Norepinephrine (NE) activates isolated coronary conduit arteries by stimulating Ca2+ uptake into the smooth muscle cells. Blockade of Ca2+ influx by removal of Ca2+ from the bathing medium or addition of 10 mM LaCl3 prevents the NE-induced contraction in the dog coronary artery but still allows NE to induce a rapid transient contraction in the rabbit aorta. Under these conditions, NE stimulates...

Background & Aims: Considering increasing incidence of cardiovascular disorders in diabetes mellitus and some evidence on antioxidant and antidiabetic potentials of naringenin, this study was conducted to evaluate the beneficial effects of 6-week administration of naringenin on contractile reactivity of isolated thoracic aorta in diabetic rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into contro...

BACKGROUND Dilatation of the ascending aorta concomitant with aortic valve disease is occasionally associated with progressive enlargement of the ascending aorta or acute aortic dissection (AAD). However, surgical procedure of choice for the aorta and its indication are controversial. PATIENTS AND METHODS From July 1995 to August 2001, 10 patients with a moderately dilated ascending aorta (me...

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1), also known as von Recklinghausen's disease, is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder. NF-I vasculopathy has been used to describe various vascular malformations associated with NF-1. Secondary hypertension related to NF-1 vasculopathy has been reported because of renal artery stenosis, coarctation of the abdominal aorta and other vascular lesions; however, coar...