[Prognostic value of brachial artery flow--mediated dilation and carotid artery intima-media thickness in hypertensive patients].

Unlabelled: Endothelial vasodilator dysfunction assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickening (IMT) are two indicators of subclinical atherosclerotic disease. The aim of the study was to observe if there is a relationship between FMD and IMT in a group of hypertensive patients.

Material And Method: We measured FMD and IMT by ultrasound in 75 subjects aged between 42 and 62 years.

Environmental factors and cardiovascular risk in young individuals.

Unlabelled: Normal endothelial function alters physiologically with aging. Intervention of environmental factors precipitates and accelerates endothelial dysfunction progression, correlated with cardiovascular risk.

Aim: To study the impact of environmental factors (smoking, nutritional habits, stress, physical activity) on the imbalance of the endothelial commuting threshold.

[Correlations between carotid intima-media thickness and serum uric acid levels in hypertensive patients].

Unlabelled: Intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid arteries assessed noninvasively by ultrasonography is now validated as a sensitive marker for atherosclerosis and it is directly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Hyperuricemia (HU) is a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

Aim: To evaluate the correlations between IMT and uric acid levels in patients with hypertension (HT).

[The effects of chronic exposure to cigarette smoke on vasomotor endothelial function of guinea pig pulmonary arteries].

Unlabelled: Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke on guinea-pigs induced a muscularization of pulmonary arterioles and endothelial dysfunction might be an early trigger of this vascular remodelling. Accordingly, the present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of a 12 weeks exposure to passive smoking on the pulmonary endothelial vasomotor function.

Material And Method: Vasodilator response of pulmonary arteries rings isolated in organ bath, precontracted with phenylephrine, was compared in the presence of cumulative doses (10(-9) to 10(-4) M) of endothelial-dependent (acetylcholine, ACh and adenosine-diphosphate, ADP) and independent vasodilators (sodium nitroprusside, SNP), respectively.

[Some aspects of pulmonary vascular remodelling in smokers and patients with mild COPD].

An important feature of the pathophysiology of COPD patients is represented by the remodelling of pulmonary vasculature. Within this process, a pathogenic element might be the endothelial dysfunction induced by the combined effect of several factors such as: cigarette smoke, inflammatory mediators, hypoxia, mechanical stress, whose contribution differs according to the stage of the disease. The aims of our study were to characterize the structural pulmonary vascular abnormalities present in smokers and patients with mild COPD and to assess their pathophysiological importance.

[Experimental model of in vitro generation of human dendritic cells].

Introduction: Dendritic cells (DCs) are considered the most powerful antigen-presenting cells (APC) playing a strategic role in triggering the immune response. Monocytes are the physiological precursors of myeloid DCs.

Aims: This paper aims to develop an in vitro experimental model of human dendritic cells generation and phenotypic and functional analysis starting from CD14+ monocyte precursors isolated from peripheral blood.

[Cigarette smoke extract induces endothelium dysfunction in isolated rabbit pulmonary arteries via an oxidative mechanism].

In early stages of COPD, lacking hypoxemia, pulmonary arteries yet show endothelial abnormalities. This vascular impairment could be assigned to noxious effects of some cigarette smoke components. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on endothelial vasomotor function in isolated rabbit pulmonary arteries in the presence or absence of a natural antioxidant with superoxide dismutase activity (SODn).