Bubolz AH, Mendoza SA, Zheng X, Zinkevich NS, Li R, Gutterman DD, Zhang DX. Activation of endothelial TRPV4 channels mediates flow-induced dilation in human coronary arterioles: role of Ca entry and mitochondrial ROS signaling. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 302: H634–H642, 2012. First published December 2, 2011; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00717.2011.—In human coronary arterioles (HCAs) from patient...

Dhanasekaran, Anuradha, Rula Al-Saghir, Bernardo Lopez, Daling Zhu, David D. Gutterman, Elizabeth R. Jacobs, and Meetha Medhora. Protective effects of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids on human endothelial cells from the pulmonary and coronary vasculature. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 291: H517–H531, 2006. First published April 14, 2006; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00953.2005.—Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EE...

BACKGROUND Inflammation plays an essential role in the development and complications of atherosclerosis plaques, including acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Indeed, previous reports have shown that within the coronary circulation of ACS patients, several soluble mediators are released. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that endothelial dysfunction might play an important role in atherosclerosis ...

BACKGROUND C-reactive protein (CRP) has been suggested to actively amplify the inflammatory response underlying coronary heart diseases by directly activating endothelial cells. In this study, we investigated whether loss of the cyclic pentameric structure of CRP, resulting in formation of modified or monomeric CRP (mCRP), is a prerequisite for endothelial cell activation. METHODS AND RESULTS...

Recent studies have uncovered important cross talk between inflammation, generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and lipid metabolism in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular aging. Inhibition of the endocannabinoid anandamide metabolizing enzyme, the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), is emerging as a promising novel approach for the treatment of various inflammatory disorders. In thi...

BACKGROUND Arachidonic acid (AA) and/or its enzymatic metabolites are important lipid mediators contributing to endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)-mediated dilation in multiple vascular beds, including human coronary arterioles (HCAs). However, the mechanisms of action of these lipid mediators in endothelial cells (ECs) remain incompletely defined. In this study, we investigated ...

In human coronary arterioles (HCAs) from patients with coronary artery disease, flow-induced dilation is mediated by a unique mechanism involving the release of H(2)O(2) from the mitochondria of endothelial cells (ECs). How flow activates ECs to elicit the mitochondrial release of H(2)O(2) remains unclear. Here, we examined the role of the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) c...

Light chain amyloidosis (AL) involves overproduction of amyloidogenic light chain proteins (LC) leading to heart failure, yet the mechanisms underlying tissue toxicity remain unknown. We hypothesized that LC induces endothelial dysfunction in non-AL human microvasculature and apoptotic injury in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). Adipose arterioles (n = 34, 50 ± 3 yr) and atrial ...

Despite intensive investigation, the molecular mechanism by which the angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor exerts its cellular and physiological actions remains elusive. In the present study, we have used microarray expression analysis to identify genes whose expression was regulated by this receptor and to determine its cellular consequences. Lentiviral vector was used to express the AT2 recep...

BACKGROUND Angiotensin II (Ang II) induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells. We hypothesized that propofol may attenuate Ang II-induced apoptosis in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) and aimed to identify the underlying mechanisms. METHODS Endothelial cells were pre-treated with propofol and then stimulated with Ang II. Apoptosis was examined by TUNE...