Inducing heat shock protein 70 expression provides a robust antithrombotic effect with minimal bleeding risk.

Antithrombotic medications target coagulation factors. Their use is associated with an increased bleeding risk. Safer drugs are needed.

Hsp70 protects from stroke in atrial fibrillation patients by preventing thrombosis without increased bleeding risk.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for cardio-embolic stroke. Anticoagulant drugs are effective in preventing AF-related stroke. However, the high frequency of anticoagulant-associated major bleeding is a major concern.

Short Leukocyte Telomere Length Is Associated With Cardioembolic Stroke Risk in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

Background And Purpose: The risk of cardioembolic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) cannot be accurately assessed and novel tools are needed to improve prediction. We hypothesize that telomere shortening constitutes a novel risk factor for cardioembolic stroke in patients with AF.

Methods: The peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction in 187 patients with AF, 93 of them without stroke history and 94 of them having suffered 1 cardioembolic stroke.

Receptor of activated protein C promotes metastasis and correlates with clinical outcome in lung adenocarcinoma.

Rationale: Efficient metastasis requires survival and adaptation of tumor cells to stringent conditions imposed by the extracellular milieu. Identification of critical survival signaling pathways in tumor cells might unveil novel targets relevant in disease progression.

Objectives: To investigate the contribution of activated protein C (APC) and its receptor (endothelial protein C receptor [EPCR]) in animal models of lung cancer metastasis and in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Is EPCR a multi-ligand receptor? Pros and cons.

In the last decade, the endothelial cell protein C/activated protein C receptor (EPCR) has received considerable attention. The role initially attributed to EPCR, i.e.

VEGF₁₂₁b and VEGF₁₆₅b are weakly angiogenic isoforms of VEGF-A.

Background: Different isoforms of VEGF-A (mainly VEGF₁₂₁, VEGF₁₆₅ and VEGF189) have been shown to display particular angiogenic properties in the generation of a functional tumor vasculature. Recently, a novel class of VEGF-A isoforms, designated as VEGF(xxx)b, generated through alternative splicing, have been described. Previous studies have suggested that these isoforms may inhibit angiogenesis.

The functional properties of a truncated form of endothelial cell protein C receptor generated by alternative splicing.

Background: A soluble form of endothelial cell protein C receptor (sEPCR) is generated by shedding of the cellular form. sEPCR binds to protein C and factor VIIa and inhibits both the activation of protein C and the activity of activated protein C and factor VIIa. High sEPCR levels may increase the risk of thrombosis.

Syntheses of (+)-alismoxide and (+)-4-epi-alismoxide.

The first total syntheses of (+)-alismoxide and (+)-4-epi-alismoxide are reported. Formal chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective addition of water to 10alpha-acetoxy-1alphaH,5betaH-guaia-3,6-diene afforded the target compounds after reduction. The absolute stereochemistry of (+)-alismoxide has been established.

A bioinspired approach to tri-nor-guaianes. synthesis of (-)-clavukerin A.

A bioinspired approach to tri-nor-guaianes by degradation of the C-7 side chain of related guaia-11-enes is described. In this approach (-)-clavukerin A (1) is obtained by selective ozonolysis-Criegge rearrangement of (+)-1alphaH,7alphaH,10alphaH-guaia-4,11-dien-3-one (4) to afford 7beta-hydroxy and 7beta-acetoxy tri-nor-guaiane derivatives 6 and 7, respectively, which after elimination and deoxygenation give the title compound. The starting guaiadienone is readily obtained from commercially available santonin or (+)-dihydrocarvone.

Total syntheses of four stereoisomers of 4alpha-hydroxy-1beta,7beta-peroxy- 10betaH-guaia-5-ene.

[reaction: see text]. The first total syntheses of four stereoisomers of 4alpha-hydroxy-1beta,7beta-peroxy-10betaH-guaia-5-ene are reported starting from the readily available (+)-dihydrocarvone. These compounds have been synthesized from dienes (-)-isoguaiene and (-)-10-epi-isoguaiene by tandem ene hydroperoxylation-[4 + 2] cycloaddition with O(2) followed by selective reduction.

Differential effects of 2C9*3 and 2C9*2 variants of cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9 on sensitivity to acenocoumarol.

The 2C9*3 and 2C9*2 polymorphisms of cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9 are associated with hypersensitivity to warfarin and bleeding. The effect of these polymorphisms on sensitivity to acenocoumarol is unknown. Three groups of patients, with low, medium, or high acenocoumarol-dose requirements, were studied.