INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The Mediterranean diet, rich in polyphenols, has shown to be cardioprotective. However the mechanisms involved remain unknown. We investigated whether supplementation with a pomegranate extract rich in polyphenols renders beneficial effects on coronary function in a clinically relevant experimental model and characterized the underlying mechanisms. METHODS Pigs wer...

The cholesterol ozonolysis products secosterol-A and its aldolization product secosterol-B were recently detected in human atherosclerotic tissues and brain specimens, and have been postulated to play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases. We examined several oxidized cholesterol metabolites including secosterol-A, secosterol-B, 25-hydroxycholestero...

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the enzyme that catalyzes the formation of nitric oxide from L-arginine, exists in three major isoforms, neuronal, endothelial, and immunologic. Neuronal and endothelial isoforms are constitutively expressed, and require calcium for activation. Both of these isoforms can be induced (i.e., new protein synthesis occurs) under appropriate conditions. The immunologic is...

BACKGROUND Nitric oxide (NO) is a molecule that incorporates in many physiological processes of female reproductive system. Recent studies suggested the possible role of endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) enzyme in female infertility. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to evaluate the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in endometrial tissue of women with unexplai...

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is a mediator of angiogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulates the release of NO from cultured human umbilical venous endothelial cells and upregulates the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS).1,2 Segments of rabbit thoracic aorta release NO in response to VEGF; preincubation with L-arginine increases basal and VEGFstimulated NO re...

OBJECTIVE A risk factor for cardiovascular disease, hyperhomocystinemia (HHcy), is associated with endothelial dysfunction. In this study, we examined the mechanistic role of HHcy in endothelial dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS Through the use of 2 functional models, aortic rings and intravital video microscopy of the cremaster, we found that arterial relaxation in response to the endothelium...

Endothelial dysfunction is prevalent in chronic kidney disease. This study tested the hypothesis that transfusion of rat aortic endothelial cells (ECs) ameliorates endothelial dysfunction in a rat model of chronic kidney disease. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent sham surgery or 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx). Five weeks after Nx, EC (1.5 × 10(6) cells/rat) or vehicle were transfused intravenously. One ...

BACKGROUND We hypothesized that cytomegalovirus (CMV) may contribute to the vasculopathy observed in cardiac allograft recipients by impairing the endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway. We focused on asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA, the endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase) as a potential mediator of the adverse vascular effect of CMV. METHODS AND RESULTS Heart transplant recip...