Editorial [ Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular System Guest Editor: Kenichi Yasunari ]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced by many cell types of cardiovascular system. In healthy subjects, intrinsic antioxidative substances including alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) and vitamin C reduces ROS and protect cardiovascular cells from injury. However, excessive production of ROS and/or decreased antioxidative activity in cardiovascular cells induces oxidative stress and causes endothelial dysfunction and a variety of cardiovascular diseases, which is one of the main topic of cardiovascular medicine. In this issue, review by top researchers are organized as follows: a). What is the present and real questions to be solved for reducing cardiovascular diseases caused by oxidative stress from the viewpoints of cardiologists? Professor Ueda summarizes the applications of vitamin E antioxidative properties. b). For the evaluation of oxidative stress in cardiovascular cells, experimental animals and whole human body by the biochemical and biotechnological methods, Dr. Yasunari exemplifies the measurement of oxidative stress of leukocytes by fluorescence compounds and flow cytometry. c). Modification of oxidative stress by the natural and pharmaceutical compounds in cellular and whole body. Drs. Suzuki and Eguchi review the role of angiotensin II on oxidative stress in cardiovascular system. Dr. Ozono describes new biotechological methods to reduce oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system, focusing on the Bach1/heme oxygenase-1 pathway. d). New biotechnological methods to reduce oxidative stress in cardiovascular medicine include bone marrow cell transplantation and gene therapy. Dr. Nakagami presents a gene therapy approach using by NF-kB decoy oligonucleotides. Dr. Yao and Fukuda review the oxidative stress on progenitor and stem cells in cardiovascular diseases and Dr. Higashi in bone bone marrow cell transplantation. This special issue should provide the reader with a better understanding of some of the clinical applications of pharmaceutical biotechnology and should also help researchers in the field of biotechnological pharmacology.