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Query: UMLS:C0038454 (stroke)
 147,016 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Aspirin irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase in platelets for their entire lifespan, raising the possibility of clinical benefits by decreasing risks of occlusive vascular events. In secondary prevention among patients with a wide range of prior occlusive vascular events, including myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), as well as unstable and chronic stable angina, aspirin therapy is associated with a reduction in risks of subsequent MI, stroke, and vascular deaths. In acute MI, aspirin also confers clear benefits on subsequent MI, stroke, and vascular deaths. In primary prevention, the available randomized trial data, which to date are limited to men, indicate a clear reduction in risk of a first MI; the current data are inconclusive concerning aspirin's effect on stroke and total vascular mortality. A currently ongoing trial among 40,000 apparently healthy women will provide reliable data concerning the balance of benefits and risks of aspirin in primary prevention.
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PMID:Aspirin in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. 914 11

Aspirin is a widely used and effective antithrombotic agent. Recent studies suggest that aspirin's anti-inflammatory effects are mediated via inhibition of an inducible isoform of cyclooxygenase in inflammatory cells (COX-2) and through blockade of the nuclear transcription factor, NF-kappa B. The optimal dose of aspirin for most clinical situations is 75 to 325 mg/d, but debate continues as to whether higher doses are needed to prevent cerebral ischemia. Aspirin is very effective for inhibition of platelet-mediated thrombosis at sites of vascular injury but does not reduce restenosis after coronary angioplasty or carotid endarterectomy, nor does it prevent a first stroke. Combined therapy with warfarin and aspirin has been shown to limit systemic embolic in high-risk patients with artificial heart valves, but at the cost of increased bleeding. A new aspirin derivative is currently being developed that appears to stimulate platelet nitric oxide release, inhibit thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, and lower gastric toxicity.
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PMID:Aspirin therapy for cardiovascular disease. 937 1

The arterial wall is structurally and functionally compartmentalized. Each compartment is characterized by a specific cell type and by specific interactions. The endothelial compartment interacts with circulating blood, and the adventitial compartment with the surrounding tissue. The media, which contains the effector smooth muscle cells, perceives centrifugal messages from the endothelium and centripetal messages from metabolically active tissues, from adventitial nerve endings, and from peptides produced in the interstitium. The degree of contraction or relaxation of the vascular smooth muscle cells characterizes the general vasomotor tone, which governs the local blood pressure level and distributes the flow according to metabolic needs. The main physiologic vasoactive agent is nitric oxide (NO) and is produced by the endothelium. In disease states, other agents can become predominant in centrifugal parietal messages. NO is produced by type 3 NO synthase, an enzyme that is constitutively expressed by endothelial cells. The activity of this enzyme on its substrate, arginine, is regulated by the concentration of free calcium and by intracellular phosphorylations. Several peptides, including receptors, are coupled to the phospholipase C pathway in the endothelial cell; endothelial growth factors such as FGF and VEGF, enhance the activity of endothelial NO synthase. However, the main physiologic factor responsible for endothelial NO synthase activation is the shearing stress produced by friction of the flowing blood against the immobile vessel wall. This shearing stress constantly adjusts the diameter of conductance vessels to peripheral metabolic needs. Expression of endothelial NO synthase is modulated by the chronic effects of the same agents. NO has a vasodilating effect that is mediated by the generation of cyclic GMP. Cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP are the main second messengers in smooth muscle cell relaxation. NO binds to a heme-protein, soluble guanylate cyclase, that converts GMP to cyclic GMP. Kinase-G is the main target for cyclic GMP in the smooth muscle cell. Kinase-G phosphorylates phospholambans and releases the repumping activity of calcium ATPase. More importantly, kinase-G phosphorylates the protein G that links seven-domain membrane-spanning receptors to phospholipases, thus inhibiting coupling between the ligand-receptors interaction and the intracellular signaling process that leads to contraction. NO can relax the smooth muscle cell only in the presence of a preexisting contractile tone. Conversely, absence of NO enhances the preexisting contractile tone. All these notions can be analyzed via the experimental model of L-NAME-induced chronic NO synthase blockade in rats. The decrease in parietal cyclic GMP seen in this model is associated with an increase in contractile tone that translates into systemic arterial hypertension. The increase in contractile tone can be blocked by renin-angiotensin system inhibitors. Chronic blockade of NO production rapidly induces vascular wall phenotype changes that lead to renal failure, ischemic stroke, and fibrosis of target organs. These phenotype changes may be related to the increase in the oxidative potential of the various types of parietal cells, as suggested by the abnormal presence of inflammatory cells and by the increased expression of inflammation mediators including cyclooxygenase II, inducible NO synthase, and adhesion molecules such as ICAM and VCAM. This model therefore holds promise for elucidating interactions between NO and arteriosclerosis. NO system dysfunction is also seen in other cardiovascular disorders, including congestive heart failure.
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PMID:[Role of endothelial nitric oxide in the regulation of the vasomotor system]. 976 14

In anaphylactic shock (AS), the relative effects of the autacoids including histamine, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes on causing cardiovascular collapse and the extent to which receptor blocking agents and pathway inhibitors may prevent this collapse are not clear. In a ragweed model of anaphylaxis, we examined whether pretreatment with H1, H2, H3 receptor blockers, and cyclooxygenase and leukotriene pathway inhibitors was useful in preventing the depression in left ventricular (LV) contractility known to occur in this model. The dose of allergen was varied to produce similar degrees of shock between treatments. The animals were studied under pentobarbital anesthesia in which the treatment studies were approximately 3 wk apart. LV volumes were measured by sonomicrometric techniques. During challenge, mean arterial blood pressure (Pa), cardiac output (Q), and LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) decreased approximately 50% compared with preshock values in all treatments. Histamine H3 receptor blockade was associated with higher heart rates (HR) and higher stroke work (SW) (p < 0.05) as compared with the other treatment studies. We conclude that histamine H3 activation by inhibiting adrenergic neural norepinephrine release contributes to cardiovascular collapse in AS.
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PMID:Histamine H3 receptor blockade improves cardiac function in canine anaphylaxis. 1050

The dose of aspirin for secondary stroke prevention and the clinical meaning of ex vivo platelet abnormalities are debated. We assessed prospectively 39 noncardioembolic stroke patients in which 300 mg/day aspirin had proved effective (n=24) or ineffective (n=15) to prevent recurrent ischemic events. We evaluated platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid, adenosine diphosphate and epinephrine, and the sensitivity of platelets to increasing concentrations of the synthetic thromboxane mimetic U46619. Aggregation studies were repeated while subjects received 300 (study phase 1), and 600 (study phase 2) mg/day aspirin, respectively. Overall, arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation was less effectively inhibited during study phase 1 compared to phase 2. Arachidonic acid and epinephrine promoted a stronger platelet aggregation in aspirin nonresponders than in aspirin responders while taking 300 mg/day aspirin. On the other hand, 600 mg/day effectively inhibited platelet function in both clinical groups. A lower sensitivity to thromboxane receptors was also found during phase 1 of the study, although the response was similar between aspirin responders and nonresponders. This pilot study suggests that 300 mg/day aspirin is less effective than 600 mg/day to block the cyclooxygenase pathway in noncardioembolic stroke and, incomplete cyclooxygenase inhibition is associated with recurrent thromboembolic events despite adequate aspirin compliance. It is likely that patients could receive a more efficacious stroke prevention if the dose of aspirin is tailored to individual needs as reflected by laboratory findings.
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PMID:Ex vivo response to aspirin differs in stroke patients with single or recurrent events: a pilot study. 1058 76

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in developed countries. Yet, in spite of substantial research and development efforts, no specific therapy for stroke is available. Several mechanism for neuroprotection have been explored including ion channels, excitatory amino acids and oxygen radicals yet none has culminated in an effective therapeutic effect. The review article on "inflammation and stroke" summarizes key data in support for the possibility that inflammatory cells and mediators are important contributing and confounding factors in ischemic brain injury. In particular, the role of cytokines, endothelial cells and leukocyte adhesion molecules, nitric oxide and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) products are discussed. Furthermore, the potential role for certain cytokines in modulation of brain vulnerability to ischemia is also reviewed. The data suggest that novel therapeutic strategies may evolve from detailed research on some specific inflammatory factors that act in spatial and temporal relationships with traditionally recognized neurotoxic factors. The dual nature of some mediators in reformatting of brain cells for resistance or sensitivity to injury demonstrate the delicate balance needed in interventions based on anti-inflammatory strategies.
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PMID:Inflammation and stroke: putative role for cytokines, adhesion molecules and iNOS in brain response to ischemia. 1066

Gastrointestinal side effects from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) result mainly from inhibition of the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX)-1; it is responsible for the synthesis of prostaglandin E2, which leads to increased mucosal blood flow, increased bicarbonate secretion, and mucus production, thus protecting the gastrointestinal mucosa. In inflammation, COX-2 is induced, causing synthesis of the prostaglandins in conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Two NSAIDs (celecoxib and rofecoxib) with very high specificity for COX-2 and virtually no activity against COX-1 at therapeutic doses have been approved for clinical use. In trials of celecoxib and rofecoxib, only 0.02% of patients had clinically significant gastrointestinal bleeding, compared to a 1% to 2% yearly incidence of severe gastrointestinal side effects with NSAIDs. Our patient had arthritis of the hips and chronic atrial fibrillation and was on warfarin therapy for stroke prevention; less than a week after starting celecoxib therapy, gastrointestinal bleeding and hypoprothrombinemia occurred.
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PMID:Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor celecoxib: a possible cause of gastropathy and hypoprothrombinemia. 1100 60

Aspirin is not only one of the best-documented medicines in the world, but also one of the most frequently used drugs of all times. In addition to its role as an analgesic, aspirin is being increasingly used in the prophylaxis of ischemic heart disease and strokes. The prevalence of aspirin intolerance is around 5 to 6%. Up to 20% of the asthmatic population is sensitive to aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and present with a triad of rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma when exposed to the offending drugs. This syndrome is referred to as aspirin-induced asthma (AIA). The pathogenesis of AIA has implicated both the lipoxygenase (LO) and the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathways. By inhibiting the COX pathway, aspirin diverts arachidonic acid metabolites to the LO pathway. This also leads to a decrease in the levels of prostaglandin (PG) E(2), the anti-inflammatory PG, along with an increase in the synthesis of cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTs). Evidence suggests that patients with AIA have increased activity of LTC(4) synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the cysteinyl LT synthesis, in their bronchial biopsy specimens, thereby tilting the balance in favor of inflammation. LT-modifying drugs are effective in blocking the bronchoconstriction provoked by aspirin and are used in the treatment of this condition. Aspirin desensitization has a role in the management of AIA, especially in patients who need prophylaxis from thromboembolic diseases, myocardial infarction, and stroke. This review covers the latest understanding of pathogenesis, clinical features, and management of AIA.
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PMID:Aspirin and asthma. 1108 3

Recognition of two isoforms of cyclooxygenase and reports that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be beneficial in devastating neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease have led to increased interest in cyclooxygenase function in the nervous system. In the present paper we review current data on the multiplicity of cyclooxygenase and prostaglandin mediated effects in the central nervous system (CNS). We discuss CNS cells types, including neurons, glia, and cerebrovascular elements, where cyclooxygenases-1 and -2 are expressed under normal conditions or can be induced by physiological or pathological stimuli. We also address physiological processes such as pain sensitization, CNS inflammation and fever induction that are regulated or modified by cyclooxygenase activity. Finally, we describe potential roles of cyclooxygenase in neurological diseases and rationales for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, stroke and CNS injury.
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PMID:Cyclooxygenases in the central nervous system: implications for treatment of neurological disorders. 1120 33

Aspirin inhibits platelet activation by irreversibly inhibiting platelet cyclooxygenase and thromboxane production, and reduces the odds of serious vascular events (stroke, myocardial infarction or vascular death) by about one quarter in a range of patients with symptomatic atherosclerosis at high risk of a subsequent event. The adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor antagonists clopidogrel and ticlopidine are significantly more effective than aspirin in high-risk vascular patients, further reducing the odds of serious vascular events by about 10% (95% CI 2-19%) over the benefit provided by aspirin. The ADP receptor antagonists are also associated with a significant 30% reduction in the odds of gastrointestinal haemorrhage (odds ratio 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.86). Ticlopidine increases the odds of skin rash and of diarrhoea by more than twofold compared with aspirin, whereas clopidogrel is associated with a one-third increase in the odds of rash and of diarrhoea. Only ticlopidine increases the odds of neutropenia compared with aspirin. There is no clear evidence as yet for the benefit of dipyridamole or an oral GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist as single antiplatelet agents in atherothrombotic patients. Amongst high vascular risk patients, the combination of low-dose aspirin and high-dose dipyridamole is associated with about a 10% (95% CI 0-20%) reduction in the odds of a serious vascular event. Most of this reduction is due to a 23% reduction in non-fatal stroke. The size of this estimate continues to be investigated in an ongoing study of patients with transient ischaemic attack and stroke. The combined use of aspirin and ticlopidine is markedly superior to heparin, warfarin and aspirin for reducing thrombotic complications after coronary artery stenting. Clopidogrel plus aspirin has been shown to be safer than aspirin and ticlopidine in coronary stenting, and is now under long-term evaluation in unstable angina, and other conditions in which patients are at high risk of atherothrombotic events.
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PMID:Current oral antiplatelet agents to prevent atherothrombosis. 1131 17


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