Current Medicinal Chemistry - Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents - Volume 3, Issue 4, 2005

Platelet glycoprotein (GP)Ib-IX-V and GPVI are unique platelet receptors that bind von Willebrand factor or collagen, respectively, and control the initial interaction of circulating platelets with the blood vessel wall in physiology (hemostasis) or pathology (heart attack or stroke). Engagement of GPIbα (the major ligand-binding subunit of GPIb-IXV) by von Willebrand factor or GPVI by collagen, leads to mobilization of cytosolic Ca2 Read More

Homocysteine (Hcy) is a sulphur-containing amino acid product of methionine's metabolism. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease, at least in highrisk patients. In fact, evidence indicates that although mild HHcy may be regarded as a minor risk factor for CHD in lowrisk patients, it can play a role in triggering new events in patients with known CHD, also b Read More

Anemia is a common finding in chronic heart failure (CHF). Anemia develops due to CHF, but is also known to cause heart failure. Patients with CHF are limited by exercise capacity and fatigue. Low hemoglobin concentration can account for both and may substantially contribute to the symptoms of CHF. Increasing severity of CHF is associated with a higher frequency of anemia, which also becomes clinically more releva Read More

Accumulating evidence strongly implicates the critical roles of intracellular signaling of angiotensin II (AngII) in mediating cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and restenosis after vascular injury. The importance of AngII signals has also been reported in endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance, two strong predictors of cardiovascular disease. Through its G protein-coupled AngII type-1 receptor ( Read More

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) with activation of molecular cascades, cell activation, accumulation of interstitial fluid, organ dysfunction and, occasionally, organ failure is still a commonly recognized consequence of cardiac surgery. SIRS leads to costly complications and several strategies intended to ameliorate the symptoms that have been studied, including leukocyte reduction, using filtration. Although, Read More

This review highlights the most important research data related to membrane potential and current changes in cardiomyocytes during hypotonic stress. Relative decrease in osmolarity in extracellular compartment (due to accumulation of metabolic products in the cells) during acute episodes of ischemia in the heart muscle leads to cell swelling caused by water entering the cells. Such condition starts regulatory volume decrea Read More

Thrombolysis is conventionally regarded as dissolution of the fibrin matrix of thrombi by plasmin, a protease generated by plasminogen activators from its inactive precursor, plasminogen. Typically plasminogen activation occurs on the surface of the clot, where fibrin behaves as a cofactor in this process, and plasmin also initiates its proteolytic action at the fluid-solid interface. Although the basic reactions of the plasminogen/ Read More

Thrombosis is the most important underlying mechanism of coronary heart disease and embolic stroke. Therefore, antithrombotic therapy is commonly used in cardiovascular diseases. Unfortunately, the benefits are limited, and an important proportion of treated patients will suffer a new thrombotic event. Lack of clinical benefits may be related to heterogeneous response to antithrombotic treatment among individuals (in Read More

HIV infection is associated with a myriad of hematopoietic abnormalities. Thrombocytopenia (TCP), the condition in which platelet counts fall below 150 x 103/mm3 in two or more consecutive platelet counts, is a condition frequently seen in HIV infected individuals regardless of HIV status, gender, or age. Having recently been associated with rapid disease progression, and by complicating the management of AIDS patients, Read More

The severity of metabolic syndrome depends on the degree of insulin resistance. However, currently there is no adequate clinical marker for quantitative analysis of insulin resistance. A small quantity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) protein, which is an inactive form and commonly called 'preheparin LPL mass', exists in serum and i s detected by a sensitive immunoassay system. Recent studies have reported the clinical sig Read More

In the past few years, there has been a growing interest in the heptapeptide Angiotensin(Ang)-(1-7), mainly because of its ability to counter regulate many of Ang II actions. Furthermore, heart and blood vessels are important target tissues for Ang-(1-7) formation and actions. The introduction of novel tools, such as the Ang-(1-7) antagonists, A-779 and D-pro7-Ang-(1-7), the Ang-(1-7) agonist AVE 0991, transgenic r Read More