Using a clinical model of deep arterial injury, we assessed the ability of exogenous and endogenous tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) to limit acute in situ thrombus formation.
Ex vivo thrombus ...formation was assessed in the Badimon chamber at low and high shear rates in 2 double-blind randomized cross-over studies of 20 healthy volunteers during extracorporeal administration of recombinant t-PA (0, 40, 200, and 1000 ng/mL) or during endogenous t-PA release stimulated by intra-arterial bradykinin infusion in the presence or absence of oral enalapril. Recombinant t-PA caused a dose-dependent reduction in thrombus area under low and high shear conditions (P<0.001 for all). Intra-arterial bradykinin increased plasma t-PA concentrations in the chamber effluent (P<0.01 for all versus saline) that was quadrupled in the presence of enalapril (P<0.0001 versus placebo). These increases were accompanied by an increase in plasma D-dimer concentration (P<0.005 for all versus saline) and, in the presence of enalapril, a reduction in thrombus area in the low shear (16±5; P=0.03) and a trend toward a reduction in the high shear chamber (13±7%; P=0.07).
Using a well-characterized clinical model of coronary arterial injury, we demonstrate that endogenous t-PA released from the vascular endothelium enhances fibrinolysis and limits in situ thrombus propagation. These data support a crucial role for the endogenous fibrinolytic system in vivo and suggest that continued exploration and manipulation of its therapeutic potential are warranted.
Conclusion 18F-NaF is a marker of active calcification and disease progression in patients with aortic stenosis with major potential for assessing novel therapeutic strategies.
Coronary Arterial 18F-Sodium Fluoride Uptake Dweck, Marc R., MD; Chow, Marcus W.L; Joshi, Nikhil V., MD ...
Journal of the American College of Cardiology,
04/2012, Letnik:
59, Številka:
17
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Objectives With combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (CT), we investigated coronary arterial uptake of 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) as ...markers of active plaque calcification and inflammation, respectively. Background The noninvasive assessment of coronary artery plaque biology would be a major advance particularly in the identification of vulnerable plaques, which are associated with specific pathological characteristics, including micro-calcification and inflammation. Methods We prospectively recruited 119 volunteers (72 ± 8 years of age, 68% men) with and without aortic valve disease and measured their coronary calcium score and 18F-NaF and 18F-FDG uptake. Patients with a calcium score of 0 were used as control subjects and compared with those with calcific atherosclerosis (calcium score >0). Results Inter-observer repeatability of coronary 18F-NaF uptake measurements (maximum tissue/background ratio) was excellent (intra-class coefficient 0.99). Activity was higher in patients with coronary atherosclerosis (n = 106) versus control subjects (1.64 ± 0.49 vs. 1.23 ± 0.24; p = 0.003) and correlated with the calcium score (r = 0.652, p < 0.001), although 40% of those with scores >1,000 displayed normal uptake. Patients with increased coronary 18F-NaF activity (n = 40) had higher rates of prior cardiovascular events (p = 0.016) and angina (p = 0.023) and higher Framingham risk scores (p = 0.011). Quantification of coronary 18F-FDG uptake was hampered by myocardial activity and was not increased in patients with atherosclerosis versus control subjects (p = 0.498). Conclusions 18F-NaF is a promising new approach for the assessment of coronary artery plaque biology. Prospective studies with clinical outcomes are now needed to assess whether coronary 18F-NaF uptake represents a novel marker of plaque vulnerability, recent plaque rupture, and future cardiovascular risk. (An Observational PET/CT Study Examining the Role of Active Valvular Calcification and Inflammation in Patients With Aortic Stenosis; NCT01358513 )
Effective endogenous fibrinolysis requires rapid release of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) from the vascular endothelium. Smoking is a known risk factor for arterial thrombosis and myocardial ...infarction, and it causes endothelial dysfunction. We therefore examined the effects of cigarette smoking on substance P-induced tPA release in vivo in humans.
Blood flow and plasma fibrinolytic factors were measured in both forearms of 12 smokers and 12 age- and sex-matched nonsmokers who received unilateral brachial artery infusions of substance P (2 to 8 pmol/min). In both smokers and nonsmokers, substance P caused dose-dependent increases in blood flow and local release of plasma tPA antigen and activity (P<0.001 for all) but had no effect on the local release of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1. Compared with nonsmokers, increases in forearm blood flow (P=0.03) and release of tPA antigen (P=0.04) and activity (P<0.001) caused by substance P were reduced in smokers. The area under the curve for release of tPA antigen and activity decreased by 51% and 53%, respectively.
Cigarette smoking causes marked inhibition of substance P-induced tPA release in vivo in humans. This provides an important mechanism whereby endothelial dysfunction may increase the risk of atherothrombosis through a reduction in the acute fibrinolytic capacity.
The aim of the study was to establish the influence of proximal coronary artery atheroma and smoking habit on the stimulated release of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) from the heart.
After ...diagnostic coronary angiography in 25 patients, the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was instrumented, and the proximal LAD plaque volume was determined by use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Blood flow and fibrinolytic responses to selective LAD infusion of saline, substance P (10 to 40 pmol/min; endothelium-dependent), and sodium nitroprusside (5 to 20 microgram/min; endothelium-independent) were measured by intracoronary IVUS and Doppler, combined with arterial and coronary sinus blood sampling. Mean plaque burden was 5.5+/-0.8 mm(3)/mm vessel (range 0.6 to 13.7 mm(3)/mm vessel). LAD blood flow increased with both substance P and sodium nitroprusside (P<0.001), although coronary sinus plasma tPA antigen and activity concentrations increased only during substance P infusion (P<0.006 for both). There was a strong inverse correlation between the LAD plaque burden and release of active tPA (r=-0.61, P=0.003). Cigarette smoking was associated with impaired coronary release of active tPA (current smokers, 31+/-23 IU/min; ex-smokers, 50+/-33 IU/min; nonsmokers 202+/-73 IU/min; P<0.05).
We found that both the coronary atheromatous plaque burden and smoking habit are associated with a reduced acute local fibrinolytic capacity of the heart. These important findings provide evidence of a direct link between endogenous fibrinolysis, endothelial dysfunction, and atherothrombosis in the coronary circulation and may explain the greater efficacy of thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction in cigarette smokers.
Role of the Endothelium in the Vascular Effects of the Thrombin Receptor (Protease-Activated Receptor Type 1) in Humans Ingibjörg J. Guðmundsdóttir, Ninian N. Lang, Nicholas A. Boon, Christopher A. ...Ludlam, David J. Webb, Keith A. Fox, David E. Newby Thrombin is central to the pathophysiology of atherothrombosis and exerts its vascular effects via protease activated receptor type 1 (PAR-1). We report the contrasting role of the endothelium in PAR-1 activation in vivo in man, where it mediates arterial PAR-1–induced vasodilation and tissue plasminogen activator release but does not provide a major contribution to venous tone or plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 release. Our findings provide evidence of a major interaction between the endothelium and thrombin in vivo. This highlights the critical importance of endothelial function during acute arterial injury and thrombosis, as occurs in acute coronary syndromes.
Multiple pluripotent cell populations, which together comprise the pluripotent cell lineage, have been identified. The mechanisms that control the progression between these populations are still ...poorly understood. The formation of early primitive ectoderm-like (EPL) cells from mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells provides a model to understand how one such transition is regulated. EPL cells form from mES cells in response to l-proline uptake through the transporter Slc38a2. Using inhibitors of cell signaling we have shown that Src family kinases, p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and GSK3β are required for the transition between mES and EPL cells. ERK1/2, c-Src and GSK3β are likely to be enforcing a receptive, primed state in mES cells, while Src family kinases and p38 MAPK are involved in the establishment of EPL cells. Inhibition of these pathways prevented the acquisition of most, but not all, features of EPL cells, suggesting that other pathways are required. L-proline activation of differentiation is mediated through metabolism and changes to intracellular metabolite levels, specifically reactive oxygen species. The implication of multiple signaling pathways in the process suggests a model in which the context of Src family kinase activation determines the outcomes of pluripotent cell differentiation.
Authorities may impose restrictions on the activities of patients with heart disease in order to protect the individual, society or the interests of their institution. In the second article of this ...two‐part series, the authors look at the scientific basis underpinning current advice on driving, flying and a range of sporting activities.
N-Methyl-
d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are multi-subunit receptors formed from assembly of NR1 with NR2 and/or NR3 subunits. In this study, we investigated the role of a conserved RERLR motif present ...in a region within the distal carboxyl terminal of rat NR3B (between residues 952 and 984) in targeting NR1-1a/NR3B and NR1-2a/NR3B receptors to the cell surface. Surface biotinylation, confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and site-directed mutagenesis studies showed RERLR motif does not influence the surface expression of NR1-1a/NR3B NMDA receptor complex. Our bioinformatics analysis further showed this region can also exist as a coiled-coil domain. Truncation of this putative coiled-coil domain in NR3B affects surface expression of NR1-1a/NR3B and NR1-2a/NR3B receptors similarly suggesting that NR1 C1 cassette is not involved in the effect mediated by the distal carboxyl region of NR3B. This study represents the first attempt to evaluate a specific motif in regulating rat NR3B surface expression.