{"title":"Vascular dysfunction and pathology: focus on mechanical forces.","authors":"Gloria Garoffolo, Maurizio Pesce","doi":"10.1530/VB-21-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1530/VB-21-0002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The role of mechanical forces is emerging as a new player in the pathophysiologic programming of the cardiovascular system. The ability of the cells to 'sense' mechanical forces does not relate only to perception of movement or flow, as intended traditionally, but also to the biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix, the geometry of the tissues, and the force distribution inside them. This is also supported by the finding that cells can actively translate mechanical cues into discrete gene expression and epigenetic programming. In the present review, we will contextualize these new concepts in the vascular pathologic programming.</p>","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"3 1","pages":"R69-R75"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/12/53/VB-21-0002.PMC8284946.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39207296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sara Sileno, Sara Beji, Marco D'Agostino, Alessandra Carassiti, Guido Melillo, Alessandra Magenta
{"title":"microRNAs involved in psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases.","authors":"Sara Sileno, Sara Beji, Marco D'Agostino, Alessandra Carassiti, Guido Melillo, Alessandra Magenta","doi":"10.1530/VB-21-0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1530/VB-21-0007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the skin. Both genetic and environmental factors play a pathogenic role in psoriasis and contribute to the severity of the disease. Psoriasis, in fact, has been associated with different comorbidities such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, gastrointestinal or kidney diseases, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cerebrovascular diseases (CeVD). Indeed, life expectancy in severe psoriasis is reduced by up to 5 years due to CVD and CeVD. Moreover, patients with severe psoriasis have a higher prevalence of traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, including dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and hypertension. Further, systemic inflammation is associated with oxidative stress increase and induces endothelial damage and atherosclerosis progression. Different miRNA have been already described in psoriasis, both in the skin tissues and in the blood flow, to play a role in the progression of disease. In this review, we will summarize and discuss the most important miRNAs that play a role in psoriasis and are also linked to CVD.</p>","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"3 1","pages":"R49-R68"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/66/b3/VB-21-0007.PMC8284950.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39207295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bio-chemo-mechanics of the thoracic aorta.","authors":"Sashini Iddawela, Andrew Ravendren, Amer Harky","doi":"10.1530/VB-20-0015","DOIUrl":"10.1530/VB-20-0015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The pathophysiology of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection is poorly understood, despite high mortality. An evidence review was conducted to examine the biomechanical, chemical and genetic factors involved in thoracic aortic pathology. The composition of connective tissue and smooth muscle cells can mediate important mechanical properties that allow the thoracic aorta to withstand and transmit pressures. Genetic syndromes can affect connective tissue and signalling proteins that interrupt smooth muscle function, leading to tissue failure. There are complex interplaying factors that maintain thoracic aortic function in health and are disrupted in disease, signifying an area for extensive research.</p>","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"3 1","pages":"R25-R33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/35/66/VB-20-0015.PMC7923035.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25435791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ka Ka Ting, Paul Coleman, Yang Zhao, Mathew A Vadas, Jennifer R Gamble
{"title":"The aging endothelium.","authors":"Ka Ka Ting, Paul Coleman, Yang Zhao, Mathew A Vadas, Jennifer R Gamble","doi":"10.1530/VB-20-0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1530/VB-20-0013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cellular senescence is now recognized as one of the hallmarks of aging. Herein, we examine current findings on senescence of the vascular endothelium and its impacts on age-related vascular diseases. Endothelial senescence can result in systemic metabolic changes, implicating senescence in chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity and atherosclerosis. Senolytics, drugs that eliminate senescent cells, afford new therapeutic strategies for control of these chronic diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"3 1","pages":"R35-R47"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8052565/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38894194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Roberta Giordo, Panagiotis Paliogiannis, Arduino Aleksander Mangoni, Gianfranco Pintus
{"title":"SARS-CoV-2 and endothelial cell interaction in COVID-19: molecular perspectives.","authors":"Roberta Giordo, Panagiotis Paliogiannis, Arduino Aleksander Mangoni, Gianfranco Pintus","doi":"10.1530/VB-20-0017","DOIUrl":"10.1530/VB-20-0017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>SARS-CoV-2 is the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The clinical evolution of COVID-19 ranges from asymptomatic infection to death. Older people and patients with underlying medical conditions, particularly diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases are more susceptible to develop severe forms of COVID-19. Significant endothelial damage has been reported in COVID-19 and growing evidence supports the key pathophysiological role of this alteration in the onset and the progression of the disease. In particular, the impaired vascular homeostasis secondary to the structural and functional damage of the endothelium and its main component, the endothelial cells, contributes to the systemic proinflammatory state and the multiorgan involvement observed in COVID-19 patients. This review summarizes the current evidence supporting the proposition that the endothelium is a key target of SARS-CoV-2, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and endothelial cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"3 1","pages":"R15-R23"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/28/c9/VB-20-0017.PMC7923034.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25435790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura Monteonofrio, Maria Cristina Florio, Majd AlGhatrif, Edward G Lakatta, Maurizio C Capogrossi
{"title":"Aging- and gender-related modulation of RAAS: potential implications in COVID-19 disease.","authors":"Laura Monteonofrio, Maria Cristina Florio, Majd AlGhatrif, Edward G Lakatta, Maurizio C Capogrossi","doi":"10.1530/VB-20-0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1530/VB-20-0014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 is frequently characterized by a marked inflammatory response with severe pneumonia and respiratory failure associated with multiorgan involvement. Some risk factors predispose patients to develop a more severe infection and to an increased mortality; among them, advanced age and male gender have been identified as major and independent risk factors for COVID-19 poor outcome. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is strictly involved in COVID-19 because angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the host receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and also converts pro-inflammatory angiotensin (Ang) II into anti-inflammatory Ang(1-7). In this review, we have addressed the effect of aging and gender on RAAS with emphasis on ACE2, pro-inflammatory Ang II/Ang II receptor 1 axis and anti-inflammatory Ang(1-7)/Mas receptor axis.</p>","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"3 1","pages":"R1-R14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/4c/8f/VB-20-0014.PMC7849461.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25329485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"MicroRNA-145 targets in cancer and the cardiovascular system: evidence for common signaling pathways.","authors":"Dwitiya Sawant, Brenda Lilly","doi":"10.1530/VB-20-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1530/VB-20-0012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>miRNAs are small regulatory RNAs which govern gene expression post-transcriptionally by primarily binding to the 3'-UTR of mRNA target genes. miR-145 is a well-studied miRNA that has been implicated in controlling a range of biological processes. miR-145 is expressed in a variety of tissues and cell types and acts as a tumor-suppressor by regulating target gene signaling pathways involved in different aspects of tumor growth and progression. There is also strong evidence that highlights the important functions of miR-145 in the cardiovascular system. Here, we review the mechanisms of miR-145 in tumorigenesis and cancer progression and compare and contrast with the roles of miR-145 in cardiovascular development and disease. We discuss the important targets of miR-145 in cancer and their possible link to the cardiovascular system.</p>","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"2 1","pages":"R115-R128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/e9/3f/VB-20-0012.PMC7709916.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38680055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abdallah Al-Mohammad, David G Partridge, Graham Fent, Oliver Watson, Nigel T Lewis, Robert F Storey, Michael Makris, Timothy J Chico
{"title":"The cardiac complications of COVID-19: many publications, multiple uncertainties.","authors":"Abdallah Al-Mohammad, David G Partridge, Graham Fent, Oliver Watson, Nigel T Lewis, Robert F Storey, Michael Makris, Timothy J Chico","doi":"10.1530/VB-20-0009","DOIUrl":"10.1530/VB-20-0009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since the first description of COVID-19 in December 2019, more than 63,000 publications have described its virology, clinical course, management, treatment and prevention. Most physicians are now encountering, or will soon encounter, patients with COVID-19 and must attempt to simultaneously assimilate this avalanche of information while managing an entirely novel disease with few guiding precedents. It is increasingly clear that, although primarily a respiratory illness, COVID-19 is associated with cardiovascular complications. However, the true incidence of direct cardiac complications remains unclear, as all complications thus far reported can also occur in patients without COVID-19. In this review, we briefly summarise and critically appraise the data on cardiac complications associated with COVID-19 and describe some cases from our own experience. We identify unresolved questions and highlight the many uncertainties in this developing field.</p>","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"2 1","pages":"R105-R114"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/46/ed/VB-20-0009.PMC7709917.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38680053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. Kugler, Ryan O. Snodgrass, George Bowley, K. Plant, J. Serbanovic-Canic, P. Evans, T. Chico, P. Armitage
{"title":"The effect of absent blood flow on the zebrafish cerebral and trunk vasculature","authors":"E. Kugler, Ryan O. Snodgrass, George Bowley, K. Plant, J. Serbanovic-Canic, P. Evans, T. Chico, P. Armitage","doi":"10.1101/2020.07.23.216192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.23.216192","url":null,"abstract":"The role of blood flow is complex and context-dependent. In this study, we quantify the effect of the lack of blood flow on vascular development and compare its impact in two vascular beds, namely the cerebral and trunk vasculature, using zebrafish as preclinical model. We performed this by analysing vascular topology, endothelial cell number, apoptosis, and inflammatory response in animals with normal blood flow or absent blood flow. We find that absent blood flow reduced vascular area and endothelial cell number significantly in both examined vascular beds, but the effect is more severe in the cerebral vasculature. Similarly, while stereotypic vascular patterning in the trunk is maintained, intra-cerebral vessels show altered patterning. Absent blood flow lead to an increase in non-EC-specific apoptosis without increasing tissue inflammation, as quantified by cerebral immune cell numbers and nitric oxide. In conclusion, blood flow is essential for cellular survival in both the trunk and cerebral vasculature, but particularly intra-cerebral vessels are affected by the lack of blood flow, suggesting that responses to blood flow differ between these two vascular beds. Key points We here use zebrafish as a model to quantitatively assess the impact of the lack of blood flow in development and compare its impact in two vascular beds, namely the cerebral to trunk vasculature. In both vascular beds, vascular growth and endothelial cell number are reduced by lack of blood flow, with increasing effect size from 2-5 days post fertilisation. Examination of vascular patterning shows that while stereotypic patterning in the trunk is preserved, the intra-cerebral vasculature patterning is altered. We found non-EC-specific cell death to be increased in both vascular beds, with a larger effect size in the brain, but that this cell death occurs without triggering tissue inflammation.","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"3 1","pages":"1 - 16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45736012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kor H Hutting, Wouter B Aan de Stegge, Rombout R Kruse, Jeff G van Baal, Sicco A Bus, Jaap J van Netten
{"title":"Infrared thermography for monitoring severity and treatment of diabetic foot infections.","authors":"Kor H Hutting, Wouter B Aan de Stegge, Rombout R Kruse, Jeff G van Baal, Sicco A Bus, Jaap J van Netten","doi":"10.1530/VB-20-0003","DOIUrl":"10.1530/VB-20-0003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Monitoring of diabetic foot infections is largely based on clinical assessment, which is limited by moderate reliability. We conducted a prospective study to explore monitoring of thermal asymmetry (difference between mean plantar temperature of the affected and unaffected foot) for the assessment of severity of diabetic foot infections. In patients with moderate or severe diabetic foot infections (International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot infection-grades 3 or 4) we measured thermal asymmetry with an advanced infrared thermography setup during the first 4-5 days of in-hospital treatment, in addition to clinical assessments and tests of serum inflammatory markers (white blood cell counts and C-reactive protein levels). We assessed the change in thermal asymmetry from baseline to final assessment, and investigated its association with infection-grades and serum inflammatory markers. In seven included patients, thermal asymmetry decreased from median 1.8°C (range: -0.6 to 8.4) at baseline to 1.5°C (range: -0.1 to 5.1) at final assessment (<i>P</i> = 0.515). In three patients who improved to infection-grade 2, thermal asymmetry at baseline (median 1.6°C (range: -0.6 to 1.6)) and final assessment (1.5°C (range: 0.4 to 5.1)) remained similar (<i>P</i> = 0.302). In four patients who did not improve to infection-grade 2, thermal asymmetry decreased from median 4.3°C (range: 1.8 to 8.4) to 1.9°C (range: -0.1 to 4.4<i>; P</i> = 0.221). No correlations were found between thermal asymmetry and infection-grades (<i>r</i> = -0.347; <i>P</i> = 0.445), CRP-levels (<i>r</i> = 0.321; <i>P</i> = 0.482) or WBC (<i>r</i> = -0.250; <i>P</i> = 0.589) during the first 4-5 days of hospitalization. Based on these explorative findings we suggest that infrared thermography is of no value for monitoring diabetic foot infections during in-hospital treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":75294,"journal":{"name":"Vascular biology (Bristol, England)","volume":"2 1","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/8f/aa/VB-20-0003.PMC7487596.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38483744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}