Current Vascular Pharmacology - Volume 10, Issue 1, 2012

Current Vascular Pharmacology (CVP) has come a long way 10 years after its launching. We obtained listing on MEDLINE several years ago and our impact factor is now 3.184 [Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) website]. This places us on the top 16% of all journals listed on the ISI website. Most medical journals do not even achieve listing on that website. This year, we already have a very interesting choice of articles that co Read More

During the last decade, it has been well documented that the vascular endothelium is not only a monolayer of endothelial cells (ECs) that lines the entire vascular system, but also it contributes actively to vascular homeostasis, inflammatory and immune responses [1]. More specifically, it has been found that endothelial cells exert significant autocrine, paracrine or endocrine actions and affect platelets, smooth muscle cells, as Read More

The vascular endothelium is a monolayer of cells between the vessel lumen and the vascular smooth muscle cells. Nitric oxide (NO) is a soluble gas continuously synthesized from the amino acid L-arginine in endothelial cells by the constitutive calcium-calmodulin-dependent enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). This substance has a wide range of biological properties that maintain vascular homeostasis, including modulation of va Read More

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a high prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD), as diabetes is implicated in the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Endothelial dysfunction is one of the precursor key steps in the development of atherosclerosis in diabetic subjects. Decreased nitric oxide (NO) production, increased oxidative stress and impaired function of endothelial progenitor cells are the main me Read More

Endothelial dysfunction represents an important step in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. All vascular risk factors can induce endothelial dysfunction, which in turn results in the loss of the protective effects of the endothelium culminating in the development of atherosclerosis. Dyslipidemia is a major vascular risk factor and is associated with endothelial dysfunction. Several studies showed that lipid-lowering age Read More

A large body of evidence indicates that patients with essential hypertension are characterized by endothelial dysfunction mediated by an impaired NO availability secondary to oxidative stress production. A dysfunctioning endothelium is an early marker of the development of atherosclerotic changes and can also contribute to cardiovascular events. Vascular reactivity tests represent the most widely used methods in the clinic Read More

Nitric oxide (NO) is a soluble gas continuously synthesized from the amino acid L-arginine in endothelial cells by the constitutive calcium-calmodulin-dependent enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Endothelial dysfunction has been identified as a major mechanism involved in all the stages of atherogenesis. Evaluation of endothelial function seems to have a predictive role in humans, and therapeutic interventions improving nit Read More

Persistent oxidative stress in the vascular wall may lead to endothelial dysfunction, a pathological process widely implicated in the morbidities observed in a spectrum of cardiovascular disease. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is regulated by various oxidase enzymes and mitochondrial electron transport mechanisms. Nitric oxide (NO) is a key mediator of endothelial function via its effect on endothelium de Read More

Atherosclerotic disease remains a major health problem around the world. The central role of endothelium and inflammation in all stages of the atherosclerotic process is advocated by significant data. Moreover, clinical evidence supports the prognostic potential of endothelial dysfunction for the development of ischemic events and for adverse outcome after acute coronary syndromes. Interestingly, suboptimal lifestyle choice Read More

Cardiovascular atherosclerotic and ischemic diseases constitute the leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout middle- and high-income countries. More efficient preventive and regenerative therapeutic strategies are therefore urgently needed. The repeated finding that putative “endothelial progenitor cells” (EPCs) can efficiently promote angiogenesis and restore perfusion of ischemic tissues has provoked a weal Read More

Vascular endothelial dysfunction is a key biological process underlying the development of cardiovascular disease and therefore of potential importance as a target for gene-based therapy. Modification of nitric oxide bioavailability through gene therapy is possible in animal studies and of clinical relevance because of the central role for nitric oxide in vascular homeostasis. However, most clinical trials have so far focused o Read More