Cardiovascular & Haematological Disorders - Drug Targets - Volume 14, Issue 1, 2014

The endothelium constitutes the inner lining of the vessels and is a cornerstone of vascular homeostasis. Besides their classical barrier function, the endothelial cells are notably involved in the regulation of vasomotor tone, the control of tissue inflammation and of thrombosis. Within the renal microvasculature, the endothelium is characterized by a remarkable structural heterogeneity, related to the different and highly speciali Read More

Acute kidney injury is associated with alterations in vascular tone that contribute to an overall reduction in GFR. Studies in animal models indicate that ischemia triggers alterations in endothelial function that contribute significantly to the overall degree and severity of a kidney injury. Putative mediators of vasoconstriction that may contribute to the initial loss of renal blood flow and GFR are highlighted. In addition, there is disc Read More

The renal endothelium plays a critical role in kidney physiopathology as it is implicated in various processes such as the regulation of vasomotor tone, the control of tissue inflammation and thrombosis. Recent evidence highlights direct implication of renal endothelial dysfunction in the progression of chronic kidney disease. Renal endothelial dysfunction is a multifaceted process in which chemokines, cytokines, prothrom Read More

Endothelial dysfunction has been posited to play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Due to the heterogeneity of endothelial cells (ECs), it is difficult to generalize about endothelial responses to diabetic stimuli. At present, there are limited techniques fordirectly measuring EC function in vivo, so diagnosis of endothelial disorders still largely depends on indirect assessment of mediators arising fro Read More

Vitamin D plays an essential role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism, but recent research has exposed a larger spectrum of biological actions that also includes induction of cell proliferation, immunomodulation, and control of other hormonal systems. Many cells that play an important role in the cardiovascular system express the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and respond to 1,25-(OH)2D (the active product of vit Read More

Stroke is the most feared complication of atrial fibrillation but for over fifty years there has been no simple, effective preventative alternative to warfarin. The development of new risk algorithms such as CHADSVASC has resulted in more patients being recommended anticoagulation therapy. Fixed dose oral anticoagulation is a landmark in drug development for atrial fibrillation. The differences between the drugs are discussed Read More

Dietary recommendations are key to cardiovascular disease (CVD) management. The underpinning evidence is generally based on data generated from single nutrient or food types. However, food is not consumed in such a manner, and components may interact synergistically or antagonistically depending on the dietary composition. Analyses of dietary patterns have attempted to address these important issues. Read More

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4 inhibitors) are effective and safe oral incretin-based antihyperglycemic drugs. In preclinical studies, DPP-4 inhibitors have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits, independent of glycemic control, in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus. Since 2005, various DPP-4 inhibitors (sitagliptin, linagliptin and saxagliptin) have been clinically available in the United States. Since 2013, alogliptin is Read More

Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion (I/R) induced injury has widespread detrimental effects partially negating the benefits obtained from early revascularization in Acute Myocardial Infarction. Various complex mechanisms contribute to I/R injury and different agents targeting those specific mechanisms are being studied. Despite continued research and widespread interest, none of them have become incorporated into ever Read More

Warfarin has remained the mainstay of stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation for the past 60 years. Recently, two new groups of novel oral anticoagulants- direct thrombin inhibitors (dabigatran) and factor Xa inhibitors (rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban) have shown promising results in well conducted clinical trials in terms of efficacy, safety and convenience of usage. However, in real world practice these novel agents c Read More