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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The interaction between hydrocortisone and estradiol on the regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression was investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Following incubation in medium containing dextran-coated-charcoal-stripped serum (DCC-stripped medium) for 4 days, incubation of HUVECs with 0.1 nM estradiol for 24 hr in the absence of hydrocortisone increased levels of eNOS mRNA measured by ribonuclease protection assay above control (0 nM estradiol). 2 microM hydrocortisone applied for 24 hr preceding and during estradiol application inhibited the estradiol-elicited increase in eNOS mRNA levels, reducing mRNA levels from 134% +/- 14% of control to 85% +/- 5% of control. Significant (ANOVA, p<0.01) reductions of estradiol-mediated increases of mRNA levels occurred over a range of hydrocortisone concentrations (10 nM, p<0.05; 2 microM, p<0.05; n=3-12). In the presence of 2 microM hydrocortisone, 10 nM estradiol significantly reduced eNOS mRNA levels to 59% +/- 3% of control. The ability of hydrocortisone to block or reverse the estradiol-mediated increase in eNOS mRNA levels may provide a link between elevated hydrocortisone levels and decreased NO production, potentially contributing to the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in vivo and antagonizing cardioprotective effects of estrogens.
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PMID:Hydrocortisone modulates the effect of estradiol on endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in human endothelial cells. 1172 85

The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the etiology of cardiovascular diseases. Three transgenic mouse lines overexpressing rat angiotensinogen (rAOGEN) were generated. The aim of our study was to characterize the originally undescribed second transgenic line TGM(rAOGEN)102. The transgene tissue distribution and expression of brain natriuretic peptide and collagen type III were investigated by ribonuclease protection assay. Catheter measurements of blood pressure and cardiac function were performed in anesthetized mice. End-organ fibrosis was further assessed by van Gieson staining. In line TGM(rAOGEN)102, the rAOGEN transgene was mainly expressed in liver and brain but could also be detected in hearts, kidneys, and lungs. Transgenic mice developed excessive chronic hypertension compared with their wild-type littermates. The rise of blood pressure was paralleled by cardiac hypertrophy, impaired cardiac function, and increased expression of brain natriuretic peptide. Pronounced fibrosis was detected in the hearts, lungs, and kidneys of transgenic mice. Our data indicate that overexpression of rAOGEN in mice leads to excessive hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, impaired heart function, and pronounced fibrosis. Thus, this line TGM(rAOGEN)102 provides a new model to study hypertension-mediated end-organ damage and to evaluate new antihypertensive or cardioprotective drugs.
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PMID:Excessive hypertension and end-organ damage in a transgenic mouse line carrying the rat angiotensinogen gene. 1912 38

Some of the most widely used techniques in the area of molecular biology involve the isolation, analysis, and quantification of RNA molecules, specifically mRNA molecules that code for proteins of interest. Indeed, the characterization of any gene entails the analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of RNA expression. In many types of studies, it is also necessary to quantify alterations in the synthesis of specific mRNA species that occur both under normal physiological conditions and in the pathophysiology of diseases such as hypertension. To date, the three most popular methods to characterize RNA molecules and determine the abundance of a particular mRNA in a total or poly (A) sample are Northern-blot analysis, ribonuclease protection assays (RPAs), and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In theory, each of these techniques can be used to quantify either the relative or absolute level of an individual RNA species in a population. However, in practice, each method has inherent technical and practical limitations that may pose significant problems under certain circumstances (1,2).
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PMID:Use of the Ribonuclease Protection Assay for the Analysis and Characterization of Target mRNAs. 2133 18


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