2 formation. Furthermore, this dose of ASA inhibits the formation of TxA2 more than that of PGI2.
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PMID:Differential inhibition of thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin synthesis by low dose acetylsalicylic acid in atherosclerotic patients. 210 95

We evaluated the effect of oestrogen and experimental atherosclerosis on the in vivo formation of thromboxane and prostacyclin in rabbits. Twenty-four New Zealand White rabbits were divided into four groups. One group received control diet, one group received control diet and oestrogen, one group received control diet supplemented with 1% cholesterol and one group received cholesterol supplemented diet and oestrogen during 3 months. The in vivo formation of thromboxane and prostacyclin were measured as 2,3-dinor-TxB2 and 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1 alpha in urine by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. All rabbits on cholesterol diet became hypercholesterolaemic and developed atherosclerosis. As in previous experiments cholesterol and oestrogen-treated rabbits had only minor atherosclerosis compared to purely cholesterol-fed rabbits. The in vivo production of thromboxane in oestrogen-treated rabbits decreased from 1641 +/- 162 pg mg-1 creatinine pretreatment to 808 +/- 92 pg mg-1 creatine at 12 weeks (P = 0.0001). In contrast, the in vivo production of prostacyclin increased during oestrogen treatment (P = 0.0027). The in vivo production of prostacyclin decreased during pure cholesterol feeding without oestrogen 1384 +/- 219 pg mg-1 creatinine to 702 +/- 142 pg mg-1 creatinine (P = 0.0091). The ratio of in vivo prostacyclin to thromboxane formation increased 2-3-fold during oestrogen therapy (P = 0.0007).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Experimental atherosclerosis: effects of oestrogen and atherosclerosis on thromboxane and prostacyclin formation. 210 32

To investigate the prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) half-life regulated by high density lipoprotein (HDL) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), we determined the stability of PGI2 and serum apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) and apolipoprotein A-II (Apo A-II) levels in four age-matched groups of patients: controls (n = 17), angina pectoris (n = 18), unstable angina pectoris (n = 17), myocardial infarction (n = 19) (acute phase, 3.6 +/- 1.7 hours from onset; subacute phase, 75 +/- 15 hours from onset in the same patients). Serum PGI2 half-life and total serum Apo A-I levels were lower in the CAD group than in the control group. PGI2 was least stable in patients with unstable angina and the acute phase of myocardial infarction. In these patients, the molar ratio of Apo A-I to Apo A-II and HDL-associated Apo A-I levels were decreased, and free Apo A-I levels were increased. After in vitro incubation of HDL with increasing amounts of Apo A-II, Apo A-I in HDL was displaced by Apo A-II, with the parallel decrease in stability of PGI2. Free Apo A-I cannot stabilize PGI2. HDL-associated Apo A-I, whose amount is affected by Apo A-II, stabilized PGI2 and correlated well with stability of PGI2 in patients with CAD and control patients. Decreased PGI2 half-life may play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and thrombus formation in the coronary arteries, especially thrombus formation during an acute coronary event.
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PMID:Prostaglandin I2 half-life regulated by high density lipoprotein is decreased in acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris. 211 45


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