To clarify the role of the renin-angiotensin system in coarctation hypertension, 2-year-old inbred dogs with chronic neonatally induced thoracic aortic coarctation were subjected to 6 days of rigorous salt restriction. The following parameters were then measured: glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow, plasma renin activity, plasma renin concentration, renin reactivity, and renin substra...

Aortic coarctation is a rare but dangerous condition. Presence of aortic dissection in addition to coarctation is significantly rarer and more life-threatening. Here, we present a case of acute inferior MI due to aortic dissection complicating a native aortic coarctation. A 17-year-old boy was admitted to our emergency department due to severe chest pain and loss of consciousness. His ele...

Gadolinium (Gd) blocks intra- and extracellular ATP hydrolysis. We determined whether Gd affects vascular reactivity to contractile responses to phenylephrine (PHE) by blocking aortic ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase). Wistar rats of both sexes (260-300 g, 23 females, 7 males) were used. Experiments were performed before and after incubation of aortic rings with 3 µM Gd...

Large, elastic arteries buffer the pressure wave originating in the left ventricle and are constantly exposed to higher amplitudes of cyclic stretch (10%) than muscular arteries (2%). As a crucial factor for endothelial and smooth muscle cell function, cyclic stretch has, however, never been studied in ex vivo aortic segments of mice. To investigate the effects of cyclic stretch on vaso-reactiv...

Bicuspid aortic valve is traditionally considered an innocuous congenital anomaly. Due to a better and widespread availability of non-invasive imaging techniques, it has come to the fore that 30% of these cases develop complications, viz., valve abnormality (aortic regurgitation and stenosis), and aneurysm of aortic root and ascending aorta. Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is an uncommon complicatio...

A s the world population ages, various conditions of aging, including mild cognitive impairment and dementia, are becoming increasingly prevalent and demand our immediate attention in order to curtail a looming epidemic. Cognitive impair­ ment is frequently dichotomized into vascular or Alzheimer types, although standard vascular disease risk factors are key risk factors at both ends of what is...

Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is a widely used food additive for its color and taste. The hypotensive effects of saffron have been shown in previous studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of vasodilatory effects induced by saffron on isolated rat aorta.To study the vasodilatory effects of saffron aqueous extract (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/mL), isolated rat thoracic aorta rings were co...