Type 2 diabetes mellitus was found to be associated with metabolic disorders, particularly abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. Dietary food choices may have profound effects on blood lipids. The primary objective of this study was to examine the effects of peanuts and tree nuts intake on lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe efficacy of cranberry (Vaccinium spp.) as adjuvant therapy in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) remains controversial. This study aims to update and determine cranberry effects as adjuvant therapy on the recurrence rate of UTIs in susceptible groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation is a primary pathological event in atherosclerosis (AS), and homocysteine (Hcy) is an independent risk factor for AS. However, the underlying mechanisms are still lagging. Studies have used the combination of methylation of promoters of multiple genes to diagnose tumors, thus the aim of the current study was to investigate the role of methylation status of several genes in VSMCs treated with Hcy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHomocysteine (Hcy) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not known. We investigated the effects of Hcy on fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), and tested our hypothesis that Hcy-induced atherosclerosis is mediated by increased FABP4 expression and decreased methylation. The FABP4 expression and DNA methylation was assessed in the aorta of ApoE(-/-) mice fed high-methionine diet for 20weeks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApelin was recently found to be an inotropic polypeptide in isolated rat hearts, and intravenous injection of apelin can induce a transient decrease in blood pressure. To illustrate the mechanism of apelin-induced vasodilation, we observed the in vitro effects of apelin on the L-arginine (L-Arg)/nitric oxide (NO) pathway in the incubated, isolated rat aorta. Apelin stimulated vascular NO(2)(-) product and NOS activation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Exp Pharmacol Physiol
December 2006
1. In recent studies, the vascular adventitia has been established as an important source of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and subsequent nitric oxide (NO) production, even more powerful than the media in response to certain inflammatory factors, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The adventitia has an independent L-arginine (L-Arg)/NOS/NO pathway and is involved in the regulation of vascular function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntermedin is a novel member of the calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) family peptide, which has vasodilatory and hypotensive actions identical to those of adrenomedullin and CGRP. Cleavage sites located between 2 basic amino acids at Arg93-Arg94 result in the production of prepro-intermedin95-147, namely intermedin1-53. The bioactive action of intermedin1-53 and its physiological significance are unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochem Biophys Res Commun
March 2006
Intermedin (IMD), a novel member of the calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) family, has similar or more potent vasodilatory and hypotensive actions than adrenomedullin (ADM) and CGRP. The present study was designed to observe the effects of synthetic rat IMD1-53 on L-arginine (L-Arg) cellular transport, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, and nitric oxide (NO) production in the isolated rat aortic ring to illustrate its direct effect on the L-Arg/NOS/NO pathway in vasculature. IMD1-53 significantly increased NO production and cNOS activity in rat aortas and was more potent than equivalent ADM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe aimed to explore the change in level of apelin and its receptor APJ during myocardial injury and the therapeutic effects of apelin in myocardial injury. Rat myocardial injury was induced by subcutaneous injection of a high dose of isoproterenol (ISO); apelin and APJ mRNA levels were determined by RT-PCR; APJ protein was determined by Western blot; EIA and RIA were used to measure the apelin content and receptor binding, respectively. Plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and myocardial and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were higher in ISO-treated hearts than that in controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdrenomedullin (ADM) has the vasodilatory properties and involves in the pathogenesis of vascular calcification. ADM could be degraded into more than six fragments in the body, including ADM(27-52), and we suppose the degrading fragments from ADM do the same bioactivities as derived peptides from pro-adrenomedullin. The present study carries forward by assessing the effects on vascular calcification of the systemic administration of ADM(27-52).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntermedin (IMD) is a novel member of the calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide (CT/CGRP) family identified from human and other vertebrate tissues. Preprointermedin can generate a 47-amino acid mature peptide (IMD(1-47)) and a shorter 40-amino acid one (IMD(8-47)) by proteolytic cleavage. The present study was designed to determine the protective effect of IMD on cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and its possible mechanism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochem Biophys Res Commun
February 2005
Intermedin (IMD) is a novel member of the calcitonin/calcitonin gene-related peptide (CT/CGRP) family identified from human and other vertebrate tissues. Preprointermedin (preproIMD) can generate a 47 amino acid mature peptide (IMD(1-47)) and a shorter 40 amino acid one (IMD(8-47)) by proteolytic cleavage. Amino acid sequence analysis showed that cleavage sites are located between two basic amino acids at Arg93-Arg94, resulting in the production of preproIMD(95-147), namely IMD(1-53).
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