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Taken together, short-term green tea treatment improved cardiovascular function in a hypertension model characterized by sympathoexcitation, which may be because of its antioxidant properties.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with impaired vascular function, which contributes to the increased incidence of chronic disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether aerobic training improves AngII-induced vasoconstriction in IUGR rats. Moreover, we assess the role of superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoforms and NADPH oxidase-derived superoxide anions in this improvement. Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups on day 1 of pregnancy. A control group was fed standard chow ad libitum, and a restricted group was fed 50% of the ad libitum intake throughout gestation. At 8 weeks of age, male offspring from both groups were randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups: sedentary control (SC), trained control (TC), sedentary restricted (SRT), and trained restricted (TRT). The training protocol was performed on a treadmill and consisted of a continuous 60-min session 5 days/week for 10 weeks. Following aerobic training, concentration–response curves to AngII were obtained in endothelium-intact aortic rings. Protein expression of SOD isoforms, AngII receptors and the NADPH oxidase component p47phox was assessed by Western blot analysis. The dihydroethidium was used to evaluate the in situ superoxide levels under basal conditions or in the presence of apocynin, losartan or PD 123,319. Our results indicate that aerobic training can prevent IUGR-associated increases in AngII-dependent vasoconstriction and can restore basal superoxide levels in the aortic rings of TRT rats. Moreover, we observed that aerobic training normalized the increased p47phox protein expression and increased MnSOD and AT2 receptor protein expression in thoracic aortas of SRT rats. In summary, aerobic training can result in an upregulation of antioxidant defense by improved of MnSOD expression and attenuation of NADPH oxidase component p47phox. These effects are accompanied by increased expression of AT2 receptor, which provide positive effects against Ang II–induced superoxide generation, resulting in attenuation of AngII-induced vasoconstriction.

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Several studies indicate that the fetal environment plays a significant role in the development of cardiometabolic disease later in life. However, a few studies present conflicting data about the correlation between birth weight and the impairment of cardiac autonomic modulation. The purpose of the present study was to provide further knowledge to elucidate this contradictory relationship. One hundred children aged 5 and 14 years had anthropometric parameters, body composition and blood pressure levels determined. Heart rate variability (HRV) was evaluated by heart rate monitoring, including measurements of both the time and frequency domains. The results showed inverse correlation between the HRV parameters with BMI (RMSSD: P = 0.047; PNN50: P = 0.021; HF: P = 0.041), systolic (RMSSD: P = 0.023; PNN50: P = 0.032) and diastolic (PNN50: P = 0.030) blood pressure levels. On the other hand, there were consistent positive correlations between the HRV parameters and birth weight (RMSSD: P = 0.001; PNN50: P = 0.001; HF: P = 0.002). To determine the effect of birth weight on HRV parameters, we perform multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for potentially confounding factors (prematurity, gender, age, BMI, physical activity index and SBP levels). These findings were preserved even after adjusting for these confounders. Our results suggested that impaired cardiac autonomic modulation characterized by a reduction in the parasympathetic activity occurs in children with low birth weight. One possible interpretation for these data is that a vagal withdrawal, rather than a sympathetic overactivity, could precede the development of hypertension and other cardiometabolic diseases in children with low birth weight. However, long-term studies should be performed to investigate this possibility.

Obesity represents the single greatest ongoing roadblock to improving cardiovascular health. Prolonged obesity is associated with fundamental changes in the integrative control of energy balance, including the development of selective leptin resistance, which is thought to contribute to obesity-associated hypertension, and adaptation of resting metabolic rate (RMR) when excess weight is reduced. Leptin and the melanocortin system within the hypothalamus contribute to the control of both energy balance and blood pressure. While the development of drugs to stimulate RMR and thereby reverse obesity through activation of the melanocortin system has been pursued, most of the resulting compounds simultaneously cause hypertension. Evidence supports the concept that although feeding behaviors, RMR, and blood pressure are controlled through mechanisms that utilize similar molecular mediators, these mechanisms exist in anatomically dissociable networks. New evidence supports a major change in molecular signaling within AgRP (Agouti-related peptide) neurons of the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus during prolonged obesity and the existence of multiple distinct subtypes of AgRP neurons that individually contribute to control of feeding, RMR, or blood pressure. Finally, ongoing work by our laboratory and others support a unique role for AT 1 (angiotensin II type 1 receptor) within one specific subtype of AgRP neuron for the control of RMR. We propose that understanding the unique biology of the AT 1 -expressing, RMR-controlling subtype of AgRP neurons will help to resolve the selective dysfunctions in RMR control that develop during prolonged obesity and potentially point toward novel druggable antiobesity targets that will not simultaneously cause hypertension.

Endocan is an important biomarker of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction that increases in association with several chronic diseases. Few published data have described the role of endocan in pediatric renal transplant (RT) patients. We evaluated the endocan concentrations in 62 children who underwent renal transplantation and assessed their relationships with the patients' blood pressure and loss of renal function. The endocan levels were significantly elevated in the pediatric RT patients who had hypertension and a loss of renal function. We determined positive correlations between the endocan concentrations and the hemodynamic variables (systolic blood pressure: r = 0.416; P = 0.001; pulse pressure: r = 0.412; P = 0.003). The endocan levels were inversely correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = −0.388; P = 0.003). An endocan cutoff concentration of 7.0 ng/mL identified pediatric RT patients who had hypertension and a loss of renal function with 100% sensitivity and 75% specificity. In conclusion, the endocan concentrations were significantly elevated in pediatric RT patients who had both hypertension and a loss of renal function. The correlations between the endocan levels and the hemodynamic variables and the markers of renal function strengthen the hypothesis that it is an important marker of cardiorenal risk.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can induce deleterious changes in the modulatory ability of the vascular endothelium, contributing to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in the long term. However, the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Emerging evidence has suggested the potential role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in vascular health and repair. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effects of IUGR on vascular reactivity and EPCs derived from the peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) in vitro. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed an ad libitum diet (control group) or 50% of the ad libitum diet (restricted group) throughout gestation. We determined vascular reactivity, nitric oxide (NO) concentration, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein expression by evaluating the thoracic aorta of adult male offspring from both groups (aged: 19-20 weeks). Moreover, the amount, functional capacity, and senescence of EPCs were assessed in vitro. Our results indicated that IUGR reduced vasodilation via acetylcholine in aorta rings, decreased NO levels, and increased eNOS phosphorylation at Thr495. The amount of EPCs was similar between both groups; however, IUGR decreased the functional capacity of EPCs from the PB and BM. Furthermore, the senescence process was accelerated in BM-derived EPCs from IUGR rats. In summary, our findings demonstrated the deleterious changes in EPCs from IUGR rats, such as reduced EPC function and accelerated senescence in vitro. These findings may contribute towards elucidating the possible mechanisms involved in endothelial dysfunction induced by fetal programming.