Therapeutic enzymes as non-conventional targets in cardiovascular impairments: A comprehensive review.

Over the last few decades, substantial progress has been made towards the understanding of cardiovascular diseases. In-depth mechanistic insights have also provided opportunities to explore novel therapeutic targets and to discover new treatment regimens. Therapeutic enzymes are examples of such opportunities. The enzymes protect against a variety of cardiovascular diseases, however, even minor malfunctioning of these enzymes may lead to deleterious outcomes. Owing to their great versatility, the inhibition and activation of these enzymes are key regulatory approaches to counter the onset and progression of several cardiovascular impairments. While cardiovascular remedies are already available in excess and are efficacious, a comprehensive description of novel therapeutic enzymes to combat cardiovascular diseases would still be of great benefit. In the light of this, the regulation of functional activities of these enzymes also opens a new avenue for the treatment approaches to be employed. This review describes the importance of non-conventional enzymes such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX), phosphodiesterase (PDE), arginase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD) and selenoprotein T (SELENOT), cytochrome b5 reductase 3 (CYB5R3), epoxide hydrolase (EHs), xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), matrix metalloprotease (MMPs), and dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH), as potential candidates in several cardiovascular disorders while highlighting some of the recently targeted therapeutic enzymes in cardiovascular diseases. We also discuss the role of intrinsic antioxidant defense system involved in cardioprotection followed by addressing some of the clinical investigations considering the use of antioxidant as a preferred therapy of cardiovascular complications.

The HELIO-geophysical storminess health effects in the cardio-vascular system of a human in the middle and high latitudes.

INTRODUCTION: cardiovascular impairment remains one of the most current problems of today's life and the definition of the connection between its development and the state of heliogeophysical storminess is currently important. The results of long-term researches of communication between cardiovascular catastrophes (myocardial infarction) and heliogeophysical storminess in the middle and high latitudes are shown in this work. AIM: to study the influence of space weather parameters on human cardio-vascular system in the high and middle latitudes. To define the particular space weather parameters and the mechanisms of their influence on human myocardial infarction progressing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: for the statistical processing of medical records data we use a spectral-time analysis, a correlation method and a method of overlapping of epochs. We have studied about 145 thousand medical records of ambulance medical services for the period of 1992 -2001. In order to define the reasons influencing the development of a myocardial infarction, we have made a comparison of myocardial infarction progress cases with Kp-index characterizing the level of geomagnetic storminess. RESULTS: the coincidence of geomagnetic storminess maximum with the cases of myocardial infarction, as well as the number of heart attacks excess in 1.5 times per a year near the maximum heliogeophysical activity (1992) compared to the year near the minimum of activity (1998) indicate possible influence of geomagnetic storminess on the myocardial infarction development of people living in subauroral latitudes. CONCLUSIONS: it was concluded that the appearance of heliogeophysical storminess in the myocardial infarction development in the mid-latitudes is largely due to the presence of Pc1 geomagnetic pulsations, and in the high latitudes, especially in maximum years of heliogeophysical storminess, it is due to the geomagnetic storminess caused by the parameters of the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field.

The HELIO-geophysical storminess health effects in the cardio-vascular system of a human in the middle and high latitudes.

INTRODUCTION: cardiovascular impairment remains one of the most current problems of today's life and the definition of the connection between its development and the state of heliogeophysical storminess is currently important. The results of long-term researches of communication between cardiovascular catastrophes (myocardial infarction) and heliogeophysical storminess in the middle and high latitudes are shown in this work. AIM: to study the influence of space weather parameters on human cardio-vascular system in the high and middle latitudes. To define the particular space weather parameters and the mechanisms of their influence on human myocardial infarction progressing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: for the statistical processing of medical records data we use a spectral-time analysis, a correlation method and a method of overlapping of epochs. We have studied about 145 thousand medical records of ambulance medical services for the period of 1992 -2001. In order to define the reasons influencing the development of a myocardial infarction, we have made a comparison of myocardial infarction progress cases with Kp-index characterizing the level of geomagnetic storminess. RESULTS: the coincidence of geomagnetic storminess maximum with the cases of myocardial infarction, as well as the number of heart attacks excess in 1.5 times per a year near the maximum heliogeophysical activity (1992) compared to the year near the minimum of activity (1998) indicate possible influence of geomagnetic storminess on the myocardial infarction development of people living in subauroral latitudes. CONCLUSIONS: it was concluded that the appearance of heliogeophysical storminess in the myocardial infarction development in the mid-latitudes is largely due to the presence of Pc1 geomagnetic pulsations, and in the high latitudes, especially in maximum years of heliogeophysical storminess, it is due to the geomagnetic storminess caused by the parameters of the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field.

Analysis of left ventricular function of the mouse heart during experimentally induced hyperthyroidism and recovery.

Many of the clinical manifestations of hyperthyroidism are due to the ability of thyroid hormones to alter myocardial contractility and cardiovascular hemodynamics, leading to cardiovascular impairment. In contrast, recent studies highlight also the potential beneficial effects of thyroid hormone administration for clinical or preclinical treatment of different diseases such as atherosclerosis, obesity and diabetes or as a new therapeutic approach in demyelinating disorders. In these contexts and in the view of developing thyroid hormone-based therapeutic strategies, it is, however, important to analyze undesirable secondary effects on the heart. Animal models of experimentally induced hyperthyroidism therefore represent important tools for investigating and monitoring changes of cardiac function. In our present study we use high-field cardiac MRI to monitor and follow-up longitudinally the effects of prolonged thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine) administration focusing on murine left ventricular function. Using a 9.4 T small horizontal bore animal scanner, cinematographic MRI was used to analyze changes in ejection fraction, wall thickening, systolic index and fractional shortening. Cardiac MRI investigations were performed after sustained cycles of triiodothyronine administration and treatment arrest in adolescent (8 week old) and adult (24 week old) female C57Bl/6 N mice. Triiodothyronine supplementation of 3 weeks led to an impairment of cardiac performance with a decline in ejection fraction, wall thickening, systolic index and fractional shortening in both age groups but with a higher extent in the group of adolescent mice. However, after a hormonal treatment cessation of 3 weeks, only young mice are able to partly restore cardiac performance in contrast to adult mice lacking this recovery potential and therefore indicating a presence of chronically developed heart pathology.

Herbs and their bioactive ingredients in cardio-protection: Underlying molecular mechanisms and evidences from clinical studies.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants or herbs produce a bounty of bioactive phytochemicals. These phytochemicals can influence a variety of physiological events related to cardiovascular health through multiple underlying mechanisms, such as their role as antioxidative, anti-ischemic, anti-proliferative, hypotensive, anti-thrombotic, and anti-hypercholesterolemic agents. PURPOSE: The purpose of this review is to summarize and connect evidences supporting the use of phytotherapy in the management of some of the most common cardiovascular impairments, molecular mechanisms underlying cardio-protection mediated by herbs, and clinical studies which are positively linked with the use of herbs in cardiovascular biology. Additionally, we also describe several adverse effects associated with some of the herbal plants and their products to provide a balanced set of studies in favor or against phytotherapy in cardiovascular health that may help global discourses on this matter. METHODS: Studies relating to the use of medicinal plants were mined by strategically searching scientific databases including Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct. Investigations involving approximately 175 articles including reviews, research articles, meta-analyses, and cross-sectional and observational studies were retrieved and analyzed in line with the stated purpose of this study. RESULTS: A positive correlation between the use of medicinal plants and cardiovascular health was observed. While maintaining cardiovascular physiology, medicinal plants and their derivatives seem to govern a variety of cellular mechanisms involved in vasoconstriction and vasorelaxation, which in turn, are important aspects of cardiovascular homeostasis. Furthermore, a variety of studies including clinical trials, cross-sectional studies, and meta-analyses have also supported the anti-hypertensive and thus, cardio-protective effects, of medicinal plants. Apart from this, evidence is also available for the potential drawbacks of several herbs and their products indicating that the unsupervised use of many herbs may lead to severe health issues. CONCLUSIONS: The cardio-protective outcomes of medicinal plants and their derivatives are supported by ever-increasing studies, while evidences exist for the potential drawbacks of some of the herbs. A balanced view about the use of medicinal plants and their derivative in cardiovascular biology thus needs to be outlined by researchers and the medical community. The novelty and exhaustiveness of the present manuscript is reflected by the detailed outline of the molecular basis of "herbal cardio-protection", active involvement of several herbs in ameliorating the cardiovascular status, adverse effects of medicinal plants, and the clinical studies considering the use of phytotherapy, all on a single platform.