|
Nitric oxide deficiency raises cardiovascular disease risk in African Americans Publish Date : 6/10/2004 5:14:00 PM Source : Skincareindia.com Team
Using a system of nanosensors, they discovered that the cardiovascular systems of African-American subjects as young as 20 years of age could show signs of an unbalanced nitric oxide system that could become increasingly worse as they grow older, according to research published in a recent issue of Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association. "What we found was the basic mechanism of the cardiovascular dysfunctions at the molecular level," said Malinski, the Marvin and Ann Dilley White Professor of Biochemistry at Ohio University. In the early 1990s, Malinski, a leading expert on nitric oxide and its physiological functions, developed nanosensors capable of detecting the nitric oxide and other molecules in single cells and neurons. Nitric oxide performs critical functions throughout the body, but survives only a few seconds after it is created by cells and neurons. Malinski and other researchers have since proven that nitric oxide is a fundamental regulator of bodily functions -- such as blood pressure, beating of the heart and the relaxation of blood vessels -- and that imbalance between levels of nitric oxide and oxidative stress can be a sign of dysfunction and disease. In the new study, the scientist found that the cardiovascular system of black subjects has more enzymes to produce nitric oxide and can be more efficient than those of white subjects. However, black subjects did not produce enough of the amino acid L-arginin to complete the process of nitric oxide production. Instead the enzyme produces another oxidative molecule, superoxide, which reacts with nitric oxide to create an even more powerful and damaging oxidant, peroxynitrite. Peroxynitrite not only attacks cell DNA and RNA, making black subjects more susceptible to cancer and various dysfunctions, but it gobbles up ever-increasing amounts of nitric oxide, which can lead to hardening of the blood vessels, increase of blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems. As the balance in the system shifts to greater amounts of peroxynitrite relative to nitric oxide, the danger of cardiovascular dysfunctions and diseases increases as well, said Malinski, whose research was supported in part by Ohio University's Marvin and Ann Dilley White Professorship Endowment. "At the age of 20, you have perhaps twice as much of these oxidants as in other ethnic groups, and that causes an acceleration of aging and the dysfunction of the entire cardiovascular system," Malinski said. "The final outcome is a heart attack or stroke." Malinski and his colleagues argue, however, that this new understanding of nitric oxide and related molecules' behavior in the African-American cardiovascular system can point to better treatment and prevention of diseases. "What is amazing is that this system has a great potential to produce nitric oxide and can be corrected very efficiently and at a relatively early age," he said. "Based on our research, a diagnosis of this dysfunction of the system will be possible -- probably very soon -- and will be treatable with some existing cardiovascular drugs." The research also opens the door for the development of new drugs designed specifically to maintain healthy levels of nitric oxide in the cardiovascular system. Collaborators on the study were Iwona Dobrucki, a graduate student in biochemistry, and Leszek Kalinowski, a postdoctoral fellow, both at Ohio University. |
|
Microsoft Says It Wooed SAP, and Oracle Trial Takes Note
Publish Date : 6/10/2004 7:52:00 PM In a trial that promises to shed light on the private dealings of the computer software industry, the first bombshell dropped yesterday even before the courtroom doors opened in San Francisco. Game Maker Misses Earnings Target and Cuts 2004 Forecast Publish Date : 6/10/2004 7:50:00 PM Financial disappointments continue to take a toll on Take-Two Interactive Software, the maker of the hit video game... Gemcitabine-paclitaxel approved as first-line metastatic breast cancer therapy USA Publish Date : 6/10/2004 5:45:00 PM The FDA has approved the combination of gemcitabine hydrochloride (Gemzar—Lilly) and paclitaxel (Taxol—Bristol-Myers Squibb and generics) as first-line treatment of women with metastatic... Gemcitabine-paclitaxel approved as first-line metastatic breast cancer therapy USA Publish Date : 6/10/2004 5:31:00 PM The FDA has approved the combination of gemcitabine hydrochloride (Gemzar—Lilly) and paclitaxel (Taxol—Bristol-Myers Squibb and generics) as first-line treatment of women with metastatic ... Nitric oxide deficiency raises cardiovascular disease risk in African Americans Publish Date : 6/10/2004 5:14:00 PM African Americans suffer from cardiovascular diseases at a rate about five times higher than the rest of the U.S. population. In a new study, scientists may have found a culprit: a serious deficiency of nitric... New non-aspirin pain drug proves effective against recurrent prostate cancer Publish Date : 6/10/2004 5:11:00 PM Early results from a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine study may determine if drugs called Cox-2 inhibitors, a newer type of non-aspirin pain medicine now widely prescribed for ... Human subjects play mind games Publish Date : 6/10/2004 5:08:00 PM For the first time in humans, a team headed by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis has placed an electronic grid atop patients'... National Network for Immunization Information statement on new thimerosal study Publish Date : 6/10/2004 5:07:00 PM The following statement can be attributed to Martin G. Myers, MD, executive director of the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii): Tongue studs cause more problems than chipped teeth, recessed gums and nerve damage Publish Date : 6/10/2004 5:05:00 PM Wearing a tongue stud puts people at risk for chipped teeth, recessed gums and nerve damage. However, most people don't realize that getting an oral piercing also places them at risk for developing... Renal Physicians and NIH Release Web Tool to Coordinate Care for Kidney Patients USA Publish Date : 6/10/2004 5:03:00 PM The Renal Physicians Association (RPA) and the National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) announced today the availability of a Nephrology Total Results : 2455 More News (Opens in New Window) : [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 Next Page |
|