Publications by authors named "Jeanne A Ishimwe"

Article Synopsis
  • Environmental factors like air pollution can negatively affect mitochondrial structure and function, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
  • Mitochondrial diseases are often linked to lifestyle choices, but pollutants from the atmosphere—such as gases and microparticles—are also emerging as significant contributors.
  • The review discusses how airborne stressors might impair mitochondrial health and consequently lead to heart disease, highlighting a gap in current research.
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Article Synopsis
  • Salt sensitivity of blood pressure (SSBP) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, influenced by sodium intake and is associated with changes in antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and the JAK2 signaling pathway.
  • The study utilized various methods, including transcriptomic analyses, mouse models, and immunophenotyping, to investigate the effects of high salt on blood pressure and the underlying mechanisms involving JAK2, STAT3, and SMAD3.
  • Results showed that high salt increases the expression of genes in the JAK/STAT/SMAD pathway in human monocytes, and the knockout of JAK2 in APCs significantly reduced salt-induced hypertension in mice, indicating a crucial role of this pathway in S
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Background: Salt sensitivity of blood pressure (SSBP) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, yet the etiology is poorly understood. We previously found that serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) regulate epithelial sodium channel (ENaC)-dependent sodium entry into monocyte-derived antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and activation of NADPH oxidase, leading to the formation of isolevuglandins (IsoLGs) in SSBP. Whereas aldosterone via the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) activates SGK1 leading to hypertension, our past findings indicate that levels of plasma aldosterone do not correlate with SSBP, and there is little to no MR expression in APCs.

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Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease in women, and sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries have some of the highest rates of hypertension in the world. Expanding knowledge of causes, management, and awareness of hypertension and its co-morbidities worldwide is an effective strategy to mitigate its harms, decrease morbidities and mortality, and improve individual quality of life. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) are a particularly important subset of hypertension, as pregnancy is a major stress test of the cardiovascular system and can be the first instance in which cardiovascular disease is clinically apparent.

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Article Synopsis
  • Hypertension is the leading preventable risk factor for serious health issues like heart and kidney diseases, affecting many people around the globe, with salt sensitivity being a significant aspect of this condition.
  • Studies show that the immune system significantly contributes to salt sensitivity, causing high blood pressure and related health problems via pro-inflammatory responses from immune cells when sodium levels are elevated.
  • Recent research is exploring the links between salt-sensitive hypertension, the gut microbiome, and immune system involvement, aiming to identify biomarkers and potential treatments for this condition.
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Gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a valuable approach to delineating a direct role of the total microbiota or isolated species in disease pathophysiology. It is a safe treatment option for patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection.

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Salt sensitivity is a trait in which high dietary sodium (Na) intake causes an increase in blood pressure (BP). We previously demonstrated that in the gut, elevated dietary Na causes dysbiosis. The mechanistic interplay between excess dietary Na-induced alteration in the gut microbiome and sex differences is less understood.

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Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a devastating chronic form of orthostatic intolerance associated with excessive heart rate increase without hypotension during upright posture. POTS patients exhibit increased circulating norepinephrine levels with exaggerated sympathetic nervous system response upon standing. Emerging evidence suggests a role for the gut microbiome in cardiovascular disorders.

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Salt-sensitivity of blood pressure (SSBP) affects 50% of the hypertensive and 25% of the normotensive populations. Importantly, SSBP is associated with increased risk for mortality in both populations independent of blood pressure. Despite its deleterious effects, the pathogenesis of SSBP is not fully understood.

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Preeclampsia is a hypertensive pregnancy disorder with no treatment beyond management of symptoms and delivery of the fetus and placenta. Chronic hypertension increases the risk of developing superimposed preeclampsia. Previous reports showed that 1,3-butanediol attenuates hypertension in rodents; however, the therapeutic potential of 1,3-butanediol for the prevention of preeclampsia has not been investigated.

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Preeclampsia is a devastating hypertensive pregnancy disorder that currently affects 2%-8% of pregnancies worldwide. It is associated with maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity and adverse health outcomes both in mom and offspring beyond pregnancy. The pathophysiology is not completely understood, and there are no approved therapies to specifically treat for the disease, with only few therapies approved to manage symptoms.

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Preeclampsia is a progressive hypertensive disorder of pregnancy affecting 2%-8% of pregnancies globally. Preexisting chronic hypertension is a major risk factor associated with developing preeclampsia, and growing evidence suggests a role for the gut microbiome in the development of preeclampsia. However, neither alterations in the gut microbiome associated with preeclampsia nor the mechanisms involved are fully understood.

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Thirty-seven million people in the United States are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hypertension (HTN) is the second leading risk factor for developing kidney disease. A recent study reported that increasing levels of β-hydroxybutyrate levels by administration of its precursor, 1,3-butanediol, decreased salt-induced HTN in male Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rats.

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