Age of hypertension onset in multiple sclerosis patients.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Hypertension (HTN) is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), and it is associated with poorer outcomes. We sought to characterize HTN age at onset (AAO) by MS status. METHODS/RESULTS: There were 130,050 incident HTN patients, among whom there were 892 MS patients. We conducted multivariable linear regression adjusting for patient attributes. Sex- and race-stratified models were conducted. HTN AAO did not differ in patients with and without MS (p = 0.17). Similar null associations were observed in the sex- and race-specific analyses. CONCLUSION: While there are complex relationships between HTN and MS, there are no differences in HTN AAO by MS status.

Induced thyme product prevents VEGF-induced migration in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Compounds with anti-angiogenic properties are useful in combating cancer by preventing new blood vessel formation to support the tumor. In this report we introduce a rapid method for screening potential anti-angiogenic compounds in a model system that stimulates the production of secondary defense chemicals in plants. This methodology identified an inducible vascular factor (IVF3), which was found to be inhibitory in all of the model systems tested. Thyme plants were exposed to highly vascular mint plants and the methanol extracts were analyzed by reverse phase HPLC. The thyme compounds induced by the invading mint tissue, and not present in the thyme plants grown alone, were tested in a vertical plate assay measuring root length as a quantitative assay for drug sensitivity. The HPLC-purified extract, referred to as IVF3, reduced the growth of root vascular tissue compared to the control and vehicle control, and 50% as well as known angiogenesis inhibitors, VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor and amiloride hydrochloride. Extracted compounds that were effective inhibitors of plant roots were assayed in Madin Darby canine kidney epithelial cells (MDCK) for toxicity, and in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) for their effect on migration. IVF3 was effective at limiting HUVEC migration in VEGF-stimulated cultures. In vivo video capture of intersegmental vessel circulation between 48 and 72 h post fertilization in the developing vasculature of zebrafish embryos showed IVF3 also significantly reduced ISV functional circulation. This report demonstrates the anti-angiogenic effects of IVF3 extract in endothelial cells and in an intact vertebrate model for angiogenesis.