Patients with essential hypertension undergo endothelial dysfunction, particularly in the conduit arteries. Cilostazol, a type III phosphodiesterase inhibitor, serves a role in the inhibition of platelet aggregation and it is widely used in the treatment of peripheral vascular diseases. Previous studies have suggested that cilostazol suppresses endothelial dysfunction; however, it remains unkno...

We read with interest the report by Ishii et al. (1) of their retrospective study in which patients with clinical suspicion of coronary vasospastic angina (CVA) underwent coronary angiography using a preset acetylcholine (ACh) protocol. Patients with positive results on ACh provocation testing were divided into 2 groups on the basis of the comorbidity of significant coronary stenosis, defined a...

Corticosteroids and endothelial dysfunction Assessment of endothelial-mediated relaxation in situ is rapidly becoming the standard gauge of individual susceptibility to future cardiovascular dysfunction (Hadi et al 2005). In this issue of Vascular Health and Risk Management, Turner and colleagues (2005), in a pilot investigation, have proposed the concept that endothelial dysfunction in patient...

in the development of neuroinflammatory diseases, alterations of the blood brain barrier (bbb) represent key events. the integrity of the bbb is partially maintained by endothelia cells (ecs), since they actively limit the transmigration of immune cells. however, the factors that cause endothelial cells to develop an immune cell-permissive phenotype are poorly understood. in general, it has bee...

Endothelial microparticles (EMP) are small vesicles released from disturbed endothelial cells (EC). Owing to the central importance of EC injury in thrombotic and inflammatory conditions, assay of EMP as a marker of EC disturbance has come under intensive development by several laboratories. The review begins with established markers of EC injury, commonly soluble markers such as intercellular ...

Mammalian endothelium acts as a mediator in arterial and venous relaxation and contraction. Endothelium-dependent relaxation is due to endothelial release of powerful, non-prostanoid vasodilatory substances. The best known of these is the endothelial factor EDRF identified as nitrous oxide (NO). It is the end result of the metabolism of L-arginine by the NO synthetase of endothelial cells. In a...