Acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) share a wide range of diverse biological activities. To date, low levels of FGF have not been correlated with a pathophysiologic state. We report that blood vessels of spontaneously hypertensive rats are shown to be associated with a marked decrement in endothelial basic FGF content. This decrement correlates both with hypertension and with a de...

A healthy endothelium is essential for vascular homeostasis, and preservation of endothelial cell function is critical for maintaining transplant allograft function. Damage to the microvascular endothelial cells is now regarded as a characteristic feature of acute vascular rejection, an important predictor of graft loss. It is also linked with transplant vasculopathy, often associated with chro...

L-arginine, the principal substrate for endothelial nitric oxide synthase, is oxidized to L-citrulline and nitric oxide. Endothelial dysfunction is associated with decreased bioactive nitric oxide production, an abnormality observed in atherothrombosis. Acute or chronic administration of supplemental L-arginine enhances endothelial nitric oxide production and improves endothelial function in th...

objective(s):to know whether scurrula atropurpurea is able to modulate total plasma nitrate/nitrite levels, decrease endothelial damage, and increase endothelial progenitor cells (epcs) in hypertensive rats. materials and methods: the rats were divided in 5 groups: control (normotensive) group, desoxy cortico sterone (doca)-salt hypertensive group, and three doca-salt hypertensive groups. all 5...

background: during the initial phase of an infection, there is an upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the macrophages for the production of nitric oxide. this is followed by the recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils) which release arginase. arginase competes with inducible nitric oxide synthase for a common substrate l-arginine. objective: to investigate whethe...

The distribution of nitric oxide synthase was investigated in human cerebral blood vessels and brain tissues. NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry, which is a marker for nitric oxide synthase in neurons and endothelial cells, revealed periadventitial nerve fibers in the arteries of the circle of Willis and their cortical branches, as well as the common carotid and subclavian arteries. The fibers wer...

Payne GA, Bohlen HG, Dincer ÜD, Borbouse L, Tune JD. Periadventitial adipose tissue impairs coronary endothelial function via PKC-dependent phosphorylation of nitric oxide synthase. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 297: H460–H465, 2009. First published May 29, 2009; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00116.2009.—Endogenous periadventitial adipose-derived factors have been shown to contribute to coronary vascu...