Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are mitochondrial enzymes with 2 isoforms that have emerged as important contributors to cardiovascular oxidative stress via the constant generation of hydrogen peroxide. The present study was purported to assess whether MAO-derived H 2 O 2 contributes to the endothelial dysfunction in mammary arteries harvested from coronary heart disease patients with/without diabetes mellitus subjected to coronary artery bypass grafting.To this aim the effects of MAO inhibition on vascular contractility to phenylephrine and endothelial-dependent relaxation (EDR) in response to acetylcholine were studied in vascular segments. Clorgyline (irreversible MAO A inhibitor), selegiline (irreversible MAO B inhibitor), and moclobemide (reversible MAO A inhibitor) were applied in the organ bath (10µmol/L). MAO expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. We found a constant impairment of EDR that has been significantly attenuated in the presence of the MAO A and B inhibitors in both groups of coronary heart disease patients. MAO B was the dominant isoform in all human diseased vessels. In conclusion, in vitro inhibition of MAO significantly improved endothelium-dependent relaxation in human mammary arteries, regardless the presence of diabetes. These data suggest that MAO inhibitors might be useful in restoring endothelial response in clinical conditions associated with increased oxidative stress, such as coronary artery disease and diabetes.Key words: monoamine oxidases, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, endothelial dysfunction, MAO inhibitors IntroductionCoronary heart disease (CHD) is currently the leading cause of morbidity due to heart failure and its evolution is aggravated by the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM) whose prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. Nowadays, it is widely accepted that A large body of experimental evidence showed that under physiological conditions the amount of H 2 O 2 generated via MAO is reduced but in cardiac pathologies (such as myocardial ischemia/reperfusion and heart failure) the increased activity of the MAO-A isoform becomed deleterious (Bianchi et al. 2005a; Kaludercic et al. 2011; Kaludercic et al. 2010).Accordingly, in the rodent heart, MAO-A activation contributes to the ischemia/reperfusion injury in the in vivo model of regional ischemia (Bianchi et al. 2005a,b; Carpi et al. 2009) and to the maladaptive ventricular remodeling in the transverse aortic constriction-induced model of heart failure, respectively (Kaludercic et al. 2010;Villeneuve et al. 2013).Furthermore, an elegant study has unequivocally proven the role of MAO-B activation in triggering mitochondrial dysfunction besides the cardiac structural and functional alterations in mice with experimentally induced heart failure (Kaludercic et al. 2014). Recently, we described the role of MAOs as mediators of endothelial dysfunction and the beneficial effect of MAO inhibition in murine diseased vessels (Sturza et al. 2013), and in experimental diabetes mellitus, respec...
Embryonic chromosome abnormalities are the most important causes of early spontaneous abortions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spectrum and the frequencies of chromosomal anomalies in spontaneous miscarriages and to correlate these with maternal and gestational age. A retrospective study was conducted based on data obtained from a single medical genetics laboratory that collects cases from Western Romania. Long-term cultures of chorionic villus samples were established for karyotype analysis by GTG banding. Additionally, we performed QF-PCR to detect aneuploidies for chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y. In total, chorionic villi samples of 330 miscarriages (from August 2007 to November 2018) were analyzed. Results were obtained for 90.6% (299/330) of the cases. The remaining 9.4% (31/330) were excluded from evaluation due to inconclusive results. An abnormal karyotype was found in 156 cases (47.27%), while in 143 cases (43.33%) a normal karyotype was present. Of the abnormal cases, 88 (56.4%) had trisomies, 25 (16.0%) presented polyploidies, 25 (16.0%) had monosomy X, and 19 (11.5%) chromosome rearrangements. QF-PCR analysis identified aneuploidy in 2 out of 8 samples (25%). Cytogenetic investigations of spontaneous abortions provide valid data as to the cause of the abortion. This information may also be helpful for genetic counseling and considering future pregnancies.
Background and Objectives: Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has been confirmed as the most accurate screening test for trisomies 21, 18, 13, sex chromosomes aneuploidies and several microdeletions. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of cell free DNA testing based on low-level whole-genome sequencing to screen for these chromosomal abnormalities and to evaluate the clinical performance of NIPT. Materials and Methods: 380 consecutive cases from a single genetic center, from Western Romania were included in this retrospective study. Cell-free nucleic acid extraction from maternal blood, DNA sequencing and analysis of sequenced regions were performed by BGI Hong Kong and Invitae USA to determine the risk of specific fetal chromosomal abnormalities. In high-risk cases the results were checked by direct analysis of fetal cells obtained by invasive methods: 6 chorionic villus sampling and 10 amniocenteses followed by combinations of QF-PCR, karyotyping and aCGH. Results: NIPT results indicated low risk in 95.76% of cases and high risk in 4.23%. Seven aneuploidies and one microdeletion were confirmed, the other results were found to be a false-positive. A gestational age of up to 22 weeks had no influence on fetal fraction. There were no significant differences in fetal fraction across the high and low risk groups. Conclusions: This is the first study in Romania to report the NIPT results. The confirmation rate was higher for autosomal aneuploidies compared to sex chromosome aneuploidies and microdeletions. All cases at risk for trisomy 21 were confirmed. Only one large fetal microdeletion detected by NIPT has been confirmed. False positive NIPT results, not confirmed by invasive methods, led to the decision to continue the pregnancy. The main limitation of the study is the small number of patients included. NIPT can be used as a screening method for all pregnancies, but in high-risk cases, an invasive confirmation test was performed.
Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of global death with a rising prevalence and a heavy economic burden. Periodontal disease has been associated with cardiovascular diseases—including incident coronary heart disease, peripheral artery disease and ischemic stroke. The study evaluates the quality of life of patients with cardiovascular and periodontal disease from the point of view of oral health by using the short version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. Materials and Methods: This study included a total of 221 patients (61.86 ± 15.03 years old) selected from the Emergency Hospital of Sibiu, Romania. The participants self-completed the OHIP-14 questionnaire and they benefited from an oral health examination conducted to assess the presence and the severity of periodontal disease. Results: Out of the 147 patients with cardiovascular disease, 77.5% had periodontal disease (32.6% stage I, 29.2% stage II, and 15.6% stage III and IV). The presence of periodontal disease was associated with a lower oral-health-related quality of life (p < 0.001, ANOVA) and with a higher OHIP-14 score in patients with cardiovascular disease (18.67 ± 8.17, p < 0.001 ANOVA). No significant difference was observed concerning patient sex and background; however, age, body mass index and the lack of an appropriate oral hygiene routine had a strong association with the individual quality of life. The general OHIP-14 score was higher in patients with periodontal disease and associated cardiovascular disease, the presence of both cardiovascular and periodontal disease being associated with a lower quality of life. Conclusions: By increasing the patients’ awareness to oral healthcare measures, better outcomes and improved oral-health-related quality of life could be observed.
A constant situation present in the anatomy laboratories is represented by the cadavers preservation resulted from dissection. The main requirement for this process is the use of formaldehyde which is a toxic substance probably included in the class of carcinogenic substances. Large specimens resulted from dissection process, such as limbs or trunks, can be preserved only in large containers filled with formaldehyde and for limited periods of time. To remove these issues we used the anatomy laboratory in order to be able to preserve the first sustainable plastinated anatomical specimens. In our study have been used 8 adult human bodies (partial and complete), 6 females and 2 males, aged between 62 and 73. We have removed and dissected brains, upper limbs, kidneys and livers. They have undergone preservation process of plastination.
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