dinoprost and Calcinosis

This article focuses on a systems biology approach to studying the pathophysiology of cigarette smoking during pregnancy. Particular emphasis is given to the damaging role of oxidative stress. Cigarette smoking exerts multiple adverse affects but abundant evidence, mostly in adults, suggests that oxidative stress and free radical damage is a major pathophysiological factor. Smoking during pregnancy is known to contribute to numerous poor birth outcomes, such as low birth weight, preterm birth as well as life-long health and developmental problems. It is clinically important to know the separate contributions that cigarette derived-nicotine and smoking-induced free oxidative stress make to these poor outcomes. Surprisingly, the extent to which smoking dependent oxidative stress contributes to these poor outcomes is not well studied but the application of redox proteomics should be useful. Considerable biochemical evidence suggests that antioxidants, such as tocopherols and ascorbate, could be useful in minimizing oxidative stress induced pathology to the developing fetus in those women who, despite medical advice, continue to smoke. Nevertheless, this suggestion has yet to be tested in well-designed clinical studies.

Topics: Biomarkers; Calcinosis; Carbon Monoxide; Dinoprost; Female; Humans; Oxidative Stress; Placenta; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Smoking; Smoking Cessation; Systems Biology; Tobacco Use Cessation Devices; Vitamin E

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of coronary artery calcification (CAC). However, there are few reports on this issue in Japanese patients with diabetes. In this study, we examined the association of the CAC score (CACS) with oxidative stress markers.. The study subjects were 163 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (75 men and 88 women). The CACS (Agatston unit: AU) was measured by multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT), and the oxidative stress markers, such as the urinary 8-isoprostane and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and serum malondialdehyde (MDA)-LDL cholesterol were measured. The relationships between CACS and oxidative stress markers were statistically analyzed.. Compared with the CACS 0-400 AU group (n=132), the age, duration of diabetes, urinary 8-isoprostane levels, serum MDA-LDL-C/LDL-C and maximum intima media thickness (IMT) were higher, and body mass index and HbA1c level were lower, in the CACS >400 AU group (n=31). The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a CAC >400 AU was independently associated with the urinary 8-isoprostane (>median) (OR=2.54, 95% CI=1.03-6.32, p=0.044), MDA-LDL-C/LDL-C (>median) (OR=2.62, 95% CI=1.07-6.40, p=0.035) and HbA1c (>median) (OR=0.32, CI=0.12-0.87, p<0.025). Focusing on oxidative stress, a higher MDA-LDL-C/LDL-C (p=0.026) and a higher urinary 8-isoprostane level (p=0.074) were associated with the CACS.. The CACS was found to be independently associated with the MDA-LDL-C/LDL-C and urinary 8-isoprostane levels in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers; Calcinosis; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Cholesterol, LDL; Coronary Artery Disease; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Dinoprost; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Incidence; Japan; Male; Malondialdehyde; Middle Aged; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Oxidative Stress; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Young Adult

The present study was undertaken to elucidate pathophysiological changes and functional alterations of the calcified artery. For this purpose, rats were treated with 500,000 units/kg vitamin D3, and tension development of isolated rat aortae was examined. Treatment of rats with vitamin D3 resulted in an increase (approx. 64-fold) in the tissue calcium. Light microscopic examination of the aorta after staining with hematoxylin-eosin and von Kossa indicated numerous plaques in the aortic media. The results indicate a massive accumulation of calcium in the aortic media. Responsiveness of the calcified tissue to norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, prostaglandin F2 alpha was found to be 11-66% when compared to that of the control. Furthermore, the calcified tissue responded minimally to isoproterenol and acetylcholine, which elicited a relaxation in control aortae. Isoproterenol-induced relaxation of the calcified aorta after 100 mM KCl contracture was also diminished. In the present study we have demonstrated poor responsiveness of the calcified aorta to physiological and pharmacological substances relative to normal tissue, which implies a functional damage of the artery upon massive calcium accumulation.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Aorta; Calcinosis; Calcium; Dinoprost; Epinephrine; Isoproterenol; Male; Norepinephrine; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Serotonin; Vitamin D