Effects of rosiglitazone on contralateral iliac artery after vascular injury in hypercholesterolemic rabbits

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective was to evaluate the effects of rosiglitazone on iliac arteries of hypercholesterolemic rabbits undergoing balloon catheter injury in the contralateral iliac arteries.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>White male rabbits were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet for 6 weeks and divided into two groups as follows: rosiglitazone group, 14 rabbits treated with rosiglitazone (3 mg/Kg body weight/day) during 6 weeks; and control group, 18 rabbits without rosiglitazone treatment. All animals underwent balloon catheter injury of the right iliac artery on the fourteenth day of the experiment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was no significant difference in intima/media layer area ratio between the control group and the rosiglitazone group. Rosiglitazone did not reduce the probability of lesions types I, II, or III (72.73% vs. 92.31%; <it>p </it>= 0.30) and types IV or V (27.27% vs. 7.69%; <it>p </it>= 0.30). There were no differences in the extent of collagen type I and III deposition or in the percentage of animals with macrophages in the intima layer. The percentage of rabbits with smooth muscle cells in the intima layer was higher in rosiglitazone group (<it>p </it>= 0.011).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings demonstrate that rosiglitazone given for 6 weeks did not prevent atherogenesis at a vessel distant from the injury site.</p

Assessment of Intima-Media Thickness in Healthy Children Aged 1 to 15 Years

Abstract Background: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has been shown to be increased in children and adolescents with traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease, compared with those of healthy children. Objective: To assess the influence of sex, age and body mass index (BMI) on the CIMT in healthy children and adolescents aged 1 to 15 years. Methods: A total of 280 healthy children and adolescents (males, n=175; mean age, 7.49±3.57 years; mean BMI, 17.94±4.1 kg/m2) were screened for CIMT assessment. They were divided into 3 groups according to age: GI, 1 to 5 years [n=93 (33.2%); males, 57; mean BMI, 16±3 kg/m2]; GII, 6 to 10 years [n=127 (45.4%); males, 78; mean BMI, 17.9±3.7 kg/m2], and GIII, 11 to 15 years [n=60 (21.4%); males, 40; mean BMI, 20.9±4.5 kg/m2]. Results: There was no significant difference in CIMT values between male and female children and adolescents (0.43±0.06 mm vs. 0.42±0.05 mm, respectively; p=0.243). CIMT correlated with BMI neither in the total population nor in the 3 age groups according to Pearson correlation coefficient. Subjects aged 11 to 15 years had the highest CIMT values (GI vs. GII, p=0.615; GI vs. GIII, p=0.02; GII vs. GIII, p=0.004). Conclusions: CIMT is constant in healthy children younger than 10 years, regardless of sex or BMI. CIMT increases after the age of 10 years

Carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaque represent different adaptive responses to traditional cardiovascular risk factors

Aim: To assess the effects of each traditional cardiovascular risk factor (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and smoking), including the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD), on carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and to assess the degree of carotid plaque occurrence. Methods: A total of 553 outpatients (216 men and 337 women; mean age 67.06 ± 12.44 years) who underwent a carotid artery ultrasound were screened for carotid plaque and CIMT measurements. Results: The CIMT medians were higher in males (P < .001) and in patients with hypertension (P < .001). A linear increase occurred in mean CIMT of 0.0059 mm for each year of increase in age. The presence of plaque indicated a tendency to correlate with CIMT (P = .067). The presence of hypertension associated with diabetes (P = .0061; estimated difference 0.0494 mm) or dyslipidemia (P = .0016; estimated difference 0.0472 mm) or CAD (P = .0043; estimated difference 0.0527 mm) increased the mean CIMT measurements. The probability of plaque occurrence in carotid arteries is influenced by the age (P < .001) and is higher in patients with dyslipidemia (P = .008) and CAD (P < .001). Conclusions: Hypertension is the strongest cardiovascular risk factor that increases CIMT, followed by age and male sex. Age and dyslipidemia increase the probability of carotid plaque. Increased CIMT and plaque could be present in the same patient caused by different risk factors and with independent effects on the artery wall and different clinical prognoses

Isolated dextrocardia with situs solitus in a dog - case report

Dextrocardia with situs solitus is a rare disorder caused by embryological malformation. It may be asymptomatic and overlooked when isolated, or when it presents with different symptoms and clinical signs associated with other cardiac and extracardiac malformations. The present article describes the radiologic, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic findings of a Pitbull dog with isolated dextrocardia and situs solitus

Oxidative stress and inflammatory response increase during coronary artery bypass grafting with extracorporeal circulation Estresse oxidativo e resposta inflamatória aumentam durante cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica com circulação extracorpórea

INTRODUCTION: Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance is a marker of oxidative stress and has cytotoxic and genotoxic actions. C- reactive protein is used to evaluate the acute phase of inflammatory response. OBJECTIVES: To assess the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance and C-reactive protein levels during extracorporeal circulation in patients submitted to cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive surgical patients (16 men and nine women; mean age 61.2 ± 9.7 years) with severe coronary artery disease diagnosed by angiography scheduled for myocardial revascularization surgery with extracorporeal circulation were selected. Blood samples were collected immediately before initializing extracorporeal circulation, T0; in 10 minutes, T10; and in 30 minutes, T30. RESULTS: The thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance levels increased after extracorporeal circulation (P=0.001), with average values in T0=1.5 ± 0.07; in T10=5.54 ± 0.35; and in T30=3.36 ± 0.29 mmoles/mg of serum protein. The C-reactive protein levels in T0 were negative in all samples; in T10 average was 0.96 ± 0.7 mg/dl; and in T30 average was 0.99 ± 0.76 mg/dl. There were no significant differences between the dosages in T10 and T30 (P=0.83). CONCLUSIONS: C-reactive protein and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance plasma levels progressively increased during extracorporeal circulation, with maximum values of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance at 10 min and of Creactive protein at 30 min. It suggests that there are an inflammatory response and oxidative stress during extracorporeal circulation.<br>INTRODUÇÃO: Substâncias reativas do ácido tiobarbitúrico são um marcador de estresse oxidativo. A proteína C reativa é usada para avaliar a fase aguda da resposta inflamatória. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar os níveis de substâncias reativas do ácido tiobarbitúrico e da proteína C reativa durante a circulação extracorpórea em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica. MÉTODOS: Vinte e cinco pacientes consecutivos (16 homens e nove mulheres com idade média de 61,2 ± 9,7 anos) com doença arterial coronária severa diagnosticada por angiografia, escalados para cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica com circulação extracorpórea, foram selecionados. Amostras sanguíneas foram coletadas imediatamente antes de iniciar a circulação extracorpórea (T0), 10 minutos após (T10) e 30 minutos após (T30). RESULTADOS: Os níveis de substâncias reativas do ácido tiobarbitúrico aumentaram após a extracorpórea (P=0,001) com valores médios de 1,5 ± 0,07 em T0; 5,54 ± 0,35 em T10 e 3,36 ± 0,29 mmoles/mg de proteína sérica em T30. Os níveis de proteína C reativa foram negativos em T0 em todas as amostras. Em T10, os valores médios foram de 0,96 ± 0,7 mg/dl e em T30 os valores médios foram de 0,99 ± 0,76 mg/ dl. Não houve diferença significativa entre os valores de proteína C reativa nos tempos T10 e T30 (P= 0,83). CONCLUSÕES: Os níveis de substâncias reativas do ácido tiobarbitúrico e da proteína C reativa aumentam durante a circulação extracorpórea, com máximos valores de substâncias reativas do ácido tiobarbitúrico em 10 minutos e de proteína C reativa em 30 minutos. Estes achados sugerem resposta inflamatória e estresse oxidativo durante a circulação extracorpórea