Clinical Trial | By Chen SL, Zhang JJ, Stone GW et al.
BACKGROUND - Provisional stenting (PS) is the most common technique used to treat distal left main (LM) bifurcation lesions in patients with unprotected LM coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The double kissing (DK) crush planned 2-stent technique has been shown to improve clinical outcomes in non-LM bifurcations compa...
The Aging Cardiovascular System: Understanding It at the Cellular and Clinical Levels
Review Article | By Paneni F, Diaz Cañestro C, Camici GG et al.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) presents a great burden for elderly patients, their caregivers, and health systems. Structural and functional alterations of vessels accumulate throughout life, culminating in increased risk of developing CVD. The growing elderly population worldwide highlights the need to understand how aging promotes CVD in order to develop new strategies to confront this challenge. This review provides examples o...
Basic Biology of Oxidative Stress and the Cardiovascular System: Part 1 of a 3-Part Series
Review Article | By Sack MN, Fyhrquist FY, Kovacic JC et al.
The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a fundamental aspect of normal human biology. However, when ROS generation exceeds endogenous antioxidant capacity, oxidative stress arises. If unchecked, ROS production and oxidative stress mediate tissue and cell damage that can spiral in a cycle of inflammation and more oxidative stress. This article is part 1 of a&n...
A Combination of Allogeneic Stem Cells Promotes Cardiac Regeneration
Original Research | By Natsumeda M, Florea V, Hare JM et al.
BACKGROUND - The combination of autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and cardiac stem cells(CSCs) synergistically reduces scar size and improves cardiac function in ischemic cardiomyopathy. Whereas allogeneic (allo-)MSCs are immunoevasive, the capacity of CSCs to similarly elude the immune system remains controversial, potentially limiting the su...
Interleukin-1 Beta as a Target for Atherosclerosis Therapy: Biological Basis of CANTOS and Beyond
Inflammatory pathways drive atherogenesis and link conventional risk factors to atherosclerosis and its complications. One inflammatory mediator has come to the fore as a therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease. The experimental and clinical evidence reviewed here support interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) as both a local vascular and systemic contributor in this regard. Intrinsic vascular wall cells and...
Impact of Oxidative Stress on the Heart and Vasculature: Part 2 of a 3-Part Series
Review Article | By Münzel T, Camici GG, Kovacic JC et al.
Vascular disease and heart failure impart an enormous burden in terms of global morbidity and mortality. Although there are many different causes of cardiac and vascular disease, most causes share an important pathological mechanism: oxidative stress. In the failing heart, oxidative stress occurs in the myocardium and correlates with left ventricular dysfunction. Reactive oxygen species (ROS)...
Review Article | By Niemann B, Newby DE, Kovacic JC et al.
Oxidative stress occurs whenever the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) exceeds endogenous antioxidant capacity. In this paper, we review the specific role of several cardiovascular risk factors in promoting oxidative stress: diabetes, obesity, smoking, and excessive pollution. Specifically, the risk of developing heart failure is higher in patients with diabetes&...
Translational Perspective on Epigenetics in Cardiovascular Disease
Review Article | By van der Harst P, de Windt LJ, Chambers JC
A plethora of environmental and behavioral factors interact, resulting in changes in gene expression and providing a basis for the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. Heterogeneity in gene expression responses among cells and individuals involves epigenetic mechanisms. Advancing technology allowing genome-scale interrogation of epigenetic marks provides a rapidly expanding view of the complexity and diversity of the epig...
LOX-1 in Atherosclerosis and Myocardial Ischemia: Biology, Genetics, and Modulation
Review Article | By Pothineni NVK, Karathanasis SK, Mehta JL et al.
Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), one of the scavenger receptors for oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ox-LDL), plays a crucial role in the uptake of ox-LDL by cells in the arterial wall. Mounting evidence suggests a role for LOX-1 in various steps of the atherosclerotic process, from initiation to plaque destabilization. Studies of the genetic structure of LOX-1 have also unc...
The Role of Nitroglycerin and Other Nitrogen Oxides in Cardiovascular Therapeutics
| By Divakaran S, Loscalzo J et al.
The use of nitroglycerin in the treatment of angina pectoris began not long after its original synthesis in 1847. Since then, the discovery of nitric oxide as a biological effector and better understanding of its roles in vasodilation, cell permeability, platelet function, inflammation, and other vascular processes have advanced our knowledge of the hemodynamic (mostly mediated through vasodilation of capacitance and condu...