Plasma glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) concentration was studied in 12 volunteers producing gun powder. Serial blood samples were obtained from the cubital vein before and during work at two sites of production; high concentrations of GTN were detected in the plasma. Control specimens from a femoral vein contained much less GTN, indicating that blood in the cubital vein was enriched by dermally absor...

Exposure to urban air pollution, ultrafine particles or gases, is associated with acute cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. We investigated the effect of ambient air pollution on endothelial function in 40 healthy white male nonsmokers spontaneously breathing ambient air in Paris, France. Air pollutant levels (nitrogen, sulfur and carbon oxides, and particulate matter) were averaged during ...

BACKGROUND Poor control of blood glucose in diabetes is known to promote vascular dysfunction and hypertension. Diabetes was recently shown to be linked to an increased prevalence of pulmonary hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine how the pharmacological reactivity of intrapulmonary arteries is altered in a rat model of diabetes. METHODS Diabetes was induced in rats by the beta...

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that abnormalities of endothelial function are present in Indian Asians and may contribute to their increased coronary heart disease risk. SETTING Single centre in west London. PATIENTS 26 Indian Asian and 18 European white healthy male subjects, aged 35 to 61 years recruited from general practice lists. DESIGN Brachial artery diameter responses to reactiv...

OBJECTIVE 6R-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-biopterin (6R-BH4) is a cofactor for endothelial nitric oxide synthase but also has antioxidant properties. Its stereo-isomer 6S-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-biopterin (6S-BH4) and structurally similar pterin 6R,S-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-D-neopterin (NH4) are also antioxidants but have no cofactor function. When endothelial nitric oxide synthase is 6R-BH4-deplete, it synthe...

1. Microradiographic techniques have been used to show that endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), which is believed to be nitric oxide, influences vasomotor responses in small arteries and arterioles down to 25 micron in diameter in an isolated, intact, buffer-perfused ear preparation of the rabbit. Arteries down to 75 micron in diameter, i.e. the central ear artery (G0) and its first thr...

BACKGROUND Intracerebral hemorrhage is associated with poor clinical outcome and high mortality. Research and treatment modalities have focused on the expansion of the primary hematoma through blood pressure control and activation of coagulation factors. However, clinical trials have failed to show decreased rates of death or disability in intracerebral hemorrhage following hospital initiation ...

Our aim was identify brain areas involved in the premonitory phase of migraine using functional neuroimaging. To this end, we performed positron emission tomography scans with H2(15)O to measure cerebral blood flow as a marker of neuronal activity. We conducted positron emission tomography scans at baseline, in the premonitory phase without pain and during migraine headache in eight patients. W...

AIMS Despite the importance of both lipid metabolism and physical activity to cardiovascular health, few studies have examined the effect of exercise training on vascular function in hypercholesterolaemic humans. METHODS AND RESULTS A randomized, cross-over design investigated the effect of 8 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training on conduit and resistance vessel function ...