NK cell apoptosis in coronary artery disease: relation to oxidative stress.

Objective: Natural killer (NK) cells, key elements in initiation and modulation of immune responses, were recently found to be reduced in coronary artery disease (CAD). To clarify mechanisms behind this reduction, we here investigated NK cell apoptosis in CAD patients. Since oxidative stress has been linked to NK cell apoptosis, we related the findings to oxidative stress in vivo and evaluated the ex vivo susceptibility of NK cells to oxidized lipids.

Mitochondria transmit apoptosis signalling in cardiomyocyte-like cells and isolated hearts exposed to experimental ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a condition leading to serious complications due to death of cardiac myocytes. We used the cardiomyocyte-like cell line H9c2 to study the mechanism underlying cell damage. Exposure of the cells to simulated I/R lead to their apoptosis.

Low plasma levels of oxygenated carotenoids in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background And Aims: Low circulating levels of carotenoids have been associated with cardiovascular disease. The distribution of different carotenoids in blood may have an impact on the cardioprotective capacity. The aim of the present study was to determine the plasma levels of 6 major carotenoids in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and relate the findings to clinical, metabolic and immune parameters.