A number of microRNAs (miRs) have been shown to participate in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, a key step in the formation of atherosclerotic plaque, by targeting certain genes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the roles of miR‑146a and miR‑21 in VSMC growth and to study the underlying mechanisms. The expression levels of four previously report...

BACKGROUND Neointimal inflammation and angiogenesis are important contributors of progression and destabilization of the atherosclerotic plaque. While the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors VEGF-R1 (Flt-1) and VEGF-R2 (Flk-1) in this process has clearly been defined, expression of the VEGF-R3 (Flt-4) has only been documented on lymphatic and tumor endothelium. T...

Background High-resolution CE-MRI is a noninvasive imaging modality to monitor the progression and regression of atherosclerotic plaque and disruption. The purpose of this study is to monitor the progression of atherosclerotic plaque in rabbit model with serial high-resolution contrast enhancement MRI (CE MRI), and sought to differentiate the morphology and composition between ruptured and non-...

A strong relationship exists between the severity of carotid stenosis and early stroke risk. Inflammation is believed to be an important event for atherosclerotic plaque destabilization and subsequent thromboembolism. (18)F-FDG can image atherosclerotic inflammation, providing information about plaque biology, which may serve as a useful biomarker for the assessment of early stroke risk.

In MI there is a decrease in coronary flow or an equivalent abrupt increase in myocardial demand for oxygen due to ischemic necrosis caused by obstruction in the coronary artery. Thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque may obstruct the coronary flow. The atherosclerotic lesion contain macrophage and activated T-cells which secrete cytokines . This inflammatory response results in plaque rupture and ...

Formation of atherosclerotic and calcified plaque begins and grows up not only beneath the endothelium (intimae), but also in the adventitial subepithelium on the coronary arteries. A new innovative combined drug (polypill) is certainly releases, regress and prevents of formation of the atherosclerotic and calcified plaque of arteries.

BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of mortality in the Western world, and plaque diagnosis is still a challenge in cardiovascular medicine. The main focus of this study was to make atherosclerotic plaques visible using targeted nanoparticles for improved imaging. Today various biomarkers are known to be involved in the pathophysiologic scenario of atherosclerotic plaques. One promisi...

BACKGROUND Imaging modalities to assess atherosclerotic plaque thrombogenicity have not been established, so in this study the relationship between [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) uptake and thrombus formation was investigated in rabbit atherosclerotic arteries. METHODS AND RESULTS Atherosclerotic plaque was induced in the iliacofemoral artery by balloon injury and a 0.5% cholesterol d...

conclusions a significant proportion of coronary atherosclerotic plaques in cadavers with confirmed acute myocardial infarction were detected to be infected with cytomegaloviruses while no infections of c. pneumoniae and h. pylori were detected. patients and methods sixty cadavers in two equal groups were analyzed. acute myocardial infarction group included cadavers with acute myocardial infarc...

Apoptosis of macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in advanced atherosclerotic plaques contributes to plaque progression and instability. Caspase-3, a key executioner protease in the apoptotic pathway, has been identified in human and mouse atherosclerotic plaques but its role in atherogenesis is not fully explored. We therefore investigated the impact of caspase-3 deletion on at...