BACKGROUND The role of endothelin (ET)-1 in maintenance of basal vascular tone has been demonstrated by local and systemic vasodilatation to endothelin receptor antagonists in humans. Although the constrictor effects mediated by the vascular smooth muscle ET(A) receptors are clear, the contribution from endothelial and vascular smooth muscle ET(B) receptors remains to be defined. The present st...

We hypothesised that endothelin (ET)-1 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of emphysema. We attempted to apply ET-1 receptor antagonists to demonstrate and further elucidate the molecular pathogenesis pathways through which ET-1 may cause emphysematous changes. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, cigarette smoke extract (CSE), CSE+BQ-123 (a selective endothelin r...

elevated amounts of free radicals due to ionizing radiation have damaging effects on the body. h2-receptor antagonists have potential oxygen radical scavenging properties. we tried to determine the effects of two h2-receptor antagonists (cimetidine and ranitidine) on lipid peroxidation (lpo) and lipid profile (lp) in plasma and liver of γ-irradiated (1gy/day for 3 days) balb/c mice. the control...

conclusions this case showed the effect of additional anakinra on children with fmf who were colchicine resistant. case presentation herein was reported a colchicine non-responsive patient with accurate diagnosis and early treatment of fmf. she had presented with recurrent and persistent acute abdominal pain attacks and several abdominal surgeries. addition of recombinant interleukin-1 receptor...

The endothelin (ET) system is comprised of 4 active ETs, with ET-1 being the predominant isoform in the cardiovascular system. Because of the potent vasoconstricting and mitogenic effects of ET-1 and its involvement in various cardiovascular diseases, blockade of the ET receptor has received considerable attention. ET receptor antagonism has been demonstrated to be beneficial in patients with p...

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) shows a positive inotropic effect on cardiac muscle. Although the L-type Ca(2+) current (I(Ca)) is one of the important determinants of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling, the effect of ET-1 on the I(Ca) is not always clear. The controversial results appear to be due to different patch-clamp methods. The present study measured the effect of ET-1 on the I(Ca) of rat vent...

We tested the hypothesis that increased dietary protein augments distal nephron acidification through an endothelin-dependent mechanism. Munich-Wistar rats ate minimum electrolyte diets of 50% (HiPro) and 20% (CON) casein-provided protein, the latter comparable to standard chow. HiPro vs. CON had higher distal nephron H+ secretion (41.3 +/- 4.0 vs. 23.0 +/- 2.1 pmol/mm.min, p < 0.002) mediated ...

Essential hypertension is a common disorder, associated with increased endothelin-1-mediated vasoconstrictor tone at rest. We hypothesized that increased vasoconstrictor activity of endothelin-1 might explain why the normal decrease in peripheral vascular resistance in response to exercise is attenuated in hypertensive patients. Therefore, we investigated the effect of endothelin A (ET(A)) rece...

BACKGROUND We investigated the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on the contractile response of human peripheral microvasculature to endothelin-1 (ET-1), examined the role of specific ET receptors and protein kinase C-alpha (PKC-α), and analyzed ET-1-related gene/protein expression in this response. METHODS AND RESULTS Human skeletal muscle arterioles (90 to 180 μm in diameter) were dis...

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease characterized by cutaneous and visceral fibrosis and widespread vascular pathology. Raynaud’s phenomenon is one of the most common manifestations of SSc. It may lead to complications such as digital ulceration and infarction and its treatment remains elusive. We present the case of a female patient with severe digital ischemia ...