The adrenal gland circadian clock exhibits a distinct phase advance in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The circadian clock influences a multitude of cellular and biological processes, including blood pressure control. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) exhibit aberrant circadian rhythms affecting cardiovascular parameters, and they also have abnormal clock gene expression profiles in several organs. Given the important role of the adrenal gland in orchestrating circadian oscillations, we investigated the adrenal gland circadian clock in SHR and control Wistar-Kyoto rats maintained under a 12-hour light-dark cycle.

Subtype prediction in primary aldosteronism: measurement of circadian variation of adrenocortical hormones and 24-h urinary aldosterone.

Objective: Currently, adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the only reliable method to distinguish unilateral from bilateral hyperaldosteronism in primary aldosteronism (PA). However, AVS is costly and time-consuming compared with simple blood tests. In this study, we conducted a retrospective study to determine whether circadian variation in plasma adrenocortical hormone levels (i.

Unusual Manifestation of Graves' Disease: Ventricular Fibrillation.

Background: It is well known that thyrotoxicosis causes rhythm disorders including sinus tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and atrial flutter. Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in thyrotoxicosis, occurring in 5-15% of patients over 60 years of age, whereas ventricular arrhythmia is an unusual manifestation.

Case Report: An 18-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our emergency department because of loss of consciousness caused by ventricular fibrillation.

A novel gene regulator, pyrrole-imidazole polyamide targeting ABCA1 gene increases cholesterol efflux from macrophages and plasma HDL concentration.

Unlabelled: Pyrrole-imidazole (PI) polyamides are nuclease-resistant novel compounds that inhibit transcription factors by binding to the minor groove of DNA. A PI polyamide that targets mouse ABCA1 and increases ABCA1 gene expression was designed and evaluated as an agent to increase plasma HDL concentration. A PI polyamide was designed to bind the activator protein-2 binding site of the mouse ABCA1 promoter.

Successful treatment of pheochromocytoma in a patient with hemodialysis: a case report and review of the literature.

Pheochromocytoma in a patient with end-stage renal disease is considered rare. A 40-year-old man who had undergone renal transplantation in childhood and had been on hemodialysis (HD) for the last 6 years suddenly developed paroxysmal palpitations and hypertension. His plasma catecholamine (CA) level was increased and a right adrenal mass was found on magnetic resonance imaging.

Obesity alters the expression profile of clock genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the variation in expression profile of clock genes and obesity using peripheral blood mononuclear (PMN) cells.

Material And Methods: The subjects comprised 10 obese patients and 10 healthy volunteers. Blood was collected at different time-points during the day and levels of blood sugar, IRI, adiponectin and leptin were determined.

Influence of genetic polymorphisms in oxidative stress related genes and smoking on plasma MDA-LDL, soluble CD40 ligand, E-selectin and soluble ICAM1 levels in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Previous studies have shown that oxidative stress plays an important role in coronary heart disease. Polymorphisms in key enzymes that regulate oxidative stress may play a role in atherogenicity and were investigated in this study.

Material/methods: One hundred and forty-three patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease were studied.

Association of SLC6A9 gene variants with human essential hypertension.

Aim: We previously identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on rat chromosome 5 that appeared to be primarily controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. Because sympathetic overactivity is related to hypertension, solute carrier family 6, member 9 (SLC6A9) is a candidate gene for the connection of this QTL with blood pressure regulation. In the present study, we therefore explored the role of SLC6A9 genetic variations in human essential hypertension (EH).

A novel gene silencer, pyrrole-imidazole polyamide targeting human lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 gene improves endothelial cell function.

Pyrrole-imidazole polyamide can be combined in antiparallel side-by-side dimeric complexes along the minor groove of DNA in a sequence-specific manner. Pyrrole-imidazole polyamides are effective inhibitors of transcription factors as well as viral repressors and transactivators. Recently, lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) was reported to be a major factor contributing to the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis.

Atherogenic dyslipidemia and altered hepatic gene expression in SHRSP.Z-Leprfa/IzmDmcr rats.

We investigated lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities in SHRSP fatty rats as a new animal model of metabolic syndrome. We examined differentially expressed genes in the liver, one of the major tissues contributing to lipid metabolism. Using gel filtration high performance liquid chromatography, increased cholesterol concentrations of small particle size low-density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions were observed in SHRSP fatty rats, whereas the Zucker Fatty strain did not show a similar elevation of cholesterol content.

Postprandial plasma lipid levels are influenced by the interaction of functional polymorphisms in the microsome triglyceride transfer protein and beta3 adrenergic receptor genes.

Background: The effects of polymorphisms in the genes encoding microsome triglycerides transfer protein (MTP) and beta3-adrenergic receptor (beta3-AR) on lipid and glucose metabolism were investigated.

Material/method: Clinical phenotypes related to lipid and glucose metabolism were evaluated during dietary loading (17 g of fat, 750 Cal) and glucose loading (75 g glucose). MTP and beta3-AR genotypes were determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism.