Current Drug Targets - Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders - Volume 5, Issue 6, 2005

The last decade has seen a number of important advances in the use of animal models of atherosclerosis progression. Small animal models, particularly mouse knockouts and rabbit models, are finding increasing use. This review discusses those models of particular research utility, highlights their advantages and limitations, and specifically addresses methodologies and current developments, in what is a rapidly changing field.

Besides classical risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia and hypertension, chronic subacute inflammation has recently been recognized as an important force driving the development of atherosclerosis, the most common underlying cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. There is compelling evidence that a disturbance of cholesterol homeostasis contributes to the development of a chronic inflammatory state and Read More

The reduction of circulating atherogenic lipoproteins through lifestyle modification and pharmacologic intervention is an important therapeutic goal in patients at risk for acute cardiovascular events. A large number of clinical trials have demonstrated that the reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is associated with significant decreases in the incidence of all cause mortality, stroke, fatal and nonfatal myocardial i Read More

Acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is an intracellular enzyme that catalyzes the formation of cholesterol esters from cholesterol and fatty acyl-coenzyme A. Animal experiments showed that ACAT inhibitors reduce plasma cholesterol levels by suppressing absorption of dietary cholesterol and by suppressing the assembly and secretion of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins such as very low density lipoprote Read More

Epidemiologic and experimental observations suggest high density lipoprotein (HDL) has a protective effect against atherothrombotic vascular disease. These findings have stimulated considerable interest to promote HDL as a potential therapeutic strategy. Several exciting therapeutic strategies have recently emerged and currently are the focus of intense research interest. One approach is the direct administration of Read More

Over the past decades, lowering of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) levels has been established as the foundation for preventing atherosclerotic disease. It is, however, widely accepted that additional risk reduction has to come from modifying other risk factors than LDL-c. In this context, increasing HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c) levels by pharmacological inhibition of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is currently under intense in Read More

Calcium channel blockers and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are widely used for the management of hypertension and dyslipidemia, respectively. The use of these agents in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease remains largely based on their actions in lowering blood pressure and lipids. Recent clinical trials, however, indicate that certain members of these two drug classes may slow progression of dis Read More

The incidence of diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate to the point where it is becoming an epidemic. An ageing population, sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet are considered to have contributed toward this. What we must now consider is not only the burden of the disease but the complications that arise from diabetes, in particular kidney and heart disease. Foremost, more than half of the diabetic population will di Read More

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) α, β/δ and γ are ligand-activated transcription factors belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily. PPARs heterodimerize with the retinoid X receptor (RXR) and modulate the function of many target genes. They were originally described as regulators of various metabolic, pathways, but have been recently found to also exert modulating actions in the vascular w Read More

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is an enzyme that is produced by inflammatory cells, is bound to circulating LDL, and is involved in hydrolyzing polar phospholipids, including those found in oxidized lowdensity lipoproteins. To date, the biological role of Lp-PLA2 in atherogenesis has been controversial, with initial reports purporting an atheroprotective effect attributable to the degradation of platelet activating fac Read More

The Liver X Receptors, LXRα and LXRβ are members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily which have recently been implicated as novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The identification of natural and synthetic ligands for LXRs and the generation of LXR-deficient mice have been crucial for our understanding of the function of these receptors and for the identification of Read More

Mature human atherosclerotic plaques are frequently characterized by a lipid-rich core covered by a fibrous cap composed of fibrillar collagens, elastin, proteoglycans and smooth muscle cells (SMC). Most sudden deaths due to acute myocardial infarction are caused by rupture of coronary atheroma, leading to a prothrombotic response followed by rapid occlusion of the artery. The accumulation of macrophage-derived foa Read More

Overweight and obesity are recognised as significant risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). Weight reduction leads to reduction in associated CHD risk factors. The discovery that endocannabinoid system is involved in regulation of food intake and other reward behaviours has led to development of cannabinoid receptor antagonists. Recent studies with rimonabant, a cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) antagoni Read More

Despite significant protection from cardiovascular events by HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), the extent of event reduction is incomplete and persistent lipid abnormalities remain prevalent. As such, the use of combination lipid modification regimens is a clinical reality. While we await large, randomized clinical outcomes trials assessing the benefits of combination or novel lipid management therapies, non-invasive imaging te Read More