Broad Spectrum Of Cardiovascular Diseases Research Articles

Cardiovascular potential of BM-derived stem and progenitor cells

Observational and experimental studies suggest that BM-derived stem and progenitor cells may have the capacity to repair damaged cardiovascular tissue and initiate blood vessel growth in regions of ischemia. Despite controversies regarding transdifferentiation potential of adult stem cells, clinical trials are underway testing the hypothesis that BM cell-based approaches to a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases and disease presentations will be safe and effective strategies for patient management.

Prospects for ARB in the next five years.

JRAAS 2001;2:215-18 Based on multiple, well-conducted, randomised clinical outcome trials (RCT), inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) has become a firmly established therapeutic approach for reducing morbidity and the risk of death across a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases (Figure 1). More recently, another pharmacologic class of agents that inhibits the RAS has become clinically available.Angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 (AT1)-receptor blockers (ARBs) offer a more complete and specific way of inhibiting the actions of Ang II at the AT1-receptor. Unlike ACEI, ARBs do not directly interfere with the breakdown of bradykinin. When introduced, ARBs promised more complete inhibition of the RAS with greater efficacy and better tolerance than ACE-I. Although the better tolerance comparison appears to have been substantiated, the more important issue of clinical effectiveness of ARBs remains unsettled. We are fortunately in the midst of an impressive series of RCTs, which collectively will evaluate and quantitate the role of ARBs in clinical practice. Based on the ACE-I experience,we provide a framework to consider the completed and ongoing clinical outcomes RCTs with ARBs (Figure 2).

Assembly and Characterization of Canine Heart Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase cDNA and 5′-Flanking Sequence by Homology (RT-)PCR Cloning

A broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases is studied in canine animal models, in which dysfunction or dysregulation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) is of pivotal pathogenetic importance. To provide the tools for subsequent molecular analyses of ecNOS structure or function and to identify putative regulatory factors we isolated and characterized the canine heart ecNOS cDNA and putative regulatory (promoter) sequences. The complete coding sequence, 5′- plus part of 3′-untranslated regions (UTR) of ecNOS cDNA, and part of the 5′-flanking sequence (putative promoter region) were identified by homology (RT-)PCR cloning using canine heart total RNA or genomic DNA. Primer sequences were derived from bovine/human ecNOS cDNAs or genes. An ecNOS sequence contig of 5138 nucleotides length was established containing an open reading frame of 3618 nucleotides (1206 amino acids predicting a 133-kDa protein) and 253 bp 3′-UTR (distal to TGA codon)/1267 bp proximal to ATG codon (containing 5′-UTR and 5′-flanking sequences = putative promoter region). Comparison to human, bovine, murine, or porcine ecNOS sequences at the nucleotide or amino acid level yielded between 86 and 91% or 83 and 84% homologies, respectively. The canine ecNOS 5′-flanking sequence (putative promoter region) revealed stretches of homology up to 86% as compared to the human sequence containing a cluster of binding sites for several regulatory elements. The homology (RT-)PCR cloning strategy is presented as an alternative to common library cloning approaches. The obtained canine ecNOS sequence might serve to further analyze the structure, regulated function (promoter region consensus sites), and expression of ecNOS in different pathophysiological conditions and in other species (GenBank Accession No. BankIt264069 AF143503).

HOW CARDIAC SURGERY TRANSFORMED SURGERY.

Broadly speaking, a cardiac surgeon is a general surgeon who, of necessity, has had to explore in some detail and even to expand upon pertinent aspects of the sciences basic to general surgery. He has become the prototype of an operating surgeon, basing clinical action on clinically oriented research. Although seeking information to help him solve specific problems within his own special interests, the cardiac surgeon inevitably made multiple practical contributions to the management of similar problems in general surgery. He has stimulated surgical investigation and teaching, and, as a by-product of his therapeutic achievements, he has been a challenge to the diagnostic ability of a variety of medical practitioners. His ability to operate successfully for a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases placed squarely before them new diagnostic and therapeutic obligations. A vital need on the part of the cardiac surgeon has been a truer practical understanding of basic physiopathologic