High-salt diet is often associated with increases in arterial pressure, and a role for endothelin (ET)-1 in salt-sensitive hypertension has been suggested; however, the vascular mechanisms involved are unclear. We investigated whether ET increases the sensitivity of the mechanisms of vascular contraction to changes in dietary salt intake. Active stress and 45Ca2+ influx were measured in endothe...

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. However, the association between inflammation (as indexed by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hs-CRP) and endothelial function [as indexed by big endothelin-1 (ET-1)] in AF patients remains unclear. METHODS We enrolled 128 patients with lone AF, among which 83 had paroxysmal AF, and 45 had per...

High salt diet is often associated with increases in blood pressure, and the state of activation of endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation pathways is critical under these conditions. Basal activation of endothelial endothelin B (ET(B)) receptors by endothelin has been suggested to stimulate the release of factors that promote vascular relaxation. However, whether ET(B) receptors play a role...

Heparan sulfate (HS) is one of the components of extracellular matrix and a potent anti-growth factor in various cells. Heparin has a similar structure to HS and is demonstrated to inhibit myocardial cell hypertrophy. We examined the intracellular signal mechanisms linking to the inhibitory effects of heparin and HS on endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced hypertrophy in cultured rat neonatal myocardial ...

Heparan sulfate (HS) is one of the components of extracellular matrix and a potent antigrowth factor in various cells. Heparin has a similar structure to HS and is demonstrated to inhibit myocardial cell hypertrophy. We examined the intracellular signal mechanisms linking to the inhibitory effects of heparin and HS on endothelin-1(ET-1)-induced hypertrophy in cultured rat neonatal myocardial ce...

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are abundant cellsurface molecules that consist of a core protein and highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) sugar chains (Kjellen and Lindahl, 1991; Yanagishita and Hascall, 1992; David, 1993). HS chains bind to various extracellular molecules including growth factors, adhesion molecules, proteases and receptors and can support the functions of HS-binding...

Juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) maintained on either low sodium chloride (LS (control), 1.4% NaCl) or high sodium chloride (HS, 11% NaCl) diet were exposed to 55 μg·L–1 waterborne copper (Cu) for 28 days. Cu-exposed fish maintained on the LS diet exhibited 26% mortality, more than double (11%) that in fish maintained on the HS diet. Waterborne Cu exposure inhibited growth by 56% in...

To test the hypothesis that activation of the endothelin type A (ET(A)) receptor contributes to decreased renal excretory function and increased blood pressure in sensory nerve-degenerated rats fed a high-salt diet, neonatal Wistar rats were given vehicle or capsaicin (CAP, 50 mg/kg s.c.) on the first and second day of life. After being weaned, vehicle or CAP-treated rats were fed a normal (NS,...

Autoregulation of renal blood flow (RBF) is an essential function of the renal microcirculation that has been previously shown to be blunted by excessive dietary salt. Endogenous endothelin 1 (ET-1) is increased following a high-salt (HS) diet and contributes to the control of RBF but the differential effects of ET-1 on renal microvessel autoregulation in response to HS remain to be established...