Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

EDRF is a potent, endogenous vasodilator that is produced and released from endothelial cells and subsequently causes the relaxation of VSM through the activation of soluble guanylate cyclase and an increase in VSM cyclic GMP. Structurally, EDRF is likely to be NO or a related nitrogen oxide-containing compound. It is synthesized in endothelial and other cell types from L-arginine by a calcium-calmodulin and NADPH-dependent enzyme. Its action is very similar to the nitrovasodilators that act directly on VSM. EDRF is present in all vascular beds, large and small vessels, and in a wide range of species. Its role in human vascular physiology and pathophysiology is just beginning to be understood. EDRF is a potent endogenous vasodilator and inhibitor of platelet aggregation and adhesion. Its activity is impaired in hypertension and atherosclerosis, and its absence due to endothelial damage may play a role in cerebral and coronary vasospasm. It is a mediator of flow-dependent vasodilation, and its inhibition by hypoxia may contribute to the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstrictor response. Endothelial cell damage and impairment of EDRF production may also contribute to acute and chronic pulmonary hypertension. A further understanding of the chemical nature and synthetic pathways of EDRF should lead to the production of analogs and antagonists, which may play an important role in future treatments for atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, angina, hypertension, and other vascular diseases. The recent realization that EDRF serves as the second messenger for guanylate cyclase activation and cyclic GMP production in a variety of cell types outside of the cardiovascular system, including renal and respiratory epithelium, cerebellar neurons, macrophages, and adrenocytes, suggests even broader implications. The importance of EDRF to the anesthesiologist may go beyond an understanding of its role in cardiovascular physiological and pathophysiological states. Initial studies have shown that the endothelium may play a role in mediating the vascular actions of anesthetics, and that anesthetics can inhibit the production, release, or action of EDRF. How are these interactions mediated? Are there significant differences between anesthetics with regard to their effects on EDRF? Is there a clinically significant effect of anesthetics on basal activity of EDRF, or only in response to exogenous stimulation? Conversely, it is important to determine if alterations in endothelial cell function by various disease states such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, cerebral vasospasm, and others cause changes in the vascular actions of anesthetics. The potential interactions of anesthetics with EDRF production and action in cell types other than the endothelium have not yet been explored.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Endothelium-derived relaxing factor: basic review and clinical implications. 186 89

Key discoveries in the past decade revealed that the endothelium can modulate the tone of underlying vascular smooth muscle by the synthesis/release of potent vasorelaxant (endothelium-derived relaxing factors; EDRF) and vasoconstrictor substances (endothelium-derived contracting factors; EDCF). It has become evident that the synthesis and release of these substances contribute to the multitude of physiological functions the vascular endothelium performs. Accumulating evidence suggests that at least one of the EDRFs is identical with nitric oxide (NO) or a labile nitroso compound, which is produced from L-arginine by an NADPH- and Ca(2+)-dependent enzyme, arginine oxidase. The existence of more than one chemically distinct EDRF has been proposed, including an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). The target of EDRF (NO) is soluble guanylate cyclase (increase in cyclic GMP) while EDHF appears to activate a K(+)-channel in vascular smooth muscle. Recent data suggest that muscarinic receptor subtypes selectively mediate the release of EDRF(NO) (M2) and EDHF (M1). EDRF(NO) affects not only the underlying vascular smooth muscle, but also platelets, inhibiting their aggregation and adhesion to the endothelium. The antiaggregatory effect of EDRF is synergistic with prostacyclin, so their combined release may represent a physiological mechanism aimed at preventing thrombus formation. An additional proposed biological function of EDRF(NO) is cytoprotection by virtue of scavenging superoxide radicals. The endothelium can also mediate vasoconstriction by the release of a variety of endothelium-derived contracting factors (EDCF). Other than the unique peptide endothelin, the nature of EDCFs has not yet been firmly established. Autoregulation of cerebral and renal blood flow and hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction may represent the physiological role of endothelium-dependent vasoconstriction. Growing evidence indicates that the endothelium can serve as a unique mechanoreceptor, sensing and transducing physical stimuli (e.g., shear forces, pressure) into changes in vascular tone by the release of EDRFs or EDCFs. In physiological states, a delicate balance exists between endothelium-derived vasodilators and vasoconstrictors. Alterations in this balance can result in local (vasospasm) and generalized (hypertension) increase in vascular tone and also in facilitated thrombus formation. Endothelial dysfunction may also contribute to the pathophysiology of angiopathies associated with hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Endothelium-derived relaxing and contracting factors. 187 96

In the presence of NADPH cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases oxidize arachidonic acid giving rise to four epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) which are hydrolyzed enzymatically to dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs). EETs generate vasodilators. Allylic oxidation forms hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids, of which 12(R)HETE is an inhibitor of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and renin release. Finally, omega and omega-1 hydroxylation of arachidonic acid generates 20- and 19-HETEs which are involved in the development of hypertension in SHR rats.
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PMID:Cytochrome P-450 metabolites of arachidonic acid: implications for blood pressure regulation. 212 86

DHEA, a steroid precursor of androgens and estrogens has also an inhibitory effect on several enzymes, namely on 11 beta-hydroxylase, NADH oxidase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The latter is the rate limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate cycle. This metabolic pathway provides the cells with extramitochondrial NADPH and pentose phosphates. NADPH is used for the synthesis of fatty acids and steroids. Together with ribose 5-phosphate, NADPH (as coenzyme of folate reductases) is required for the synthesis of nucleic acids. A deficient production of DHEA has been found to be responsible for several diseases obesity, diabetes type 2, hypertension, arteriosclerosis and hyperuricemia as well as malignant growth (low DHEA syndrome). DHEA administration favourably modified several of these metabolic disorders. These studies were started in our laboratory in 1962 and stopped in 1976 because we were short of DHEA. At that time the response to our results was rather theoretical, but the last years a new wave of interest in DHEA called for two consecutive symposia, where important findings were presented (Paris in January and Jena in April 1989). It is a damage that this new trend, started in our laboratory, could not be pursued up to now without interruption.
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PMID:[Dehydroepiandrosterone. Renaissance after 13 years]. 252 67

The involvement of oxygen radicals produced in association with arachidonate metabolism via PGH synthase in cerebral vascular responses is reviewed. PGH synthase generates superoxide in the presence of NADH or NADPH. Lipoxygenase also produces superoxide under similar conditions, but it is a much less important quantitative source for this radical. Radicals from the PGH synthase pathway are produced in vivo during topical application of arachidonate or bradykinin, a polypeptide that releases endogenous arachidonate from tissues. The vascular changes in response to arachidonate and bradykinin consist of functional, morphological, and biochemical alterations. Oxygen radicals from this pathway appear to play a role in the cerebral vascular changes in acute, severe hypertension and in fluid percussion brain injury.
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PMID:Oxygen radicals from arachidonate metabolism in abnormal vascular responses. 311 7

Several aldosterone metabolites are now known to possess some mineralocorticoid activities. In order to test the hypothesis that these metabolites could contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension, we studied the aldosterone metabolism in SHR in vitro and in vivo. In vitro experiment, male SHR and WKY rats of 4 and 15 weeks of age were used. The microsome, cytosol and heavy mitochondria fractions from liver and kidney were isolated by ultracentrifuge. 10mg protein/ml of each subcellular fraction was incubated with 3H-aldosterone in Tris-HCl buffer at pH 7.4 containing NADPH, glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) and G-6-P dehydrogenase as described by Morris, D.J. et al. (Hypertension, 5 (suppl. I]: I-35-I-40, 1983.). Aldosterone and its metabolites synthesized were extracted with Sep-pak C18 cartridges and separated by HPLC on a reverse phase column. In vivo experiments, the urine of male SHR and WKY rats of 15 weeks old injected 10 microCi 3H-aldosterone intraperitoneally was collected for 48 hours, extracted and analyzed by HPLC. Peaks of steroids from SHR were compared with those from WKY. Incubation of aldosterone with liver microsomes yielded at least 10 polar and 3 less polar metabolites (A-ring reduced metabolites). SHR liver microsomes synthesized larger amounts of 3 polar metabolites than WKY liver microsomes. Liver cytosol, liver heavy mitochondria and kidney subcellular fractions mainly synthesized less polar metabolites, but failed to synthesize as much polar metabolites as liver microsomes. Kidney microsomes and cytosol from 4 weeks old SHR synthesized larger amounts of less polar metabolites compared to those from WKY. In vivo experiment, SHR of 15 weeks of age excreted larger amounts of 2 polar metabolites than WKY. The present study suggests that the difference of metabolism of aldosterone between SHR and WKY observed from an early stage in the liver and the target organ, kidney, may be associated with hypertension or its causative factors, and confirms that aldosterone will be metabolized to several polar and less polar forms by rat liver and kidney subcellular fractions.
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PMID:[Aldosterone metabolites in spontaneously hypertensive rats]. 322 Jan 52

Placental estrogen hydroxylase (EH) enzyme activity was measured at term using the catechol-O-methyl transferase coupled method in normal and high risk conditions. The identity and ratio of products formed during incubation of microsomes as analysed by high performance liquid chromatography in chronic hypertension, toxemia and diabetes mellitus was not different from controls. The mean enzymatic activity was also not different among the conditions studied as expressed mean +/- SE pmol/min/mg, protein: chronic hypertension (7.8 +/- 1), toxemia (8 +/- 1.6), diabetes mellitus (6.1 +/- 0.9) and controls (8.3 +/- 1.5). The cofactor dependence of EH was studied showing that NADPH is a better substrate for the enzyme than NADH.
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PMID:Estrogen hydroxylase activity in the human placenta at term. 340 95

Biochemical, cytochemical and immunological methods were used to compare the metabolic and neuroendocrine properties of the subfornical organ (SFO) with the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system (HNS) in the rat. The SFO resembles the HNS in that both have (a) increased label incorporation into RNA during dehydration; (b) an intense reaction for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; (c) NADPH-diaphorase and the Type I pathway for hydrogen utilization from NADPH, presumably as part of the mixed-function oxidase system for the metabolism of endogenous substrates and xenobiotics; (d) immunoreactive vasopressin and oxytocin. Gel filtration of extracts of the SFO area using Sephadex G-25 chromatography resulted in immunoreactive peaks for both AVP and OT which were similar to synthetic hormones. One other fraction in the SFO extract, containing a substance(s) of higher molecular weight than AVP, was detected using the antiserum for AVP. The concentration of immunoreactive AVP in the SFO area was increased after colchicine, decreased by hypophysectomy, and unaltered by: (a) infusion (4.6 pg/min for 3 hr) or injection (1 or 6 ng) of AVP into the lateral cerebroventricle; (b) dehydration; (c) renin administered intracerebroventricularly; (d) pinealectomy; or (e) hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat. In conclusion, cells in the SFO have specialized metabolic and neuroendocrine properties similar to the HNS. It can be inferred from these biochemical specializations that the SFO has metabolic and secretory activities.
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PMID:The subfornical organ: biochemical and neuroendocrine comparisons with the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. 402 8

Three isozymes of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (EC 1.14.13.39) have been identified and the cDNAs for these enzymes isolated. In humans, isozymes I (in neuronal and epithelial cells), II (in cytokine-induced cells), and III (in endothelial cells) are encoded for by three different genes located on chromosomes 12, 17, and 7, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences of the human isozymes show less than 59% identity. Across species, amino acid sequences for each isoform are well conserved (> 90% for isoforms I and III, > 80% for isoform II). All isoforms use L-arginine and molecular oxygen as substrates and require the cofactors NADPH, 6(R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin, flavin adenine dinucleotide, and flavin mononucleotide. They all bind calmodulin and contain heme. Isoform I is constitutively present in central and peripheral neuronal cells and certain epithelial cells. Its activity is regulated by Ca2+ and calmodulin. Its functions include long-term regulation of synaptic transmission in the central nervous system, central regulation of blood pressure, smooth muscle relaxation, and vasodilation via peripheral nitrergic nerves. It has also been implicated in neuronal death in cerebrovascular stroke. Expression of isoform II of NO synthase can be induced with lipopolysaccharide and cytokines in a multitude of different cells. Based on sequencing data there is no evidence for more than one inducible isozyme at this time. NO synthase II is not regulated by Ca2+; it produces large amounts of NO that has cytostatic effects on parasitic target cells by inhibiting iron-containing enzymes and causing DNA fragmentation. Induced NO synthase II is involved in the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases and septic shock. Isoform III of NO synthase has been found mostly in endothelial cells. It is constitutively expressed, but expression can be enhanced, eg, by shear stress. Its activity is regulated by Ca2+ and calmodulin. NO from endothelial cells keeps blood vessels dilated, prevents the adhesion of platelets and white cells, and probably inhibits vascular smooth muscle proliferation.
Hypertension 1994 Jun
PMID:Nitric oxide synthase isozymes. Characterization, purification, molecular cloning, and functions. 751 53

Constitutively active nitric oxide synthases (NOS) are a unique class of NADPH-dependent, calcium/calmodulin-dependent enzymes that catalyze the conversion of L-arginine to nitric oxide and L-citrulline. However, little is known about the molecular similarities or differences between the two prototypical constitutive NOS enzymes, endothelial NOS (ECNOS) and brain NOS (bNOS). The aims of this study were to begin characterizing the gene structure and tissue distribution of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for ECNOS and bNOS and to examine the immunological resemblance of the proteins by Western blotting. Full-length complementary DNAs (cDNAs) encoding bovine ECNOS and rat bNOS hybridized, under high stringency, to different-sized fragments of endonuclease-digested bovine, rat, and human genomic DNA. In addition, more than one fragment was detected with both cDNAs, suggesting that ECNOS and bNOS genes contained multiple introns. Tissue distribution of ECNOS mRNA (4.4 kb) and bNOS mRNA (9.5 kb) in the rat was detected by Northern blotting. Patterns among tissue extracts were strikingly different, with ECNOS mRNA being most abundant in aorta, heart, lung, kidney, adrenal gland, spinal cord, and urogenital tissues and bNOS mRNA most prominent in brain regions, intestine, stomach, spinal cord, adrenal gland, and aorta. Interestingly, ECNOS cDNA detected two equally abundant RNA transcripts (4.4 and 4.0 kb) in most brain regions tested, suggesting an alternative splicing of the ECNOS pre-mRNA. Western blotting, using an ECNOS monoclonal antibody, recognized ECNOS protein from native bovine endothelial cells, cultured bovine endothelial cells, and COS cells transfected with ECNOS cDNA but did not recognize purified bNOS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Hypertension 1993 Jun
PMID:Genomic analysis and expression patterns reveal distinct genes for endothelial and brain nitric oxide synthase. 768 5


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