Current Vascular Pharmacology

BACKGROUND: Identification of biomarkers to distinguish between stable and unstable plaque formation would be very useful to predict plaque vulnerability. METHODS: We downloaded microarray profiles of gene set enrichment (GSE) accession numbers including GSE71226 and GSE20680 (group A: containing healthy vs stable plaque samples) and GSE62646 and GSE34822 (group B: containing stable vs unstable plaque samples) from Gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes were compared in both data sets of each group...

Classical risk factors for atherosclerosis also play a role in the pathogenesis of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol has prothrombotic and endothelium- deteriorating effects which are not limited to the arterial system. The association between hypercholesterolemia and VTE has been established, but the benefits of statins in the prevention of VTE assessed by observation studies seemed equivocal. The large, randomized trial Justification for the Use of Statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER) recorded the occurrence of VTE as a protocol-specified endpoint and reported a reduced incidence of VTE among subjects taking 20 mg of rosuvastatin daily vs placebo (hazard ratio 0...

Statins play a significant role in the prevention of cardiovascular (CV) diseases (CVDs); however, non-adherence with statin treatment or statin intolerance (mainly attributed to muscleassociated side effects) is not uncommon. New agents such as bempedoic acid (BA) can provide more treatment options. BA is administered orally, once daily, at a dose of 180 mg in current clinical practice. It can decrease circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels by nearly 30% as monotherapy or by 20% as an add-on to statins...

BACKGROUND: Statins are the most prescribed lipid-lowering drugs worldwide. The associated adverse events, especially muscle symptoms, have been frequently reported despite their perceived safety. Three pharmacogenes, the solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B1 (SLCO1B1), ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2), and cytochrome P450 9C9 (CYP2C9) are suggested as safety biomarkers for statins. The Clinical Pharmacogenomic Implementation Consortium (CPIC) issued clinical guidelines for statin use based on these three genes...

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is used for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high risk for surgery. Since these patients are elderly and have comorbidities, their management is of great importance. OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study compares two anesthesia techniques during TAVI: sedation (ketamine and propofol) and general anesthesia. METHODS: Patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVI during 2021 in our hospital were retrospectively screened...

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is presented in various forms, including classic PHPT, characterised by increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion, normohormonal PHPT, and normocalcaemic PHPT. Secondary hyperparathyroidism is characterised by increased PTH secretion triggered by factors such as vitamin D deficiency and kidney failure. This review aims to discuss the involvement of hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in atherosclerosis, including peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The increased level of PTH is involved in developing subclinical and overt vascular diseases, encompassing endothelial dysfunction, vascular stiffness, hypertension, and coronary and peripheral arterial diseases...

The ribonucleic acid (RNA)-binding protein Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding Protein 1 (CPEB1), a key member of the CPEB family, is essential in controlling gene expression involved in both healthy physiological and pathological processes. CPEB1 can bind to the 3'- untranslated regions (UTR) of substrate messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and regulate its translation. There is increasing evidence that CPEB1 is closely related to the pathological basis of atherosclerosis. According to recent investigations, many pathological processes, including inflammation, lipid metabolism, endothelial dysfunction, angiogenesis, oxidative stress, cellular senescence, apoptosis, and insulin resistance, are regulated by CPEB1...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: The first-line treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is lifestyle modification; this should accompany any pharmacological intervention. Intermittent fasting (IF) has shown benefits over metabolic and cardiovascular parameters. Non-religious IF includes Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF), Alternate-Day Fasting (ADF), and 5:2 IF interventions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of IF on anthropometric, liver damage, and lipid profile markers in subjects with NAFLD...

BACKGROUND: There is a need to assess myocardial damage after radiofrequency ablation of the pulmonary veins (PV) for persistent atrial fibrillation (PAF) in elderly patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate oxidative stress, inflammatory response and myocardial damage in elderly patients with PAF after radiofrequency ablation of the PV. METHODS: High-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT), malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL), acrolein (ACR), lipid hydroperoxide (LHP), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), soluble growth stimulation expressed gene 2 (sST2), angiotensin II (Ang II) and myocardial blood flow (MBF) were determined before ablation and at 1, 3 and 5 months after radiofrequency ablation...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: Myocardial ischaemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) determines infarct size and long-term outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, alleviates MIRI in animal models. METHOD: We investigated the potential mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective effect of dapagliflozin against MIRI, focusing on mitochondrial injury and mitophagy. MIRI mouse and H9C2 cell models were established. RESULTS: 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining showed a significant alleviation of MIRI after pre-treatment of dapagliflozin compared to the model group (14...

BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is a molecule that induces inflammation of the blood vessels, atherogenesis, valvular calcification, and thrombosis. METHODS: We review the available evidence that suggests that high Lp(a) levels are associated with a persisting risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases despite optimization of established risk factors, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. OBSERVATIONS: Approximately a quarter of the world population have Lp(a) levels of >50 mg/dL (125 nmol/L), a level associated with elevated cardiovascular risk...

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease characterized by an imbalance between vasoactive mediators, which causes vascular remodeling, increased pulmonary vascular resistance, and right ventricular overload, ultimately leading to heart failure and death. A metabolic theory has been suggested to explain the pathophysiology of PAH whereby abnormalities in mitochondrial biogenesis can trigger a hyperproliferative and apoptosis-resistant phenotype in cardiopulmonary and malignant cells, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, which in turn causes the Warburg effect...

BACKGROUND: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), characterized by pulmonary infection ranging from asymptomatic forms to respiratory insufficiency and death. Evidence of cardiac involvement in COVID-19 is increasing, and systemic inflammation or direct heart damage by SARS-CoV-2 can prolong the corrected QT interval (QTc). METHODS: In this observational study, a total of 333 consecutive patients admitted to the Covid Center of Verona University Hospital from November 2020 to April 2021 were included...

Large bore accesses refer to accesses with a diameter of 10 French or greater and are necessary for various medical devices, including those used in transcatheter aortic valve replacement, endovascular aneurysm repair stent-grafts, and percutaneous mechanical support devices. Notably, the utilization of these devices via femoral access is steadily increasing due to advancements in technology and implantation techniques, which are expanding the pool of patients suitable for percutaneous procedures. However, procedures involving large bore devices carry a high risk of bleeding and vascular complications (VCs), impacting both morbidity and long-term mortality...

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) still lacks effective biomarkers to assist in its diagnosis and prognosis. Galectin-3 binding protein (Gal-3BP) plays a role in immune and inflammatory diseases. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate Gal-3BP as a prognostic and predictive factor in patients with PAH. METHODS: From January 2017 to December 2019, we enrolled 167 consecutive PAH patients and 58 healthy controls. Right heart catheterization (RHC) was used to diagnose PAH...

Cushing syndrome (CS), characterised by endogenous or exogenous glucocorticoid hormone excess, is associated with several systemic complications, including impaired glucose metabolism, which often becomes clinically manifest as diabetes mellitus (DM). In addition, CS can harm the arterial wall because of hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia, hepatic steatosis, and central obesity. These metabolic disorders promote atherosclerosis by synthesising adipokines, leptin, and proinflammatory cytokines. Lower limb arterial complications in CS are common and significantly impact morbidity and mortality...

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most commonly encountered cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice. Heart failure (HF) can occur concurrently with AF. AIM: We compared different demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic characteristics between patients with AF+HF and patients with AF only. Furthermore, we explored whether concurrent HF independently predicts several outcomes (all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, ischemic stroke/systemic embolism (IS/SE), major bleeding, and clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB))...

INTRODUCTION: Although arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the recommended access for hemodialysis (HD), it carries a high risk for stenosis. Since osteopontin (OPN) is implicated in the process of vascular calcification in HD patients, OPN may be a marker for AVF stenosis. The present study evaluated OPN as a potential marker of AVF stenosis in HD patients. METHODS: Diagnosing a stenotic lesion was made by combining B mode with color and pulse wave Doppler imaging. Criteria for diagnosis of stenotic AVF included 50% reduction in diameter in B mode in combination with a 2-3-fold increase of peak systolic velocity compared with the unaffected segment...