Inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase (statins) have been proven to reduce effectively cholesterol level and morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary heart disease and/or dyslipoproteinemia. Statins inhibit synthesis of mevalonate, a precursor of both cholesterol and coenzyme Q (CoQ). Inhibited biosynthesis of CoQ may be involved in some undesirable actions of statins. We investigated the effect of simvastatin on tissue CoQ concentrations in the rat model of NO-deficient hypertension induced by chronic L-NAME administration. Male Wistar rats were treated daily for 6 weeks with L-NAME (40 mg/kg) or with simvastatin (10 mg/kg), another group received simultaneously L-NAME and simvastatin in the same doses. Coenzyme Q9 and Q10 concentrations were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. L-NAME and simvastatin alone had no effect on CoQ concentrations. However, simultaneous application of L-NAME and simvastatin significantly decreased concentrations of both CoQ homologues in the left ventricle and slightly decreased CoQ9 concentration in the skeletal muscle. No effect was observed on CoQ level in the liver and brain. We conclude that the administration of simvastatin under the condition of NO-deficiency reduced the level of CoQ in the heart and skeletal muscle what may participate in adverse effect of statins under certain clinical conditions., J. Kucharská, A. Gvozdjáková, F. Šimko., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Slow breathing training reduces resting blood pressure, probably by modifying central autonomic control, but evidence for this is lacking. The pressor response to static handgr ip exercise is a measure of autonomic control and the aim of this study was to determine whether slow breathing training modulates the pressor responses to exercise of untrained muscles. Twenty hypertensive patients trained for 8 weeks, 10 with unloaded slow breathing (Unloaded) and 10 breathing against an inspiratory load of 20 cm H 2 O (Loaded). Ten subjects were untrained controls. Subjects performed a 2 min handgrip pressor test (30 % MVC) pre - and post- training, and blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were measured before the contraction, at the end and following 2 min recovery. Resting systolic (sBP) and HR were reduced as a result of tra ining, as reported previously. After training there was both a smaller pressor response to hand grip exercise and a more rapid recovery of sBP and HR compared to pre -training. There were no changes in the Controls and no differences between the Unloaded and Loaded groups. Combining the two training groups, the sBP response to handgrip exercise after training was reduced by 10 mm Hg (95 % CI: - 7, - 13) and HR by 5 bpm (95 % CI: - 4, - 6), all p<0.05. These results are consistent with slow breathing training modifying central mechanisms regulating cardiovascular function., C. U. Jones, B. Sangthong, O. Pachirat, D. A. Jones., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Aldosterone receptor antagonist, spironolactone, has been shown to prevent remodeling of the heart in several models of left ventricular hypertrophy. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the treatment with spironolactone can prevent hypertension, reduction of tissue nitric oxide synthase activity and left ventricular (LV) and aortic remodeling in NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced hypertension. Four groups of rats were investigated: control, spironolactone (200 mg/kg), L-NAME (40 mg/kg) and L-NAME + spironolactone (in corresponding dosage). Animals were studied after 5 weeks of treatment. The decrease of NO-synthase activity in the LV and kidney was associated with the development of hypertension and LV hypertrophy, with increased DNA concentration in the LV, and remodeling of the aorta in the L-NAME group. Spironolactone prevented the inhibition of NO-synthase activity in the LV and kidney and partially attenuated hypertension and LVH development and the increase in DNA concentration. However, remodeling of the aorta was not prevented by spironolactone treatment. We conclude that the aldosterone receptor antagonist spironolactone improved nitric oxide production and partially prevented hypertension and LVH development without preventing hypertrophy of the aorta in NO-deficient hypertension. The reactive growth of the heart and aorta seems to be controlled by different mechanisms in L-NAMEinduced hypertension., F. Šimko, J. Matúšková, I. L'upták, T. Pinčíková, K. Krajčírovičová, S. Štvrtina, J. Pomšár, V. Pelouch, L'. Paulis, O. Pecháňová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced hypertension is associated with protein remodeling of the left ventricle. The aim of the study was to show, whether aldosterone receptor blocker spironolactone and precursor of NOproduction L-arginine were able to reverse the protein rebuilding of the left ventricle. Six groups of male Wistar rats were investigated: control 4 (4 weeks placebo), L-NAME (4 weeks L-NAME), spontaneous-regression (4 weeks L-NAME + 3 weeks placebo), spironolactone-regression (4 weeks L-NAME + 3 weeks spironolactone), L-arginineregression (4 weeks L-NAME + 3 weeks arginine), control 7 (7 weeks placebo). L-NAME administration induced hypertension, hypertrophy of the left ventricle (LV), and the increase of metabolic and contractile as well as soluble and insoluble collagenous protein concentration. The systolic blood pressure and relative weight of the LV decreased in all three groups with regression, while the most prominent attenuation of the LVH was observed after spironolactone treatment. In the spontaneous-regression and L-arginine-regression groups the concentrations of individual proteins were not significantly different from the control value. However, in the spironolactone-regression group the concentration of metabolic, contractile and insoluble collagenous proteins remained significantly increased in comparison with the control group. The persistence of the increased protein concentration in the spironolactone group may be related to the more prominent reduction of myocardial water content by spironolactone., F. Šimko, A. Potáčová, V. Pelouch, L'. Paulis, J. Matúšková, K. Krajčírovičová, O. Pecháňová, M. Adamcová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Drugs interfering with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) improved the prognosis in patients with hypertension, heart failure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. However, combining different drugs brought no further benefit while increasing the risk of hyperkalemia, hypotension and acute renal failure. This was so with combining angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin II receptors type 1 antagonists (ARB). Dissimilarly, in animal disease models this dual therapy proved clearly superior to single drug treatment and became the optimal standard regime for comparison with other treatments. This review analyzes the causes of the discrepancy of effects of the dual therapy between animal experiments versus clinical studies, and is focused on the outcomes in chronic kidney disease. Discussed is the role of species differences in RAAS, of the variability of the disease features in humans versus relative stability in animals, of the genetic uniformity in the animals but not in humans, and of the biased publication habits of experimental versus clinical studies. We attempt to understand the causes and reconcile the discordant findings and suggest to what extent dual RAAS inhibition should be continued in animal experiments and why its application in the clinics should be limited to strictly selected groups of patients., V. Čertíková Chábová, L. Červenka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
a1_We investigated the potential neuroprotective effect of transient hypertension on neuronal cell death induced by ischemia-reperfusion. Recovery of neurons, terminally differentiated cells, is almost entirely dependent upon active transcription and repair of DNA damage. We focused on the histochemical detection of distribution of NOR (argyrophylic nucleolar proteins) reflecting nucleolar integrity, immunohistochemical detection of PARP-1 (poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1), MADD (mitogen-activated death domain), a protein accumulated in nucleoli upon stimulation by ischemia, the active form of caspase-3, a universal proteolytic enzyme of apoptosis. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end-labeling method (TUNEL) proved the presence of in situ DNA fragmentation. We used the model of transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats with occlusion of middle cerebral artery. In experimental group of rats, the transient hypertension was induced by constriction of the abdominal aorta. The period of ischemia lasted 15, 30, 60 and 120 min followed by 48 h of reperfusion. We examined the frontal lobe of the ipsilateral hemisphere for apoptosis of neurons and compared it with the intact brain tissue. In normotensive rats with transient focal cerebral ischemia, we found disintegrated nucleoli of cortical as well as subcortical neurons at all investigated periods of ischemia, whereas the neurons of intact animals showed compact nucleoli with a few satellites. Nuclear positivity for MADD and PARP-1 was apparent in the neocortex after 15 min and peaked after 30 min of ischemia. On the other hand, the subcortical neurons showed nuclear positivity after 60 and 120 min. The immunohistochemical reaction for active caspase 3 was apparent after 30 min onwards predominantly in the cortex. The TUNEL staining was distinct after 60 and 120 min., a2_In hypertensive rats, we found nucleolar disintegration, positivity for MADD, PARP-1 and caspase 3 after 30 min cortically and subcortically, followed by TUNEL positive staining of cortical neurons after 60 and 120 min. In summary, we detected delayed activation of neuronal apoptosis in transiently hypertensive rats with focal cerebral ischemia compared to normotensive animals. The apoptotic phenotype was confirmed by a panel of complementary methods showing rapid proteolysis-nucleolar segregation, MADD, PARP-1 and caspase-3 positivity as well as ultimate DNA fragmentation proved by the TUNEL assay., M. Smrčka, M. Horký, F. Otevřel, Š. Kuchtíčková, V. Kotala, J. Mužík., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Endothelial dysfunction may be considered as the interstage between risk factors and cardiovascular pathology. An imbalance between the production of vasorelaxing and vasoconstricting factors plays a decisive role in the development of hypertension, atherosclerosis and target organ damage. Except vasorelaxing and antiproliferative properties per se, nitric oxide participates in antagonizing vasoconstrictive and growth promoting effects of angiotensin II, endothelins and reactive oxygen species. Angiotensin II is a potent activator of NAD(P)H oxidase contributing to the production of reactive oxygen species. Numerous signaling pathways activated in response to angiotensin II and endothelin-1 are mediated through the increased level of oxidative stress, which seems to be in casual relation to a number of cardiovascular disturbances including hypertension. With respect to the oxidative stress, the NO molecule seems to be of ambivalent nature. On the one hand, NO is able to reduce generation of reactive oxygen species by inhibiting association of NAD(P)H oxidase subunits. On the other hand, when excessively produced, NO reacts with superoxides resulting in the formation of peroxynitrite, which is a free radical deteriorating endothelial function. The balance between vasorelaxing and vasoconstricting substances appears to be the principal issue for the physiological functioning of the vascular bed., O. Pecháňová, F. Šimko., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Clinical and experimental studies have repeatedly indicated that overloaded hearts have a higher vulnerability to ischemia/reperfusion injury. The aim of the present study was to answer the question whether the degree of tolerance to oxygen deprivation in hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) may be sex-dependent. For this purpose, adult SHR and their normotensive control Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used. The isolated hearts were perfused according to Langendorff at constant pressure (proportionally adjusted to the blood pressure in vivo). Recovery of contractile parameters (left ventricular systolic, diastolic and developed pressure as well as the peak rate of developed pressure) was measured during reperfusion after 20 min of global no-flow ischemia in 5 min intervals. Mean arterial blood pressure was measured by direct puncture of carotid artery under light ether anesthesia in a separate group of animals. The degree of hypertension was comparable in both sexes of SHR. The recovery of contractile functions in SHR males and females was significantly lower than in WKY rats during the whole investigated period. There was no sex difference in the recovery of WKY animals; on the other hand, the recovery was significantly better in SHR females than in SHR males. It may be concluded that the hearts of female SHR are more resistant to ischemia/reperfusion injury as compared with male SHR. This fact could have important clinical implications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease in women., J. Bešík, O. Szárszoi, J. Kuneš, I. Netuka, J. Malý, F. Kolář, J. Pirk, B. Ošťádal., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of mortality and morbidity in most populations. As the traditional modifiable risk factors (smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity) were defined decades ago, we decided to analyze recent data in patients who survived acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The Czech part of the study included data from 999 males, and compared them with the post-MONICA study (1,259 males, representing general population). The Lithuanian study included 479 male patients and 456 age-matched controls. The Kazakhstan part included 232 patients and 413 controls. In two countries, the most robust ACS risk factor was smoking (OR 3.85 in the Czech study and 5.76 in the Lithuanian study), followed by diabetes (OR 2.26 and 2.07) and hypertension (moderate risk elevation with OR 1.43 and 1.49). These factors did not influence the ACS risk in Kazakhstan. BMI had no significant effect on ACS and plasma cholesterol was surprisingly significantly lower (P<0.001) in patients than in controls in all countries (4.80 ±1.11 vs. 5.76 ±1.06 mmol /l in Czechs; 5.32 ±1.32 vs. 5.71 ±1.08 mmol /l in Lithuanians; 4.88 ±1.05 vs. 5.38±1.13 mmol /l in Kazakhs/Russians). Results from our study indicate substantial heterogeneity regarding major CVD risk factors in different populations with the exception of plasma total cholesterol which was inversely associated with ACS risk in all involved groups. These data reflect ethnical and geographical differences as well as changing pattern of cardiovascular risk profiles., J. A. Hubacek, V. Stanek, M. Gebauerova, V. Adamkova, V. Lesauskaite, D. Zaliaduonyte-Peksiene, A. Tamosiunas, A. Supiyev, A. Kossumov, A. Zhumadilova, J. Pitha., and Obsahuje bibliografii