Matrix Metalloproteases in Arterial Hypertension and their Trend after Antihypertensive Treatment

Background/Aims: Arterial hypertension is characterized by vascular remodelling, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications. Matrix metalloproteases (MPPs) are endopeptidases produced by all the cells present in the vascular wall and are involved in the regulation of the extracellular matrix protein turnover. MMPs contribute to blood vessel formation, remodelling, angiogenesis; whereas an altered expression or activity of MMPs or their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) results correlated with the development and progression of cardiovascular complications. Methods: We examined the literature data regarding the role of MMPs in human hypertension, including their involvement in vascular remodelling, and the effects of some antihypertensive molecules on these MMP/TIMP profile. Results: The expression and the activity of some MMPs and TIMPs are impaired in human hypertension. An altered MMPs/TIMPs balance plays an important role in the vascular wall rearrangement, in response to hemodynamic changes which may induce myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis leading to ventricular remodelling. Several studies have examined the effects of some antihypertensive molecules, such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and aldosterone antagonists, on the MMPs/TIMPs profile by obtaining positive results. Conclusion: Considering the data taken into consideration, the authors believe that in clinical practice a strategic antihypertensive therapy directed to the MMPs profile, may be useful to decrease the risk of cardiovascular complications

Gelatinases and physical exercise: A systematic review of evidence from human studies

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), particularly gelatinase A (MMP-2) and gelatinase B (MMP-9), as well as their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2), are involved in the development of skeletal muscle tissue, in the repair process after muscle injury and in the adaptive modifications induced by physical exercise in skeletal muscle. This paper aims at reviewing results from human studies that investigated the role of gelatinases and their inhibitors in skeletal muscle response to acute physical exercise or training

Short-Term Prognosis of Juvenile Myocardial Infarction: Role of Plasma Viscosity

In our early research1 regarding the hemorheological pattern in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with a mean age of 61.45 + 10.99 years, we showed that the major hemorheological parameters were almost normalized 2 weeks after the acute event. In the last decade, we focused on hemorheological parameters in juvenile myocardial infarction (JMI), defined as AMI in patients aged 45 years, in the \u2018\u2018Sicilian study on juvenile myocardial infarction\u2019\u2019

Hemorheological abnormalities in human arterial hypertension

Blood rheology is impaired in hypertensive patients. The alteration involves blood and plasma viscosity, and the erythrocyte behaviour is often abnormal. The hemorheological pattern appears to be related to some pathophysiological mechanisms of hypertension and to organ damage, in particular left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial ischemia. Abnormalities have been observed in erythrocyte membrane fluidity, explored by fluorescence spectroscopy and electron spin resonance. This may be relevant for red cell flow in microvessels and oxygen delivery to tissues. Although blood viscosity is not a direct target of antihypertensive therapy, the rheological properties of blood play a role in the pathophysiology of arterial hypertension and its vascular complications

Fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes at baseline in some chronic and acute clinical conditions: review of our survey

Abstract. Objective: In this mini-review we describe the behavior of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) membrane fluidity and of PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in some chronic and acute clinical conditions. Methods: PMN membrane fluidity was evaluated employing the fluorescent probe Fura-2AM, and PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration was evaluated using the fluorescent probe TMA-DPH. Results: From the determination of these two parameters investigated on resting PMNs, an almost constant increase in PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in chronic clinical conditions, such as vascular atherosclerotic disease with and without diabetes mellitus, essential hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus of both types, and a decrease in PMN membrane fluidity in acute clinical conditions, such as juvenile acute myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke, are evident. Conclusion: The possible reasons for this different behavior are analyzed on the basis of pathophysiological considerations

Optical evidence for a spin-filter effect in the charge transport of Eu0.6Ca0.4B6Eu_{0.6}Ca_{0.4}B_{6}

We have measured the optical reflectivity $R(\omega)$ of $Eu_{0.6}Ca_{0.4}B_{6}$ as a function of temperature between 1.5 and 300 $K$ and in external magnetic fields up to 7 $T$. The slope at the onset of the plasma edge feature in $R(\omega)$ increases with decreasing temperature and increasing field but the plasma edge itself does not exhibit the remarkable blue shift that is observed in the binary compound $EuB_{6}$. The analysis of the magnetic field dependence of the low temperature optical conductivity spectrum confirms the previously observed exponential decrease of the electrical resistivity upon increasing, field-induced bulk magnetization at constant temperature. In addition, the individual exponential magnetization dependences of the plasma frequency and scattering rate are extracted from the optical data.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Behaviour of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in young subjects with acute myocardial infarction

In the last years the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been examined in cardiovascular disorders and in particular in coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Now we examined this parameter in subjects with juvenile myocardial infarction at the initial stage and after 3 and 12 months. We enrolled 123 young subjects (112 men and 11 women, mean age 39.4\ub15.8 yrs) with AMI. The time interval between the AMI onset and the investigation was 13\ub17 days. The mean value of NLR observed in young AMI subjects was significantly increased compared to normal controls (N = 1.817\ub10.711; young AMI subjects = 2.376\ub10.873, p < 0.0001). NLR does not discriminate STEMI (2.427\ub10.878) and non STEMI (2.392\ub10.868) or diabetics (2.604\ub11.000) and non diabetics (2.324\ub10.853), but it differentiates smokers (2.276\ub10.853) and non smokers (2.837\ub11.072). NLR at the initial stage is not correlated with the number of cardiovascular risk factors or with the extent of the coronary disease. In this study we found a significant decrease of neutrophil count at 3 and 12 months later AMI without any significant variation of lymphocyte and consequently we observed a decrease in NLR at these two intervals of time in comparison with the initial stage. Despite some limitations present in this study, it is interesting to underline that also in juvenile myocardial infarction this low-cost haematological marker may be considered together with other inflammatory indicators

Leukocyte Rheology Before and After Chemotactic Activation in some Venous Diseases

AbstractObjective: to evaluate leukocyte rheology, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in subjects with post-phlebitic leg syndrome (PPS) and acute deep-venous leg thrombosis (DVT). Subjects: twenty-two subjects with leg PPS and 14 subjects with leg DVT. Methods: we evaluated the leukocyte filtration (unfractionated, mononuclear cells (MN) and PMN), the PMN membrane fluidity and the PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. Subsequently, we evaluated the same PMN variables after in vitro chemotactic activation with 4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and N -formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP). Results: at baseline we observed a significant difference in the filtration variables of unfractionated and MN cells and in PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. After activation, in normal subjects and subjects with PPS and DVT, a significant variation in PMN filtration at 5 and 15 minutes was evident. In normal subjects, no variation was present in PMN membrane fluidity or cytosolic Ca2+ concentration after activation. In subjects with PPS and DVT, we found a decrease in PMN membrane fluidity and an increase in PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. After PMN activation (at 5 and 15 min) Δ% of IRFR distinguished normal subjects from subjects with PPS and DVT, while no difference was found in Δ% of membrane fluidity or cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. Conclusions: there is a functional alteration of leukocytes in these patients whose mechanisms are not yet clear

Lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide metabolites in a group of subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

It is known that in OSAS the plasma lipid peroxidation has an opposite behavior in comparison with nitric oxide metabolites. In the re-examination of our survey of OSAS infjects we calculated the ratio between thiobarbituric acid reactive infstances (TBARS) and nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) in relation to OSAS severity. The study has regarded 48 OSAS infjects infdivided in two infgroups according to the apnea/hypopnea index-AHI-(Low=21 infjects with AHI 30). From the obtained data it is evident that the TBARS/NOx ratio is significantly higher in the H infgroup compared to L infgroup as well as this ratio is reduced in L infgroup in comparison with the whole group of OSAS infjects. In the entire group of OSAS infjects the TBARS/NOx ratio results positively correlated with AHI and ODI and inversely correlated with mSO2