Adult studies have shown that cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) can image vascular changes including altered aortic compliance and early plaque which correlates well with Framingham risk score and endothelial function. Impaired endothelial function, measured with brachial artery reactivity testing, is recognized as an early and modulating process in the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic plaque ...

BACKGROUND Systemic hypertension may be associated with an increased pulmonary vascular resistance, which we hypothesized could be, at least in part, mediated by increased leptin. METHODS Vascular reactivity to phenylephrine (1 μmol/L), endothelin-1 (10 nmol/L) and leptin (0.001-100 nmol/L) was evaluated in endothelium-intact and -denuded isolated thoracic aorta and pulmonary arteries from sp...

BACKGROUND Moderate and severe hypothermia with cardiopulmonary bypass during aortic surgery can cause some complications such as endothelial cell dysfunction or coagulation disorders. This study found out the difference of vascular reactivity by phenylephrine in moderate and severe hypothermia. METHODS Preserved aortic endothelium by excised rat thoracic aorta was sectioned, and then down th...

Cardiovascular disorders continue to constitute major causes of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. In this study, the effect of chronic administration of sesame (Sesamum indicum L) seed feeding was studied on aortic reactivity of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. Male diabetic rats received sesame seed-mixed food at weight ratios of 3% and 6% for 7 weeks, one week after diabetes in...

High-throughput studies in the Medical College of Wisconsin Program for Genomic Applications (Physgen) were designed to link chromosomes with physiological function in consomic strains derived from a cross between Dahl salt-sensitive SS/JrHsdMcwi (SS) and Brown Norway normotensive BN/NHsdMcwi (BN) rats. The specific goal of the vascular protocol was to characterize the responses of aortic rings...

OBJECTIVE High plasma cholesterol or homocysteine is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Cholesterol and methionine, the precursor of homocysteine, are rarely eaten separately. Thus, the aims of this study were to determine neointima formation, aortic reactivity, and factors involved in endothelial function in rabbits fed high dietary cholesterol, methionine, or a combination of the two for 12 w...

AIMS The aim of this study was to investigate the interactive effect of physical training and chronic ethanol ingestion on changes in blood pressure (BP) and aortic reactivity response in rats. METHODS Male Fisher rats were divided into four groups of seven animals each and treated as follows: (i) control (5% sucrose, orally) daily for 12 weeks; (ii) ethanol (4 g kg(-1), orally) daily for 12 ...

Sodium plays an important role in the pathogenesis and therapy of hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the involvement of endothelin in vascular alterations in salt-induced Dahl hypertension. Salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) Dahl rats were treated with a high-sodium diet (NaCl 4%) with or without ET(A) receptor antagonist LU135252 for ...

In human pregnancy, reduced placental perfusion has been associated with fetal aortic thickening. However, the relative contributions of fetal undernutrition versus fetal underoxygenation to triggering alterations in fetal cardiovascular development remain uncertain. Here, we isolate the effects of chronic fetal hypoxia on fetal cardiovascular development in a specific rodent model of chronic f...