L-type Calcium Channel Blockade Worsens Glucose Tolerance and β-Cell Function in C57BL6/J Mice Exposed to Intermittent Hypoxia.

Intermittent hypoxemia (IH), a pathophysiologic consequence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), adversely affects insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and glucose tolerance. Nifedipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker frequently used for treatment of hypertension, can also impair insulin sensitivity and secretion. However, the cumulative and interactive repercussions of IH and nifedipine on glucose homeostasis have not been previously investigated.

L-type calcium channel blockade worsens glucose tolerance and β-cell function in C57BL6/J mice exposed to intermittent hypoxia.

Intermittent hypoxemia (IH), a pathophysiologic consequence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), adversely affects insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and glucose tolerance. Nifedipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker frequently used for the treatment of hypertension, can also impair insulin sensitivity and secretion. However, the cumulative and interactive repercussions of IH and nifedipine on glucose homeostasis have not been previously investigated.

Single-cell transcriptomics reveal diverging pathobiology and opportunities for precision targeting in scleroderma-associated versus idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Introduction: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) involves progressive cellular and molecular change within the pulmonary vasculature, leading to increased vascular resistance. Current therapies targeting nitric oxide (NO), endothelin, and prostacyclin pathways yield variable treatment responses. Patients with systemic sclerosis-associated PAH (SSc-PAH) often experience worse outcomes than those with idiopathic PAH (IPAH).

Studying the Pulmonary Endothelium in Health and Disease: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report.

Lung endothelium resides at the interface between the circulation and the underlying tissue, where it senses biochemical and mechanical properties of both the blood as it flows through the vascular circuit and the vessel wall. The endothelium performs the bidirectional signaling between the blood and tissue compartments that is necessary to maintain homeostasis while physically separating both, facilitating a tightly regulated exchange of water, solutes, cells, and signals. Disruption in endothelial function contributes to vascular disease, which can manifest in discrete vascular locations along the artery-to-capillary-to-vein axis.