In Memoriam: Paul M. Vanhoutte

Abstract

On 23 August 2019, science lost one of its great minds: Paul Michel Georges Remi Vanhoutte, born on 26 November 1940 in Merelbeke near Ghent in Belgium, unexpectedly died in Paris after he had suffered a fall 10 days earlier. He was 'one of the fathers of vascular biology' (Heistad, 2008) who contributed to and shaped our understanding of how vascular endothelial cells regulate blood flow under physiological conditions and in disease.

Examining the kinetics of the thermal polymerisation behaviour of epoxy resins initiated with a series of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium based ionic liquids

“…They also find use as anticorrosive coatings, adhesives and paints due to their corrosion resistance and good adhesion to a wide variety of substrates [ 6,7 ], while in many advanced composites, epoxy resins form the continuous phase [8]. The reactivity of the epoxy (oxirane) ring enables the use of a wide variety of chemical compounds to initiate cure [9] and imidazoles catalyse the homopolymerisation of epoxide groups and yield tough thermoset networks [8,12] with attractive physical properties [10] such as heat resistance [11], tensile elongation, a higher modulus and a wider range of cure temperatures compared with amine-cured systems [12,13]. Structurally related imidazolium-based ionic liquids ( Figure 1) are one of the most studied groups of ionic liquids [14] and are often selected due to the stability of the ring in oxidative and reductive environments, the low viscosity exhibited and the relative ease of synthesis [ 15 ].…”

Challenges in the evaluation of endothelial cell dysfunction: a statement from the European Society of Hypertension Working Group on Endothelin and Endothelial Factors

“…In addition to the release of nitric oxide, cyclooxygenase (COX)-derived prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) [33] and mediators propagating endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization (EDH) [34], endothelial cells are source of potent vasoconstrictors and growth-stimulating peptides, such as angiotensin II (Ang II) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) [35], and prostaglandins such as PGH 2 (thromboxane A 2/ TxA 2 ) [36]. Paul Vanhoutte (1940Vanhoutte ( -2019 discovered that endothelium-derived contracting factor (EDCF) is identical with cyclooxygenase-derived TxA 2 /PGH 2 [36,37], a potent VSMC mitogen [38]. The renal artery is at least one order of magnitude more sensitive to contractions evoked by ET-1 than other conduit arteries [39].…”

Vasodilatation: One Question with Many Answers

“…This was reported for the first time in 1986 at MOVD in Rochester, MN, first by Robert F. Furchgott and merely 15 minutes later by Louis J. Ignarro. 2 In 1998, they shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Ferid Murad for the discoveries concerning NO as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. The very first scientific publication on this topic was, however, by another group of participants at MOVD1986.…”