Inhibitors of NLRP3 Inflammasome Formation: A Cardioprotective Role for the Gasotransmitters Carbon Monoxide, Nitric Oxide, and Hydrogen Sulphide in Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Myocardial ischaemia reperfusion injury (IRI) occurring from acute coronary artery disease or cardiac surgical interventions such as bypass surgery can result in myocardial dysfunction, presenting as, myocardial "stunning", arrhythmias, infarction, and adverse cardiac remodelling, and may lead to both a systemic and a localised inflammatory response. This localised cardiac inflammatory response is regulated through the nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain (NACHT), leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-containing protein family pyrin domain (PYD)-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a multimeric structure whose components are present within both cardiomyocytes and in cardiac fibroblasts. The NLRP3 inflammasome is activated via numerous danger signals produced by IRI and is central to the resultant innate immune response. Inhibition of this inherent inflammatory response has been shown to protect the myocardium and stop the occurrence of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome following the re-establishment of cardiac circulation. Therapies to prevent NLRP3 inflammasome formation in the clinic are currently lacking, and therefore, new pharmacotherapies are required. This review will highlight the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome within the myocardium during IRI and will examine the therapeutic value of inflammasome inhibition with particular attention to carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulphide as potential pharmacological inhibitors of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Improved cardiac outcomes with combined atenolol and diazepam intervention in seizure.

OBJECTIVE: Altered autonomic activity has been implicated in the development of cardiac dysfunction during seizures. This study investigates whether intervening in seizure progression with diazepam will reduce seizure-induced cardiomyopathy. Second, this study examines the hypothesis that combining atenolol with diazepam, as an intervention after seizure onset, will combat cardiac injury during status epilepticus. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with electroencephalographic/electrocardiographic electrodes to allow simultaneous recordings during seizures induced by intrahippocampal (2 nmol, 1 µL) kainic acid (KA). Subcutaneous saline, atenolol (5 mg·kg-1 ), diazepam (5 mg·kg-1 ), or atenolol and diazepam (n = 12/group) were administered at 60 minutes post-KA and daily for 7 days, at which point echocardiography, susceptibility to aconitine-induced arrhythmias, and histology were evaluated. RESULTS: Seizure activity was associated with immediately increased heart rate, QTc interval, and blood pressure (BP; 10%-30% across indices). Seven days postseizure, saline-treated animals were found to have reduced left ventricular function, increased fibrotic scarring, and an elevated risk of aconitine-induced arrhythmias. Diazepam treatment significantly reduced cumulative seizure behaviors by 79% compared to saline-treated animals but offered no cardiac protection. Diazepam significantly raised BP (35%) and increased the risk of bigeminal arrhythmias (36%) compared to saline-treated animals. Atenolol administration, either alone or with diazepam, reduced heart rate, QTc interval, and BP back to control levels. Atenolol also preserved cardiac morphology and reduced arrhythmia risk. SIGNIFICANCE: Attenuation of seizure with diazepam offered no cardiac protection; however, coadministration of atenolol with diazepam prevented the development of seizure-induced cardiac dysfunction. This study demonstrates that atenolol intervention should be strongly considered as an adjunct clinical treatment to reduce cardiomyopathy during seizures.

Progressive development of cardiomyopathy following altered autonomic activity in status epilepticus.

Seizures are associated with altered autonomic activity, which has been implicated in the development of cardiac dysfunction and structural damage. This study aimed to investigate the involvement of the autonomic nervous system in seizure-induced cardiomyopathy. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (320-350 g) were implanted with EEG/ECG electrodes to allow simultaneous telemetric recordings during seizures induced by intrahippocampal (2 nmol, 1 µl/min) kainic acid and monitored for 7 days. Seizure activity occurred in conjunction with increased heart rate (20%), blood pressure (25%), and QTc prolongation (15%). This increased sympathetic activity was confirmed by the presence of raised plasma noradrenaline levels at 3 h post-seizure induction. By 48 h post-seizure induction, sympathovagal balance was shifted in favor of sympathetic dominance, as indicated by both heart rate variability (LF/HF ratio of 3.5 ± 1.0) and pharmacological autonomic blockade. Functional cardiac deficits were evident at 7 and 28 days, as demonstrated by echocardiography showing a decreased ejection fraction (14% compared with control, P < 0.05) and dilated cardiomyopathy present at 28 days following seizure induction. Histological changes, including cardiomyocyte vacuolization, cardiac fibrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration, were evident within 48 h of seizure induction and remained present for up to 28 days. These structural changes most probably contributed to an increased susceptibility to aconitine-induced arrhythmias. This study confirms that prolonged seizure activity results in acute and chronic alterations in cardiovascular control, leading to a deterioration in cardiac structure and function. This study further supports the need for modulation of sympathetic activity as a promising therapeutic approach in seizure-induced cardiomyopathy.

Chronic bilateral renal denervation reduces cardiac hypertrophic remodelling but not ß-adrenergic responsiveness in hypertensive type 1 diabetic rats.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Can bilateral renal denervation, an effective antihypertensive treatment in clinical and experimental studies, improve cardiac ß-adrenoceptor responsiveness in a diabetic model with underlying hypertension? What is the main finding and its importance? Bilateral renal denervation did not affect ß-adrenergic responsiveness in the diabetic hypertensive rat heart, but denervation reduced the hypertension-induced concentric hypertrophic remodelling. This suggests that the positive haemodynamic changes induced by renal denervation are most likely to reflect an attenuation of sympathetic effects on the systemic vasculature and/or the renal function rather than direct sympathetic modulation of the heart. Bilateral renal denervation (BRD) has been shown to normalise blood pressure in clinical and experimental studies of hypertension by reducing systemic sympathetic output. This study determined the effect of BRD on cardiac ß-adrenoceptor (AR) responsiveness in a diabetic model with underlying hypertension using the transgenic (mRen-2)27 rats. Bilateral renal denervation or sham surgeries were conducted repeatedly at 3, 6 and 9 weeks in Ren-2 rats with or without streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes (4 × n = 7); Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6) served as control animals. Cardiac function was determined in isolated hearts at 18 weeks of age. Normalised left ventricular developed pressure and relaxation was recorded in response to incremental concentrations of the ß-AR agonist isoprenaline (from 10-10 to 10-7 m) or the ß3 -AR agonist BRL37344 (from 10(-13) to 10(-6 ) m). Expression levels of ß1 -AR were determined by Western blot. Both inotropic and lusitropic ß-AR responsiveness was reduced in the hypertensive diabetic hearts, but these responses were unaltered after BRD. Expression levels of ß1 -AR were increased after BRD (Sham, 0.85 ± 0.11 versus 1.01 ± 0.05 a.u.; BRD, 1.45 ± 0.11 versus 1.46 ± 0.07 a.u.; Ren-2 versus Ren-2 STZ, P < 0.05 versus Sham). No effect of ß3 -AR agonist stimulation with BRL37344 was observed. Interestingly, BRD increased left ventricular diastolic volume in both the Ren-2 and the Ren-2 STZ groups. Bilateral renal denervation did not restore the attenuated cardiac ß-AR responsiveness in the diabetic hypertensive rats, but it reduced the extent of hypertension-induced concentric hypertrophic remodelling. Thus, the haemodynamic protection offered by renal denervation appears to reflect an attenuated sympathetic innervation of the systemic vasculature and/or kidney rather than a direct cardiac effect.

Chronic bilateral renal denervation attenuates renal injury in a transgenic rat model of diabetic nephropathy.

Bilateral renal denervation (BRD) has been shown to reduce hypertension and improve renal function in both human and experimental studies. We hypothesized that chronic intervention with BRD may also attenuate renal injury and fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy. This hypothesis was examined in a female streptozotocin-induced diabetic (mRen-2)27 rat (TGR) shown to capture the cardinal features of human diabetic nephropathy. Following diabetic induction, BRD/sham surgeries were conducted repeatedly (at the week 3, 6, and 9 following induction) in both diabetic and normoglycemic animals. Renal denervation resulted in a progressive decrease in systolic blood pressure from first denervation to termination (at 12 wk post-diabetic induction) in both normoglycemic and diabetic rats. Renal norepinephrine content was significantly raised following diabetic induction and ablated in denervated normoglycemic and diabetic groups. A significant increase in glomerular basement membrane thickening and mesangial expansion was seen in the diabetic kidneys; this morphological appearance was markedly reduced by BRD. Immunohistochemistry and protein densitometric analysis of diabetic innervated kidneys confirmed the presence of significantly increased levels of collagens I and IV, α-smooth muscle actin, the ANG II type 1 receptor, and transforming growth factor-ß. Renal denervation significantly reduced protein expression of these fibrotic markers. Furthermore, BRD attenuated albuminuria and prevented the loss of glomerular podocin expression in these diabetic animals. In conclusion, BRD decreases systolic blood pressure and reduces the development of renal fibrosis, glomerulosclerosis, and albuminuria in this model of diabetic nephropathy. The evidence presented strongly suggests that renal denervation may serve as a therapeutic intervention to attenuate the progression of renal injury in diabetic nephropathy.

The carbon monoxide prodrug oCOm-21 increases Ca2+ sensitivity of the cardiac myofilament.

Patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass procedures require inotropic support to improve hemodynamic function and cardiac output. Current inotropes such as dobutamine, can promote arrhythmias, prompting a demand for improved inotropes with little effect on intracellular Ca2+ flux. Low-dose carbon monoxide (CO) induces inotropic effects in perfused hearts. Using the CO-releasing pro-drug, oCOm-21, we investigated if this inotropic effect results from an increase in myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. Male Sprague Dawley rat left ventricular cardiomyocytes were permeabilized, and myofilament force was measured as a function of -log [Ca2+ ] (pCa) in the range of 9.0-4.5 under five conditions: vehicle, oCOm-21, the oCOm-21 control BP-21, and levosimendan, (9 cells/group). Ca2+ sensitivity was assessed by the Ca2+ concentration at which 50% of maximal force is produced (pCa50 ). oCOm-21, but not BP-21 significantly increased pCa50 compared to vehicle, respectively (pCa50 5.52 vs. 5.47 vs. 5.44; p < 0.05). No change in myofilament phosphorylation was seen after oCOm-21 treatment. Pretreatment of cardiomyocytes with the heme scavenger hemopexin, abolished the Ca2+ sensitizing effect of oCOm-21. These results support the hypothesis that oCOm-21-derived CO increases myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity through a heme-dependent mechanism but not by phosphorylation. Further analyses will confirm if this Ca2+ sensitizing effect occurs in an intact heart.

Ischemic cardiomyopathy following seizure induction by domoic Acid.

Exposure to the excitotoxin domoic acid (DOM) has been shown to produce cardiac lesions in both clinical and animal studies. We have previously shown that DOM failed to directly affect cardiomyocyte viability and energetics, but the development of this cardiomyopathy has remained unexplained. The present study compared effects of high-level seizure induction obtained by intraperitoneal (2 mg/kg) or intrahippocampal (100 pmol) bolus administration of DOM on development of cardiac pathologies in a rat model. Assessment of cardiac pressure derivatives and coronary flow rates revealed a significant time-dependent decrease in combined left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after intraperitoneal administration and at 7 and 14 days after intrahippocampal DOM administration. LV dysfunction was matched by a similar time-dependent decrease in mitochondrial respiratory control, associated with increased proton leakage, and in mitochondrial enzyme activities. Microscopic examination of the LV midplane revealed evidence of progressive multifocal ischemic damage within the subendocardial, septal, and papillary regions. Lesions ranged from reversible early damage (vacuolization) to hypercontracture and inflammatory necrosis progressing to fibrotic scarring. Plasma proinflammatory IL-1α, IL-1ß, and TNF-α cytokine levels were also increased from 3 days after seizure induction. The observed cardiomyopathies did not differ between intraperitoneal and intrahippocampal groups, providing strong evidence that cardiac damage after DOM exposure is a consequence of a seizure-evoked autonomic response.

Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase activity is unchanged despite increased myofilament calcium sensitivity in Zucker type 2 diabetic fatty rat heart.

Systolic and diastolic dysfunction in diabetes have frequently been associated with abnormal calcium (Ca2+) regulation. However, there is emerging evidence that Ca2+ mishandling alone is insufficient to fully explain diabetic heart dysfunction, with focus shifting to the properties of the myofilament proteins. Our aim was to examine the effects of diabetes on myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity and Ca2+ handling in left ventricular tissues isolated from the same type 2 diabetic rat hearts. We measured the force-pCa relationship in skinned left ventricular cardiomyocytes isolated from 20-week-old type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic rats. Myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity was greater in the diabetic relative to non-diabetic cardiomyocytes, and this corresponded with lower phosphorylation of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) at ser23/24 in the diabetic left ventricular tissues. Protein expression of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA), phosphorylation of phospholamban (PLB) at Ser16, and SERCA/PLB ratio were lower in the diabetic left ventricular tissues. However, the maximum SERCA Ca2+ uptake rate was not different between the diabetic and non-diabetic myocardium. Our data suggest that impaired contractility in the diabetic heart is not caused by SERCA Ca2+ mishandling. This study highlights the important role of the cardiac myofilament and provides new insight on the pathophysiology of diabetic heart dysfunction.

Tin protoporphyrin provides protection following cerebral hypoxia-ischemia: involvement of alternative pathways.

The contribution of heme oxygenase (HO)-linked pathways to neurodegeneration following cerebral hypoxia-ischemia (HI) remains unclear. We investigated whether HO modulators affected HI-induced brain damage and explored potential mechanisms involved. HI was induced in 26-day-old male Wistar rats by left common carotid artery ligation, followed by exposure to a humidified atmosphere of 8% oxygen for 1 hr. Tin protoporphyrin (SnPP; an HO inhibitor), ferriprotoporphyrin (FePP; an HO inducer), or saline was administered intraperitoneally once daily from 1 day prior to HI until sacrifice at 3 days post-HI. SnPP reduced (P < 0.05) infarct volume compared with saline-treated animals, but FePP had no effect on brain injury. SnPP did not significantly inhibit HO activity at 3 days post-HI, but SnPP increased (P < 0.001) total nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity compared with HI + saline. Both inducible NOS and cyclooxygenase activities were attenuated (P < 0.05) by SnPP, whereas mitochondrial complex I and V activities were augmented (P < 0.05) by SnPP. SnPP had no effect on NMDA receptor currents. Overall, like other HO inhibitors, SnPP produced many nonselective effects, such as attenuation of inflammatory enzymes and increased mitochondrial respiratory function, which were associated with a protective response 3 days post-HI.

Melatonin treatment following stroke induction modulates L-arginine metabolism.

The efficacy of melatonin treatment in experimental stroke has been established. Some of the neuroprotective properties have been attributed to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) and cyclooxygenases (COX) are considered to have a significant role in the inflammatory milieu occurring in acute stroke. While previous reports have shown that pretreatment with melatonin in a stroke model can modulate NOS isoforms, the effect of post-treatment with melatonin on l-arginine metabolism has not been investigated. This study initially examined the effect of melatonin (1 nm-1 mm) on l-arginine metabolism pathways in human fibrosarcoma fibroblasts (HT-1080) fibroblasts. Evidence of neuroprotection with melatonin was evaluated in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Animals were treated with three daily doses of 5 mg/kg i.p., starting 1 hr after the onset of ischemia. Constitutive NOS activity but not expression was significantly increased by in vitro exposure (72 hr) to melatonin. In addition, melatonin treatment increased arginase activity by increasing arginase II expression. In vivo studies showed that melatonin treatment after MCAO significantly inhibited inducible NOS activity and attenuated expression of the inducible isoform, resulting in decreased total NOS activity and tissue nitrite levels. COX activity was significantly reduced with melatonin treatment. The neuroprotective anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin were consistent with the substantial reduction in infarct volume throughout the cortex and striatum and recovery of mitochondrial enzyme activities. The evidence presented here suggests that modulation of l-arginine metabolism by melatonin make it a valuable neuroprotective therapy for stroke.

Spironolactone mitigates, but does not reverse, the progression of renal fibrosis in a transgenic hypertensive rat.

Hypertension plays an important role in the development and progression of chronic kidney disease. Studies to date, with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), have demonstrated varying degrees of results in modifying the development of renal fibrosis. This study aimed to investigate whether treatment with a MRA commenced following the establishment of hypertension, a situation more accurately representing the clinical setting, modified the progression of renal fibrosis. Using male Cyp1a1Ren2 rats (n = 28), hypertension was established by addition of 0.167% indole-3-carbinol (w/w) to the rat chow, for 2 weeks prior to treatment. Rats were then divided into normotensive, hypertensive (H), or hypertensive with daily oral spironolactone treatment (H + SP) (human equivalent dose 50 mg/day). Physiological data and tissue were collected after 4 and 12 weeks for analysis. After 4 weeks, spironolactone had no demonstrable effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP), proteinuria, or macrophage infiltration in the renal cortex. However, glomerulosclerosis and renal cortical fibrosis were significantly decreased. Following 12 weeks of spironolactone treatment, SBP was lowered (not back to normotensive levels), proteinuria was reduced, and the progression of glomerulosclerosis and renal cortical fibrosis was significantly blunted. This was associated with a significant reduction in macrophage and myofibroblast infiltration, as well as CTGF and pSMAD2 expression. In summary, in a model of established hypertension, spironolactone significantly blunted the progression of renal fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis, and downregulated the renal inflammatory response, which was associated with reduced proteinuria, despite only a partial reduction in systolic blood pressure. This suggests a blood pressure independent effect of MRA on renal fibrosis.

Encapsulation of tDodSNO generates a photoactivated nitric oxide releasing nanoparticle for localized control of vasodilation and vascular hyperpermeability.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a photoactive nitric oxide (NO) releasing nanoparticle (NP) by encapsulation of the NO donor tert-dodecane S-nitrosothiol (tDodSNO) into a co-polymer of styrene and maleic anhydride (SMA) to afford SMA-tDodSNO. Encapsulation did not affect tDodSNO's stability or NO release profile, but imparted water solubility and protection from degradation reactions with glutathione. Under photoactivation the NP acted as a potent NO donor, with photoactivation acting as a switch to induce localized vasodilation in aortic rings (EC50* 660 nM at 2700 W/m2) and cause vascular hyperpermeability in mesenteric beds (8-fold increase in dye uptake at 1 µM SMA-tDodSNO with 460 W/m2 photoactivation). The NP was markedly superior as a photoactive NO donor in comparison to the S-nitrosothiols GSNO and SNAP, which are commonly used in experimental studies, as well as sodium nitroprusside, a clinically used vasodilator. Future development of this NP may find wide ranging therapeutic applications for treating cardiovascular disease and other disorders related to NO signaling, as well as enhancing macromolecular drug delivery to target organs through selective hyperpermeability. Supporting information describing the biophysical characterization of SMA-tDodSNO is supplied in an accompanying Data in Brief article (Alimoradi et al., doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.10.149).

Myocardial global longitudinal strain: An early indicator of cardiac interstitial fibrosis modified by spironolactone, in a unique hypertensive rat model.

OBJECTIVES: Is global longitudinal strain (GLS) a more accurate non-invasive measure of histological myocardial fibrosis than left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in a hypertensive rodent model. BACKGROUND: Hypertension results in left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction. Speckle-tracking echocardiography has emerged as a robust technique to evaluate cardiac function in humans compared with standard echocardiography. However, its use in animal studies is less clearly defined. METHODS: Cyp1a1Ren2 transgenic rats were randomly assigned to three groups; normotensive, untreated hypertensive or hypertensive with daily administration of spironolactone (human equivalent dose of 50 mg/day). Cardiac function and interstitial fibrosis development were monitored for three months. RESULTS: The lower limit of normal LVEF was calculated to be 75%. After three months hypertensive animals (196±21 mmHg systolic blood pressure (SBP)) showed increased cardiac fibrosis (8.8±3.2% compared with 2.4±0.7% % in normals), reduced LVEF (from 81±2% to 67±7%) and impaired myocardial GLS (from -17±2% to -11±2) (all p<0.001). Myocardial GLS demonstrated a stronger correlation with cardiac interstitial fibrosis (r2 = 0.58, p<0.0001) than LVEF (r2 = 0.37, p<0.006). Spironolactone significantly blunted SBP elevation (184±15, p<0.01), slowed the progression of cardiac fibrosis (4.9±1.4%, p<0.001), reduced the decline in LVEF (72±4%, p<0.05) and the degree of impaired myocardial GLS (-13±1%, p<0.01) compared to hypertensive animals. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that, myocardial GLS is a more accurate non-invasive measure of histological myocardial fibrosis compared to standard echocardiography, in an animal model of both treated and untreated hypertension. Spironolactone blunted the progression of cardiac fibrosis and deterioration of myocardial GLS.

Data characterizing the biophysical and nitric oxide release properties of the tDodSNO - Styrene maleic anhydride nanoparticle SMA-tDodSNO.

Nitric oxide (NO) donor drugs have a range of clinical applications, and are also being developed as therapeutics for the potential treatment of multiple diseases. This article presents data describing the synthesis and characterisation of a novel NO releasing nanoparticle formed by encapsulation of the NO donor tDodSNO into a co-polymer of styrene and maleic acid (SMA) to afford SMA-tDodSNO. The pharmacological activity of SMA-tDodSNO is discussed in our accompanying manuscript "Encapsulation of tDodSNO generates a photoactivated nitric oxide releasing nanoparticle for localized control of vasodilation and vascular hyperpermeability". (Alimoradio et al. [1]).

Breeding Characteristics and Dose-dependent Blood Pressure Responses of Transgenic Cyp1a1-Ren2 Rats.

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease. A new rodent model (transgenic male Cyp1a1-Ren2 rats) provides reversible induction of hypertension through the addition of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) to the diet, without the need for surgical intervention, thus giving researchers control over both the onset of hypertension and its magnitude (I3C dose-dependency). We here report the breeding performance and productivity of Cyp1a1-Ren2 rats. Despite being transgenic, these animals proved to be efficient breeders. In addition to confirming inducible and reversible dose-dependent hypertension (by using I3C doses of 0.125%, 0.167%, and 0.25% [w/w] in the diet for 14 d, followed by normal chow for 4 d), we demonstrated that hypertension can be sustained chronically (14 wk) by continuous dosing with I3C (0.167% [w/w]) in the diet. In chronically dosed male rats, systolic blood pressure continued to rise, from 173 ± 11 mm Hg after 1 mo to 196 ± 19 mm Hg after 3 mo, with no adverse phenotypic features observed. In conclusion, Cyp1a1-Ren2 rats are a useful animal model to investigate hypertension-induced end-organ damage and potential new therapeutic targets to manage hypertension.

Angiogenesis as a predictive marker of neurological outcome following hypoxia-ischemia.

Cerebral ischemia induces angiogenesis within and around infarcted tissue. The protection of existing and growth of new blood vessels may contribute to a more favorable outcome. The present study assessed whether angiogenesis can be used as a marker for neurodegeneration/neuroprotection in a model of hypoxia-ischemia (HI). Increased CD31 immunoreactivity 7 days post-HI indicated increased angiogenesis compared to controls (P<0.001). Treatment with the GABA(A) receptor modulator, clomethiazole (CMZ; 414 mg/kg/day), normalized the level of angiogenesis compared to HI + saline (P<0.001). Conversely, the non-selective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-NAME (5 mg/kg/day), markedly decreased angiogenesis compared to controls (P<0.001). Circulating plasma levels of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta and GM-CSF were significantly elevated post-HI. CMZ treatment attenuated these increases while also stimulating IL-10 levels. L-NAME treatment did not alter IL-1alpha or IL-1beta levels, but decreased endogenous IL-10 levels and exacerbated the ischemic lesion (P<0.001). CMZ treatment has been shown to increase NOS levels, while L-NAME halted the HI-induced increase in NOS activity (P<0.001). We conclude that angiogenesis can be used as a marker of neurodegeneration/neuroprotection for cerebral HI and is correlated to NOS activity and circulating inflammatory mediators.

Renal functional responses in diabetic nephropathy following chronic bilateral renal denervation.

Renal innervation operates in conjunction with the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) to control tubular reabsorption of sodium and water. This relationship remains unexplored in diabetic nephropathy. This study investigates the effects of acute RAS inhibition and chronic renal denervation on renal function in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in mRen-2 rats prior to conducting chronic bilateral denervation in diabetic and normoglycaemic animals. At 12-weeks post-diabetic induction, renal haemodynamics and tubular handling of sodium and water were measured before and after acute captopril infusion. Neither GFR nor renal blood flow were affected by diabetes or chronic renal denervation alone. While captopril produced natriuretic and diuretic responses in chronically-denervated diabetic animals, shown by increases (P<0.05) of 38±14% in absolute (UNaV), and 71±20% in fractional sodium excretion (FENa), and 68±17% in urine volume (UV); in the innervated-diabetic group captopril produced anti-natriuretic effects (UNaV and FENa reduced by 41±10% and 29±13%, respectively; all P<0.05). This difference was not observed however in normoglycaemic groups where RAS inhibition produced anti-natriuretic (normoglycaemic denervated vs. innervated: 56±14% vs. 49±14% UNaV; 45±13% vs. 37±14% FENa) and anti-diuretic (normoglycaemic-denervated vs. innervated: 34±8% vs. 38±10% UV) effects in both denervated and innervated animals. These data indicate that renal neuronal control is altered in chronic hyperglycaemia. The role of the RAS in sodium conservation in the diabetic kidney, appears to be more significant in the absence of renal innervation, suggesting that the interaction between the RAS and renal sympathetic nervous system is responsible for changes in renal function in diabetic nephropathy.

Norborn-2-en-7-ones as physiologically-triggered carbon monoxide-releasing prodrugs.

A prodrug strategy for the release of the gasotransmitter CO at physiological pH, based upon 3a-bromo-norborn-2-en-7-one Diels-Alder cycloadducts of 2-bromomaleimides and 2,5-dimethyl-3,4-diphenylcyclopentadienone has been developed. Examples possessing protonated amine and diamine groups showed good water solubility and thermal stability. Half-lives for CO-release in TRIS-sucrose buffer at pH 7.4 ranged from 19 to 75 min at 37 °C and 31 to 32 h at 4 °C. Bioavailability in rats was demonstrated by oral gavage and oCOm-21 showed a dose dependent vasorelaxant effect in pre-contracted rat aortic rings with an EC50 of 1.6 ± 0.9 µM. Increased intracellular CO levels following oCOm-21 exposure were confirmed using a CO specific fluorescent probe.

Neuroprotective effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate following hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain damage: novel mechanisms of action.

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a potent antioxidant that is neuroprotective against ischemia-induced brain damage. However, the neuroprotective effects and possible mechanisms of action of EGCG after hypoxia-ischemia (HI) have not been investigated. Therefore, we used a modified "Levine" model of HI to determine the effects of EGCG. Wistar rats were treated with either 0.9% saline or 50 mg/kg EGCG daily for 1 day and 1 h before HI induction and for a further 2 days post-HI. At 26-days-old, both groups underwent permanent left common carotid artery occlusion and exposure to 8% oxygen/92% nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h. Histological assessment showed that EGCG significantly reduced infarct volume (38.0+/-16.4 mm(3)) in comparison to HI + saline (99.6+/-15.6 mm(3)). In addition, EGCG significantly reduced total (622.6+/-85.8 pmol L-[(3)H]citrulline/30 min/mg protein) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity (143.2+/-77.3 pmol L-[(3)H]citrulline/30 min/mg protein) in comparison to HI+saline controls (996.6+/-113.6 and 329.7+/-59.6 pmol L-[(3)H]citrulline/30 min/mg protein for total NOS and iNOS activity, respectively). Western blot analysis demonstrated that iNOS protein expression was also reduced. In contrast, EGCG significantly increased endothelial and neuronal NOS protein expression compared with HI controls. EGCG also significantly preserved mitochondrial energetics (complex I-V) and citrate synthase activity. This study demonstrates that the neuroprotective effects of EGCG are, in part, due to modulation of NOS isoforms and preservation of mitochondrial complex activity and integrity. We therefore conclude that the in vivo neuroprotective effects of EGCG are not exclusively due to its antioxidant effects but involve more complex signal transduction mechanisms.

Targeting an antioxidant to mitochondria decreases cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Mitochondrial oxidative damage contributes to a wide range of pathologies, including cardiovascular disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, protecting mitochondria from oxidative damage should be an effective therapeutic strategy. However, conventional antioxidants have limited efficacy due to the difficulty of delivering them to mitochondria in situ. To overcome this problem, we developed mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, typified by MitoQ, which comprises a lipophilic triphenylphosphonium (TPP) cation covalently attached to a ubiquinol antioxidant. Driven by the large mitochondrial membrane potential, the TPP cation concentrates MitoQ several hundred-fold within mitochondria, selectively preventing mitochondrial oxidative damage. To test whether MitoQ was active in vivo, we chose a clinically relevant form of mitochondrial oxidative damage: cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury. Feeding MitoQ to rats significantly decreased heart dysfunction, cell death, and mitochondrial damage after ischemia-reperfusion. This protection was due to the antioxidant activity of MitoQ within mitochondria, as an untargeted antioxidant was ineffective and accumulation of the TPP cation alone gave no protection. Therefore, targeting antioxidants to mitochondria in vivo is a promising new therapeutic strategy in the wide range of human diseases such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and Friedreich's ataxia where mitochondrial oxidative damage underlies the pathology.