The California Hass avocado ( Persea americana ) is an example of a domesticated berry fruit that matures on the tree during its growing season but ripens only after being harvested. Avocados are typically harvested multiple times during the growing season in California. Previous research has demonstrated potential health benefits of avocados and extracts of avocado against inflammation and cancer cell growth, but seasonal variations in the phytochemical profile of the fruits being studied may affect the results obtained in future research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNitric oxide (NO) exerts a plethora of vascular beneficial effects. The NO-releasing beta-blocker nebivolol is a racemic mixture of D/L-enantiomers that displays negative inotropic as well as direct vasodilating activity. The in vivo antiatherogenic activity of therapeutic doses of the beta-blocker with antioxidant properties carvedilol (12.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Clin Pract Cardiovasc Med
September 2008
Background: The custom microenvironment 'vascular niche' is a potential therapeutic target for several pathophysiological conditions. Osteoblasts regulate the hematopoietic stem cell niche, and activation of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor can increase the number of cells mobilized into the bloodstream.
Methods: C57Bl/6 mice were randomly assigned treatment with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), PTH, G-CSF plus PTH or saline.
J Cardiovasc Pharmacol
October 2007
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a major health problem, especially when associated with severe hypertension. Administration of autologous bone marrow cells (BMCs) is emerging as a novel intervention to induce neoangiogenesis in ischemic limb models and in patients with PAD. This study evaluates the neovascularization capacity of BMCs alone or in combination with metabolic cotreatment (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Atherosclerosis is enhanced in arterial segments exposed to disturbed flow. Perturbed shear stress increases the expression of oxidation-sensitive responsive genes (such as ELK-1 and p-CREB). Polyphenolic antioxidants contained in the juice derived from the pomegranate contribute to the reduction of oxidative stress and atherogenesis during disturbed shear stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Cardiol
April 2007
Lower-limb ischemia is a major health problem especially when associated to hypercholesterolemia. Because of the absence of effective treatment in the advanced stages of the disease, amputation is undertaken to alleviate unbearable symptoms. Since tissue ischemia and hypercholesterolemia are associated with an overwhelming generation of oxygen radicals, metabolic intervention with antioxidants and l-arginine can induce beneficial effects beyond those achieved by a novel therapeutic approach represented by the use of autologous bone marrow cells (BMCs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFModerate physical exercise (PE) combined with metabolic treatment (MT) (antioxidants and l-arginine) are well known to reduce atherosclerotic lesion formation in hypercholesterolemic mice. However, the long-term beneficial effects on unstable atheroma remain poorly understood. We started early PE training in large groups of 6-week-old hypercholesterolemic mice (by graduated swimming) alone or in combination with nutritional supplementation (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPomegranate juice (PJ), which is a rich source of potent flavonoid antioxidants, was tested for its capacity to protect nitric oxide (NO) against oxidative destruction and enhance the biological actions of NO. Employing chemiluminescence headspace analysis, PJ was found to be a potent inhibitor of superoxide anion-mediated disappearance of NO. PJ was much more potent than Concord grape juice, blueberry juice, red wine, ascorbic acid, and DL-alpha-tocopherol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLower-limb ischemia is a major health problem. Because of the absence of effective treatment in the advanced stages of the disease, amputation is undertaken to alleviate unbearable symptoms. Novel therapeutic approaches include the intramuscular use of autologous bone marrow cells (BMCs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNebivolol is a highly selective beta(1)-adrenergic receptor antagonist that also possesses vasodilator properties that are attributed largely to nitric oxide (NO). The objective of the present study was to elucidate in more detail the mechanisms by which nebivolol relaxes vascular smooth muscle. In the canine species, nebivolol caused relaxation of isolated precontracted rings of coronary artery and pulmonary artery largely by endothelium-dependent, NO-dependent, and cyclic GMP-dependent mechanisms.
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