Inhibition of Rho kinase (ROCK) ameliorates many cardiovascular dysfunctions. The aim of the current study is to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of fasudil, a selective ROCK inhibitor, on high cholesterol diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rats and its possible mechanisms. In hypercholesterolemic rats, we found the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholest...

Increments of lipoprotein (a) (Lp (a)) concentration during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) have not been justified in the literature yet. We have investigated whether Lp (a) levels remain constant or increase during CPB and if high plasma levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL; containing apolipoprotein (apo) B) in hypercholesterolemic patients affect the assembly of Lp (a) (containing apoB: Apo ...

In humans, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension are associated with endothelial dysfunction. Here, we assess whether hypercholesterolemia induces endothelial dysfunction in rats with pre-existing hypertension. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive controls (WKY) were fed with a high-cholesterol diet for 12 weeks, and endothelial function was assessed in isolated thoracic aorti...

BACKGROUND Soluble CD40L (sCD40L), a substance that maximally reflects in vivo platelet activation, is increased in patients with hypercholesterolemia. We investigated the relation between sCD40L and platelet CD4OL in hypercholesterolemic patients before and after a short-term treatment with atorvastatin. METHODS AND RESULTS Collagen-induced platelet CD40L and plasma levels of sCD40L and prot...

Recent reports suggest dyslipidemia impairs dendritic cell (DC) function and adaptive immunity. This study aimed to characterize the effect of hypercholesterolemia on antigen-presenting cell function of DCs and DC-dependent CD4(+) T-cell responses. DCs incubated in vitro with acetylated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with or without an acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyl-transferase inhibitor...

This study explored the effects of the antioxidant astaxanthin on paraoxonase and thioredoxin reductase activities as well as on other oxidative stress parameters and on the lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Rabbits were fed a standard or a hypercholesterolemic diet alone or supplemented with 50, 100 and 500 mg/100 g of astaxanthin for 60 days. Antioxidant enzymes activities, lipid...

Reactive oxygen species play a central role in vascular inflammation and atherogenesis, with enhanced superoxide (O2.-) production contributing significantly to impairment of nitric oxide (.NO)-dependent relaxation of vessels from cholesterol-fed rabbits. We investigated potential sources of O2.- production, which contribute to this loss of endothelium-dependent vascular responses. The vasorela...