BACKGROUND Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe disease with a poor prognosis. Different forms of PH are characterized by pronounced vascular remodeling, resulting in increased vascular resistance and subsequent right heart failure. The molecular pathways triggering the remodeling process are poorly understood. We hypothesized that underlying key factors can be identified at the onset of the...

It has been recognized that the sympathetic nervous system is activated in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and abnormal sympathetic hyperactivity leads to worsening of PAH via endothelial dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to examine whether sympathetic ganglion block (SGB) can treat PAH by increasing the availability of nitric oxide (NO). PAH was induced in rats by 50 mg/kg of s...

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling leading to right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy and failure. Intralipid (ILP), a source of parenteral nutrition for patients, contains γ-linolenic acid and soy-derived phytoestrogens that are protective for lungs and heart. We, therefore, investigated the therapeutic potential of ILP in preventing and rescuing...

Proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation promotes the development of pulmonary hypertension. Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound that exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protective effects in the systemic circulation, but its effects on pulmonary arteries remain poorly defined. The present study was undertaken t...

BACKGROUND Bone marrow -derived cells (BMDCs) can either limit or contribute to the process of pulmonary vascular remodeling. Whether the difference in their effects depends on the mechanism of pulmonary hypertension (PH) remains unknown. OBJECTIVES We investigated the effect of BMDCs on PH induced in mice by either monocrotaline or exposure to chronic hypoxia. METHODS Intravenous administr...

Vascular injury causes the muscularization of peripheral pulmonary arteries, which is more pronounced in the infant than in the adult lung. Although inhaled NO gas attenuates pulmonary artery remodeling in hypoxic rats, whether or not it protects the lung by mitigating vasoconstriction is unknown. This investigation tested whether inhaled NO decreases the muscularization of injured pulmonary ar...

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD), which scavenges extracellular superoxide (O.), is highly regulated in the developing lung. In the prenatal rabbit, EC-SOD is predominantly intracellular and inactive, and postnatally, active EC-SOD is secreted. We hypothesized that prenatal hypoxia would delay the normal postnatal secretion of active EC-SOD in the lung. Pregnant New Zealand White rab...

pulmonary arterial systolic blood pressures are also not increased during the first two weeks of monocrotaline treatment. Other changes in the arterial wall might include early myogenic, neural or hormonal influences predisposing to heightened muscular tone. The effect of DLpropranolol on the response to monocrotaline was examined in view of the f -adrenergic antagonism shown by the L-stereoiso...

Responses to the Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 were investigated in the anesthetized rat. Under baseline conditions intravenous injections of Y-27632 decreased pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures and increased cardiac output. The decreases in pulmonary arterial pressures were enhanced when baseline tone was increased with U-46619, and under elevated tone conditions Y-27632 produced similar...