Increased plasma level of endothelin-1 following percutaneous balloon dilatation of aortic coarctation in children.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Adolescent↗
Biomedical subjects
Takashi Miyauchi
Publications and source records attributed to Takashi Miyauchi.
Aerobic exercise training reduces plasma endothelin-1 concentration in older women.
Endothelial function deteriorates with aging. On the other hand, exercise training improves the function of vascular endothelial cells. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), which is produced by vascular endothelial cells, has potent constrictor and proliferative activity in vascular smooth muscle cells and, therefore, has been implicated in regulation of vascular tonus and progression of atherosclerosis. We previously reported significantly higher plasma ET-1 concentration in middle-aged than in young humans, and recently we showed that plasma ET-1 concentration was significantly decreased by aerobic exercise training in healthy young humans. We hypothesized that plasma ET-1 concentration increases with age, even in healthy adults, and that lifestyle modification (i.e., exercise) can reduce plasma ET-1 concentration in previously sedentary older adults. We measured plasma ET-1 concentration in healthy young women (21-28 yr old), healthy middle-aged women (31-47 yr old), and healthy older women (61-69 yr old). The plasma level of ET-1 significantly increased with aging (1.02 +/- 0.08, 1.33 +/- 0.11, and 2.90 +/- 0.20 pg/ml in young, middle-aged, and older women, respectively). Thus plasma ET-1 concentration was markedly higher in healthy older women than in healthy young or middle-aged women (by approximately 3- and 2-fold, respectively). In healthy older women, we also measured plasma ET-1 concentration after 3 mo of aerobic exercise (cycling on a leg ergometer at 80% of ventilatory threshold for 30 min, 5 days/wk). Regular exercise significantly decreased plasma ET-1 concentration in the healthy older women (2.22 +/- 0.16 pg/ml, P < 0.01) and also significantly reduced their blood pressure. The present study suggests that regular aerobic-endurance exercise reduces plasma ET-1 concentration in older humans, and this reduction in plasma ET-1 concentration may have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system (i.e., prevention of progression of hypertension and/or atherosclerosis by endogenous ET-1).
Adult↗
[New expansion of endothelin research: perspectives for clinical application of endothelin-receptor antagonists].
Three isopeptides of endothelin (ET-1, -2, and -3) exert various actions through stimulation of two sub-types of receptor (ETA and ETB). Vascular endothelial cells produce only ET-1. In addition to its powerful vasoconstrictor action, ET-1 has direct mitogenic actions on cardiovascular tissues, as well as comitogennic actions with a wide variety of growth factors and vasoactive substances. ET-1 also promotes the synthesis and secretion of growth factors and various substances, including extracellular constituents. These effects of endogenous ET-1 would naturally be thought to be concerned with the development and/or aggravation of chronic cardiovascular diseases; e.g., hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, vascular remodeling (stenosis, atherosclerosis), renal failure, and heart failure. A large number of peptide and orally active non-peptide endothelin receptor antagonists have been developed, and utilized to analyze physiological and pathophysiological roles of endogenous ET-1. These antagonists have been shown to exert excellent therapeutic effects in animal models of various kinds of diseases by either acute or chronic treatment. Therapeutic treatment of patients suffering from the above-mentioned cardiovascular diseases with ET-receptor antagonists have also been taking place, and bosentan (ETA/ETB antagonist) was recently approved by the FDA as a formal therapeutic drug for pulmonary hypertension. In this review, perspectives for therapeutic applicability of ET-receptor antagonists will be explored.
Animals↗
[Combination of oral endothelin-A receptor antagonist and oral prostacyclin analogue is superior to each drug alone in ameliorating pulmonary hypertension in rats].
OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the combination of an oral endothelin (ET)-A receptor antagonist and an oral prostacyclin(PGI2) analogue is superior to the single use of each drug alone for treating pulmonary hypertension(PH). BACKGROUND: Treatment with intravenous PGI2 or an ET-A receptor antagonist was effective for PH; however, the effect of both administrations is unclear. METHODS: We administered the oral ET-A receptor antagonist TA-0201 and/or the oral PGI2 analogue beraprost sodium(BPS) to monocrotaline-induced PH rats for 19 days in the following groups: normal rats with vehicle treatment (Control group), PH rats with vehicle treatment (PH group), PH rats with TA-0201 treatment (PH + TA group), PH rats with BPS treatment (PH + BPS group), and PH rats with TA-0201 and BPS treatment (PH + TA + BPS group). RESULTS: Right ventricular systolic pressure and Pp/Ps were markedly higher in the PH group than in the Control group. The increased right ventricular systolic pressure and Pp/Ps were significantly and comparably depressed in the PH + TA group and PH + BPS group; it was more greatly depressed in the PH + TA + BPS group than in the groups with each drug alone. The indices of right ventricular hypertrophy showed the same tendency as the increase in right ventricular systolic pressure in the five groups. The expression of beta-myosin heavy chain mRNA in right ventricle was markedly augmented in the PH group; the enhancement was inhibited in the PH + TA + BPS group to the greatest degree. Medial wall thickness of the pulmonary artery was markedly increased in the PH group; the increase was depressed in PH + TA + BPS group. Combined treatment also ameliorated PH even if it started from the post-onset of PH. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of an oral ET-A receptor antagonist and an oral PGI2 analogue is superior to the single use of each drug alone in inhibiting the progression of PH.
Administration, Oral↗
[Endothelin and ischemic heart diseases].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Animals↗
Involvement of endogenous endothelin-1 in exercise-induced redistribution of tissue blood flow: an endothelin receptor antagonist reduces the redistribution.
BACKGROUND: Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent endothelium-derived vasoconstrictor peptide. Exercise results in a significant redistribution of tissue blood flow, which greatly increases blood flow in active muscles but decreases it in the splanchnic circulation. We reported that exercise causes an increase of ET-1 production in the internal organ and then hypothesized that ET-1 participates in the exercise-induced redistribution of tissue blood flow. We investigated the effects of acute endothelin-A (ETA)-receptor blockade on regional tissue blood flow during exercise in rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: Regional blood flow in the kidney, spleen, stomach, intestine, and muscles was measured using the microsphere technique before and during treadmill running of 30 minutes duration at 30 m/min after pretreatment with either an ETA-receptor antagonist (TA-0201; 0.5 mg/kg) or vehicle in rats. Blood flow in the kidney, spleen, stomach, and intestine was decreased by exercise, but the magnitude of the decrease after pretreatment with TA-0201 was significantly smaller than that after pretreatment with vehicle. Furthermore, the increase in blood flow to active muscles induced by exercise was significantly smaller in rats pretreated with TA-0201 than those pretreated with vehicle. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed that ET-1-mediated vasoconstriction participates in the decrease of blood flow in the internal organs of rats during exercise, and therefore, that these actions of endogenous ET-1 partly contribute to the increase of blood flow in active muscles during exercise. The data suggest that endogenous ET-1 participates in the exercise-induced redistribution of tissue blood flow.
Animals↗
Vascular endothelin-B receptor system in vivo plays a favorable inhibitory role in vascular remodeling after injury revealed by endothelin-B receptor-knockout mice.
BACKGROUND: Two subtypes of endothelin (ET) receptors, ET(A) and ET(B), are distributed in vascular smooth muscle cells to cause contraction and proliferation. Vascular endothelial cells express only ET(B) receptors, which cause NO release. Although ET(A) receptor blockade is reported to be effective in ameliorating vascular remodeling, there is no report on the long-term effect of ET(B) receptor blockade on vascular remodeling after injury. METHODS AND RESULTS: ET(B) receptor-knockout (KO) mice, which were genetically rescued from lethal intestinal aganglionosis, and wild-type (WT) mice underwent complete ligation of the right common carotid artery, ie, a blood flow cessation model of vascular remodeling. Fourteen days after ligation, the intimal area, the ratio of intimal to medial areas, and the stenotic ratio in the ligated artery of KO mice were significantly increased compared with those of WT mice. The expression level of ET-1 mRNA in the ligated artery of KO mice was increased similarly to that of WT mice, whereas tissue NO(x) levels in lesions of KO mice were significantly lower than those of WT mice. Long-term treatment with the ET(A) receptor antagonist TA-0201 (0.5 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) significantly ameliorated vascular stenosis in both groups. Long-term treatment with the ET(B) receptor antagonist A-192621 (30 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) worsened vascular remodeling in WT mice. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that inhibition of the ET(B) receptor system is harmful for vascular remodeling after injury, the mechanism of which is partly attributed to decreased NO release, in KO mice. These results suggest that the overall effect of vascular ET(B) receptors is antiproliferative in the injured artery.
Animals↗
Exercise causes a tissue-specific change of NO production in the kidney and lung.
Nitric oxide (NO) is produced in the vascular endothelium and is a potent vasodilator substance that participates in the regulation of local vascular tone. Exercise causes peculiar changes in systemic and regional blood flow, i.e., an increase of systemic blood flow and a redistribution of local tissue blood flow, by which the blood flow is greatly increased in the working muscles, whereas it is decreased in some organs such as the kidney and intestine. Thus we hypothesized that exercise causes a tissue-specific change of NO production in some internal organs. We studied whether exercise affects expression of NO synthase (NOS) mRNA and protein, NOS activity, and tissue level of nitrite/nitrate (stable end products of NO) in the kidneys (in which blood flow during exercise is decreased) and lungs (in which blood flow during exercise is increased with the increase of cardiac output) of rat. Rats ran on a treadmill for 45 min at a speed of 25 m/min. Immediately after this exercise, kidneys and lungs were quickly removed. Control rats remained at rest during this 45-min period. Expression of endothelial NOS (eNOS) mRNA in the kidneys was markedly lower in exercise rats than in control rats, whereas that in the lungs was significantly higher in exercise rats than in control rats. Western blot analysis confirmed down- and upregulation of eNOS protein in the kidney and lung, respectively, after exercise. On the other hand, neither expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS) mRNA and nNOS protein nor inducible NOS (iNOS) mRNA and iNOS protein in the kidneys and lungs differed between exercise and control rats. NOS activity in the kidney was significantly lower in exercise rats than in control rats, whereas that in the lung was significantly higher in exercise rats than in control rats. On the other hand, the iNOS activity in the kidneys and lungs did not differ between exercise rats and control rats. Tissue nitrite/nitrate level in the kidneys was markedly lower in exercise rats, whereas that in the lungs was significantly higher in exercise rats. The present results show that production of NO is markedly and tissue-specifically changed in the kidney and lung by exercise.
Animals↗
A combination of oral endothelin-A receptor antagonist and oral prostacyclin analogue is superior to each drug alone in ameliorating pulmonary hypertension in rats.
OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate whether the combination of an oral endothelin (ET)A receptor antagonist and an oral prostacyclin (PGI(2)) analogue is superior to the single use of each drug alone for treating pulmonary hypertension (PH). BACKGROUND: Treatment with intravenous PGI(2) or an ET(A) receptor antagonist was effective for PH; however, the effect of both agents is unclear. METHODS: We administered the oral ET(A) receptor antagonist TA-0201 and/or the oral PGI(2) analogue beraprost sodium (BPS) to rats with monocrotaline-induced PH for 19 days. The groups were: normal rats with vehicle treatment (Control group), PH rats with vehicle treatment (PH group), PH rats with TA-0201 treatment (PH + TA group), PH rats with BPS treatment (PH + BPS group) and PH rats with TA-0201 and BPS treatment (PH + TA + BPS group). RESULTS: Right ventricular (RV) systolic pressure and the ratio of RV systolic pressure to systemic systolic blood pressure (Pp/Ps) were markedly higher in the PH group than in the Control group. The increased RV systolic pressure and Pp/Ps were significantly and comparably depressed in the PH + TA and PH + BPS groups; it was more greatly depressed in the PH + TA + BPS group than in the groups with each drug alone. The indexes of RV hypertrophy showed the same tendency as the increase in RV systolic pressure among the five groups. The expression of beta-myosin heavy chain messenger ribonucleic acid in the RV was markedly augmented in the PH group; the enhancement was inhibited in the PH + TA + BPS group to the greatest degree. Medial wall thickness of the pulmonary artery was markedly increased in the PH group; the increase was depressed in the PH + TA + BPS group. Combined treatment also ameliorated PH, even if it started after the onset of PH. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of an oral ETA receptor antagonist and an oral PGI(2) analogue is superior to the single use of each drug alone in inhibiting the progression of PH.
Administration, Oral↗
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma activators inhibit endothelin-1-related cardiac hypertrophy in rats.
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) causes cardiac hypertrophy, and ET receptor antagonists inhibit the development of cardiac hypertrophy in vitro and in vivo. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma), a member of the family of nuclear receptors, suppresses activator protein-1 (AP-1). We investigated the effects of the thiazolidinediones troglitazone and pioglitazone, activators of PPAR gamma, on cardiac hypertrophy due to pressure overload provoked by abdominal aortic banding (AB) in rats. Rats were divided into four groups: sham operation with vehicle treatment (n=5); AB surgery with vehicle treatment (n=6); AB surgery with troglitazone treatment (100 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1); n=5); and AB surgery with pioglitazone treatment (10 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1); n=8). Treatments were started 7 days before AB surgery, and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy was assessed 24 h after surgery. The ratio of LV weight/body weight (BW) was significantly increased in AB rats compared with sham-operated rats; treatment of AB rats with troglitazone or pioglitazone significantly inhibited the increase in LV weight/BW. Expression of ET-1 mRNA was markedly enhanced in the left ventricles of AB rats; treatment with troglitazone or pioglitazone lowered expression significantly. Suppression of cardiac hypertrophy by pioglitazone treatment was accompanied by a decrease in expression of the gene encoding brain natriuretic factor, a molecular marker for cardiac hypertrophy, in AB rats. Because the ET-1 gene has AP-1 response elements in its 5'-flanking region, the thiazolidinediones troglitazone and pioglitazone may inhibit cardiac hypertrophy partly through suppression of AP-1-induced ET-1 gene up-regulation.
Analysis of Variance↗
Effects of exercise training on expression of endothelin-1 mRNA in the aorta of aged rats.
Aging impairs endothelial function and the vascular tone regulation, although the precise mechanism remains unclear. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide produced by vascular endothelial cells. Because ET-1 has a potent vasoconstrictor effect on vessels, it may be involved in the regulation of vascular tonus. We hypothesized that aging causes a decrease in ET-1 expression in aorta, and that exercise training improves the aging-induced decrease in ET-1 expression in aorta. This study was performed to examine whether gene expression of ET-1 in the aorta of rats is altered by aging and subsequent exercise training. We studied expression of ET-1 mRNA in the aortas of sedentary young rats (Sedentary young group, 4 months old), sedentary aged rats (Sedentary aged group, 23 months old), and swim trained aged rats (Training aged group, 23 months old; swimming training for 8 weeks, 5 days/week, 90 min/day). The expression of ET-1 mRNA in the aorta was analysed by real-time quantitative PCR. Body weight and resting heart rate were significantly lower in the Training aged group compared with the Sedentary aged group. These results suggest that the Training aged rats exhibited physiological effects from exercise training. The expression of ET-1 mRNA in the aorta was markedly lower in Sedentary aged group compared with the Sedentary young group, whereas it was significantly higher in Training aged group compared with the Sedentary aged group. These results show that the expression of ET-1 mRNA in the aorta is decreased by aging, and that the expression is increased by exercise training. Therefore, the present study provides a possibility that exercise training improves endothelial function through up-regulation of the aging-induced decrease in ET-1 expression in the aorta.
Aging↗
Effects of aging and subsequent exercise training on gene expression of endothelin-1 in rat heart.
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is produced by endothelial cells and cardiac myocytes. ET-1 has potent positive inotropic and chronotropic effects on heart and induces myocardial cell hypertrophy. We investigated whether gene expression of ET-1 in rat hearts is altered by aging and subsequent exercise training. We also investigated whether gene expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), which participate in some pathological cardiac conditions, in the rat hearts is altered by aging and subsequent exercise training. We studied mRNA expression of ET-1, ANP and BNP in hearts of sedentary young rats (Sedentary young; 4 months old), sedentary aged rats (Sedentary aged; 23 months old), and swim-trained aged rats (Trained aged; 23 months old, swimming training for 8 weeks). The left ventricle weight mass index for body weight and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension were significantly higher in the Trained aged group compared with the Sedentary aged group. These results showed that Trained aged rats developed cardiac hypertrophy with improvement of cardiac function. The mRNA expression of ET-1 in the heart was significantly higher in Sedentary aged group compared with Sedentary young group, and was significantly higher in the Trained aged group compared with the Sedentary aged group. The mRNA expression of ANP and BNP in the heart was significantly higher in Sedentary aged group compared with Sedentary young group, and was significantly higher in the Trained aged group compared with the Sedentary aged group. The present results show that mRNA expression of ET-1 in the heart is increased by aging, and that the mRNA expression is further increased by exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy, suggesting that ET-1 in the heart may participate in these physiological cardiac adaptations.
Aging↗
Enhancement of glycolysis in cardiomyocytes elevates endothelin-1 expression through the transcriptional factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha.
We investigated whether the type of energy metabolism directly affects cardiac gene expression. During development, the heart switches from glycolysis to fatty acid beta-oxidation in vivo, as demonstrated by the developmental switching of the major isoform of myosin heavy chain (MHC) from beta to alpha. However, the beta-MHC isoform predominates in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension, a model of right ventricular hypertrophy in vivo. Cultured cardiomyocytes showed a predominance of beta-MHC expression over that of alpha-MHC, the same pattern as in the hypertrophied heart, suggesting that the in vitro condition itself causes the energy metabolism of cardiomyocytes to be switched to glycolysis. Electrical stimulation of cultured cardiomyocytes decreased the expression of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha), but not that of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator, suggesting that electrical stimulation suppresses the glycolytic system. Furthermore, a higher oxygen content (50%) decreased drastically the expression of GAPDH, HIF-1 alpha and endothelin-1 (ET-1), and increased [(3)H]palmitate uptake. These findings indicate that the intrinsic energy metabolic system in cultured cardiomyocytes in vitro is predominantly glycolysis, and that the gene expression of cardiac ET-1 parallels the state of the glycolytic system. An antisense oligonucleotide against HIF-1 alpha greatly decreased the gene expression of ET-1 and GAPDH, suggesting that cardiac ET-1 gene expression is regulated by cardiac energy metabolism through HIF-1 alpha. In conclusion, it is suggested that the pattern of gene expression of ET-1 reflects the level of the glycolytic system in cardiomyocytes, and that enhanced glycolysis regulates the cardiac gene expression of ET-1 via HIF-1 alpha.
Animals↗
Stimulation of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) attenuates cardiac fibrosis and endothelin-1 production in pressure-overloaded rat hearts.
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) production is increased in hypertrophied hearts accompanied with fibrosis. ET-1 is a potent mitogen of fibroblasts and ET receptor antagonists are reported to inhibit the proliferation of fibroblasts and cardiac fibrosis. Peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha), one of the nuclear hormone receptors, suppresses activator protein-1 (AP-1), one of the nuclear transcription factors. Activation of PPAR alpha is reported to inhibit thrombin-induced ET-1 production by repressing the AP-1 signalling pathway in vascular endothelial cells. We investigated effects of the PPAR alpha activator fenofibrate (80 mg/kg per day, per os) on mRNA levels of ET-1, collagen type I and type III and histological features of myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophied rat hearts due to pressure-overload by abdominal aortic banding (AB). The treatment with fenofibrate or vehicle was started 7 days before the AB operation. Four days after the AB operation, fenofibrate treatment significantly reduced ET-1 mRNA expression compared with vehicle treatment in AB rat hearts. Collagen type I and type III mRNA expression, and interstitial and perivascular fibrosis were attenuated in the fenofibrate-treated AB rat group. Since the ET-1 gene has AP-1 response elements in the 5'-flanking region, it is suggested that myocardial fibrosis is effectively inhibited by fenofibrate through suppression of AP-1-mediated ET-1 gene augmentation in the pressure-overloaded heart caused by aortic banding in rats.
Animals↗
Aging-induced decrease in the PPAR-alpha level in hearts is improved by exercise training.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-alpha, a transcriptional activator, regulates genes of fatty acid (FA) metabolic enzymes. To study the contribution of PPAR-alpha to exercise training-induced improvement of FA metabolic capacity in the aged heart, we investigated whether PPAR-alpha signaling and expression of its target genes in the aged heart are affected by exercise training. We used hearts of sedentary young rat (4 mo old), sedentary aged rat (23 mo old), and swim-trained aged rat (23 mo old, training for 8 wk). The mRNA and protein expression of PPAR-alpha in the heart was significantly lower in the sedentary aged rats compared with the sedentary young rats and was significantly higher in the swim-trained aged rats compared with the sedentary aged rats. The activity of PPAR-alpha DNA binding to the transcriptional regulating region on the FA metabolic enzyme genes, the mRNA expression of 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-I, which are PPAR-alpha target genes, and the enzyme activity of HAD in the heart altered in association with changes of the myocardial PPAR-alpha mRNA and protein levels. These findings suggest that exercise training improves aging-induced downregulation in myocardial PPAR-alpha-mediated molecular system, thereby contributing to the improvement of the FA metabolic enzyme activity in the trained-aged hearts.
3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenases↗
[A case of recurrent aspiration pneumonia by achalasia].
A 56-year-old woman came to our hospital with the symptoms of anorexia, body weight loss and sustained cough. Chest radiography showed diffuse, rounded, high-attenuation areas in both lung fields. The diagnosis was difficult, but, because of the symptoms and chest radiograph, we suspected miliary tuberculosis. Finally, we diagnosed her illness as achalasia with aspiration pneumonia, because we found a dilated esophagus and diffuse, rounded, high attenuation areas in chest CT scan films. Neither Mycobacterium tuberculosis nor tuberculous granulation was present in transbronchial lung biopsy specimens. Only inflammation was found in those slides. The gastrofiberscope was useful for searching for tumors, but not for diagnosing achalasia. Consequently, we identified the achalasia from the radiographic findings with the use of barium, but the patient's symptoms might not have led to that diagnosis because she was younger than the age range in which aspiration pneumonia usually occurs. The achalasia was treated with surgery rather than balloon dilation, since that was the patient's choice. Three months after surgery, her lungs had improved and body weight had increased by about 10 kg.
Esophageal Achalasia↗