Extraction of phenolic compounds from 'Aglianico' and 'Uva di Troia' grape skins and seeds in model solutions: Influence of ethanol and maceration time

The effect of increasing concentration of ethanol (0, 4, 7.5 and 13 %) and contact time (respectively 1, 4, 7 and 10 days) on the extraction of phenolics from berry skins and seeds of the grape, Vitis vinifera 'Aglianico' and 'Uva di Troia', were examined. Two assays of post-fermentative maceration in two hydroalcoholic solutions at 11 and 13 % ethanol, were also performed. Chromatic properties and phenolics of medium were analyzed by HPLC and spectrophotometric methods. The extraction of total phenolics, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and vanilline reactive flavans (VRF) from berry skins reached the maximum on the 4th day of maceration. Quercetin and gallic acid were gradually extracted from grape skins. The maximum release of flavan-3-ols from the skins was achieved on the first day of maceration. Total phenolics, tannins and VRF were gradually extracted from seeds. During the postfermentative maceration, higher the content of ethanol, higher the extraction of total polyphenols and tannins from 'Uva di Troia' skins and the extraction of total polyphenols and tannins from 'Aglianico' seeds. These results clearly indicate that the grape cultivar mainly influences the release of phenolic compounds from the solid parts of berry to the must especially during postfermentative maceration.

The blocking of angiotensin II type 1 receptor and RhoA/Rho kinase activity in hypertensive patients: Effect of olmesartan medoxomil and implication with cardiovascular-renal remodeling

Hypothesis/Introduction: The pathophysiological role of oxidative stress (OxSt) in hypertension and target organ damage is recognized. Angiotensin II (Ang II) induces OxSt via NAD(P)H oxidase activation and production of proinflammatory cytokines/growth factors leading to cardiovascular-renal remodeling. Ang II stimulates the RhoA/Rho kinase (ROCK) pathway, which is deeply involved in the development of cardiovascular-renal remodeling via OxSt induction. Olmesartan, an Ang II type 1 receptor blocker, possesses antioxidant and activating nitric oxide system-related effects, which we have shown in terms of p22 phox reduction, heme oxygenase-1 and calcitonin gene-related peptide increase. This study evaluates in 15 untreated hypertensive patients the effect of olmesartan treatment on p63RhoGEF, key in Ang II-induced ROCK activation, and MYPT-1 phosphorylation, a marker of ROCK activity. Materials and methods: The p63RhoGEF protein level and MYPT-1 phosphorylation (Western blot) were evaluated at baseline, and after three and six months of olmesartan treatment. Results: Olmesartan normalized systolic and diastolic BP ( p < 0.001), reduced p63RhoGEF level: 1.3±0.25 d.u. (baseline) vs 1.0±0.29 (three months), p < 0.0001 vs 1.0±0.22, (six months), p < 0.0001 and MYPT-1 phosphorylation: 1.2 ±0.14 (baseline) vs 0.9±0.19 (three months), p = 0.008, vs 0.8±0.16 (six months), p = 0.001. Conclusions: These data added to our previous results further provide a mechanistic rationale for olmesartan's antioxidant/anti-inflammatory potential translation, in the long term, toward anti-atherosclerotic/anti-remodeling effects reported by clinical trials

Association of insulin resistance, hyperleptinemia, and impaired nitric oxide release with in-stent restenosis in patients undergoing coronary stenting

Previously undiagnosed diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance are common in patients with acute myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease (CHD) and might be involved in early restenosis after stent implantation. To evaluate whether markers of insulin resistance syndrome, including leptin, and endothelial dysfunction are related to increased rate of early restenosis, we studied nondiabetic patients with CHD after successful coronary stenting

Metabolic manipulation in chronic heart failure: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in society. Current medical therapy centres on neurohormonal modulation with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and β-blockers. There is growing evidence for the use of metabolic manipulating agents as adjunctive therapy in patients with heart failure. We aim to determine the effect of perhexiline on cardiac energetics and alterations in substrate utilisation in patients with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A multi-centre, prospective, randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 50 subjects with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy recruited from University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust. Baseline investigations include magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess cardiac energetic status, echocardiography to assess left ventricular function and assessment of symptomatic status. Subjects are then randomised to receive 200 mg perhexiline maleate or placebo daily for 4 weeks with serum drug level monitoring. All baseline investigations will be repeated at the end of the treatment period. A subgroup of patients will undergo invasive investigations with right and left heart catheterisation to calculate respiratory quotient, and mechanical efficiency. The primary endpoint is an improvement in the phosphocreatine to adenosine triphosphate ratio at 4 weeks. Secondary end points are: i) respiratory quotient; ii) mechanical efficiency; iii) change in left ventricular (LV) function.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00841139">NCT00841139</a></p> <p>ISRCTN: <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN2887836">ISRCTN2887836</a></p

The diagnostic accuracy of pharmacological stress echocardiography for the assessment of coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines state that "dobutamine stress echo has substantially higher sensitivity than vasodilator stress echo for detection of coronary artery stenosis" while the European Society of Cardiology guidelines and the European Association of Echocardiography recommendations conclude that "the two tests have very similar applications". Who is right?</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dobutamine versus dipyridamole stress echocardiography through an evidence-based approach.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From PubMed search, we identified all papers with coronary angiographic verification and head-to-head comparison of dobutamine stress echo (40 mcg/kg/min ± atropine) versus dipyridamole stress echo performed with state-of-the art protocols (either 0.84 mg/kg in 10' plus atropine, or 0.84 mg/kg in 6' without atropine). A total of 5 papers have been found. Pooled weight meta-analysis was performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>the 5 analyzed papers recruited 435 patients, 299 with and 136 without angiographically assessed coronary artery disease (quantitatively assessed stenosis > 50%). Dipyridamole and dobutamine showed similar accuracy (87%, 95% confidence intervals, CI, 83–90, vs. 84%, CI, 80–88, p = 0.48), sensitivity (85%, CI 80–89, vs. 86%, CI 78–91, p = 0.81) and specificity (89%, CI 82–94 vs. 86%, CI 75–89, p = 0.15).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>When state-of-the art protocols are considered, dipyridamole and dobutamine stress echo have similar accuracy, specificity and – most importantly – sensitivity for detection of CAD. European recommendations concluding that "<it>dobutamine and vasodilators (at appropriately high doses) are equally potent ischemic stressors for inducing wall motion abnormalities in presence of a critical coronary artery stenosis</it>" are evidence-based.</p

Transthoracic coronary flow reserve and dobutamine derived myocardial function: a 6-month evaluation after successful coronary angioplasty

After percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), stress-echocardiography and gated single photon emission computerized tomography (g-SPECT) are usually performed but both tools have technical limitations. The present study evaluated results of PTCA of left anterior descending artery (LAD) six months after PTCA, by combining transthoracic Doppler coronary flow reserve (CFR) and color Tissue Doppler (C-TD) dobutamine stress. Six months after PTCA of LAD, 24 men, free of angiographic evidence of restenosis, underwent standard Doppler-echocardiography, transthoracic CFR of distal LAD (hyperemic to basal diastolic coronary flow ratio) and C-TD at rest and during dobutamine stress to quantify myocardial systolic (S(m)) and diastolic (E(m )and A(m), E(m)/A(m )ratio) peak velocities in middle posterior septum. Patients with myocardial infarction, coronary stenosis of non-LAD territory and heart failure were excluded. According to dipyridamole g-SPECT, 13 patients had normal perfusion and 11 with perfusion defects. The 2 groups were comparable for age, wall motion score index (WMSI) and C-TD at rest. However, patients with perfusion defects had lower CFR (2.11 ± 0.4 versus 2.87 ± 0.6, p < 0.002) and septal S(m )at high-dose dobutamine (p < 0.01), with higher WMSI (p < 0.05) and stress-echo positivity of LAD territory in 5/11 patients. In the overall population, CFR was related negatively to high-dobutamine WMSI (r = -0.50, p < 0.01) and positively to high-dobutamine S(m )of middle septum (r = 0.55, p < 0.005). In conclusion, even in absence of epicardial coronary restenosis, stress perfusion imaging reflects a physiologic impairment in coronary microcirculation function whose magnitude is associated with the degree of regional functional impairment detectable by C-TD