cADP-ribose (cADPR) induces the release of Ca(2+) from the intracellular stores of coronary artery smooth muscle cells. However, little is known about the role of cADPR-mediated intracellular Ca(2+) release in the control of vascular tone. The present study examined the effects of nicotinamide, a specific inhibitor of ADP-ribosylcyclase, on the vascular tone of bovine coronary arteries. A bovin...

The fact that endothelium removal increases diameter and compliance in the common carotid artery (CCA) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and that improving CCA endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation has been shown to normalize a reduced systolic blood flow through the SHR CCA compared with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) suggests that endothelial vasomotor dysfunction may be linked to...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a critical role in the impairment of nitric oxide-mediated vascular functions and overall pathogenesis associated with cardiovascular disease. Plant pigment anthocyanins are exceptionally potent oxygen radical scavengers that produce beneficial effects in diseases outside the cardiovascular system. We examined for the first time the potential coronary vasoacti...

BACKGROUND Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a worldwide problem. Despite increases in the development of synthetic drugs for hypertension treatment, the rate of untreated and uncontrolled hypertension remains high. These drugs are effective, but can also cause side effects. Approximately 80% of the world population uses herbal medicines...

Endoglin is a TGF-beta superfamily receptor critical for endothelial cell function. Mutations in this gene are associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia type I (HHT1), and clinical signs of disease are generally more evident later in life. We previously showed that systemic vessels of adult Eng heterozygous (Eng(+/-)) mice exhibit increased vasorelaxation due to uncoupling of endoth...

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) may play a role in the modulation of coronary artery tone, yet there are few data regarding their vasoactive effects on the coronary vascular bed. We evaluated the vasorelaxation effects of insulin and IGF-I on porcine coronary epicardial vessels in vitro and elucidated possible mechanisms. Porcine epicardial arteries were contracted with 10(-7) ...

Estrogen is known to stimulate endothelial nitric oxide production and attenuate endothelial dysfunction after ischemia and reperfusion. However, estrogen therapy increases the risk of breast and endometrial cancer. The present study was designed to determine whether idoxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator without adverse effects on reproductive organs, may stimulate nitric oxide rel...