Increased intima-media thickness (IMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are noninvasive markers of early arterial wall alteration and are more widely used in adult clinical research. We investigated whether IMT and PWV are useful predictors of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive adolescents. Fifteen hypertensive adolescents (13-18 yr old, systolic BP > or = 140 mmHg, diastolic BP > or = 90 mmHg) and seventeen normotensive subjects were included. Height, weight, obesity index, body mass index (BMI), and fat distribution were obtained from each group. Serum lipid, insulin, vitamine B12, folate, renin, aldosterone, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and homocysteine levels were compared. The carotid IMT and PWV were measured. Arterial wall compliance and distensibility were calculated with the equation. High systolic blood pressure significantly correlated with height, weight, BMI, obesity index, arm circumference, fat mass, and fat distribution. Hypertensive adolescents had significantly greater cIMT (carotid intima-media thickness) and lower elastic properties such as cross-sectional compliance and distensibility of the carotid artery. The carotid IMT significantly correlated with brachial-ankle PWV. In conclusion, the measurement of carotid IMT and brachial-ankle PWV might be useful to predict the development of atherosclerosis in hypertensive adolescents.
Adolescent ; Arteries/*pathology/physiopathology ; Body Mass Index ; Elasticity ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension/*pathology/physiopathology ; Male ; Tunica Intima/*pathology/physiopathology ; Tunica Media/*pathology/physiopathology

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of blood pressure levels with the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) and carotid plaques. METHODS: Data were obtained from 2,635 subjects, aged 50 years and over, who participated in the Community Health Survey (a population-based, cross-sectional study) in Dong-gu, Gwangju city between 2007 and 2008. Participants were categorized into three groups according to blood pressure levels; normotensives (<120/80 mmHg), prehypertensives (120-139/80-89 mmHg), and hypertensives (> or =140/90 mmHg). Prehypertensives were further categorized as low prehypertensives (120-129/80-84 mmHg) and high prehypertensives (130-139/85-89 mmHg). Carotid intima-media thickness and plaques were evaluated with a high-resolution B-mode ultrasound. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square test, ANOVA, and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Prehypertensives had significantly greater maximal CCA-IMT values than normotensives, with a multivariate adjusted odds ratio of 1.78 (95% CI=1.36-2.32) for abnormal CCA-IMT (maximal CCA-IMT > or =1.0 mm), and 1.45 (95% CI=1.19-1.77) for carotid plaques. The multivariate adjusted odds ratio of low prehypertensives was 1.64 (95% CI=1.21-2.21) for abnormal CCA-IMT, and 1.30 (95% CI=1.04-1.63) for carotid plaques compared with normotensives. Subject with hypertension had higher frequency of abnormal CCA-IMT (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% CI=1.49-3.18), and carotid plaques (odds ratio, 1.98; 95% CI=1.46-2.67) compared with normotensives after adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that there is a significant increase in the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with prehypertension (even in low prehypertensives) compared with normotensive subjects. Further studies are required to confirm the benefits and role of carotid ultrasonography in persons with prehypertension.
Aged ; *Blood Pressure ; Carotid Artery Diseases/physiopathology ; Carotid Artery, Common/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Carotid Stenosis/pathology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Tunica Intima/*pathology

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between obesity indices (body mass index, weight, waist-hip ratio and waist circumference) in adolescents and the carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) in early adulthood. We also wanted to identify the best predictor for C-IMT among these obesity indices. METHODS: This study used community-based prospective cohort study, known as the Kangwha Study, and the data we used were from subjects who were 16-years old in 1996 (defined as "adolescencec") and 25 years-old in 2005 (defined as "early adulthoodc"). The 256 subjects (113 men and 143 women) who were used for analysis participated in both follow-ups, and they underwent B-mode ultrasonography of the carotid arteries at the early adulthood follow-up. Obesity indices were defined as the body mass index, weight, waist-hip ratio and waist circumference. The C-IMT was defined as the mean of the maximal IMT of each common carotid artery. The C-IMT and obesity indices associations were evaluated via multivariable regression, logistic regression and the receiver-operator characteristic curve analyses. RESULTS: In men, all the obesity indices in adolescence were showed to have statistically significant positive association with C-IMT in early adulthood. However, no such relationship was showed in women. On multiple regression and logistic regression analysis, the waist-hip ratio showed the biggest relationship with the C-IMT among the 4 obesity indices. However, there were no statistical significant differences and no best predictor was found. For the women, the obesity incidences and C-IMT showed no relationships. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that obesity in adolescence was related to an increase C-IMT in healthy young Korean men.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Carotid Arteries/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Lipids/blood ; Male ; Obesity/*pathology/physiopathology ; Prospective Studies ; Sex Factors ; Tunica Intima/*pathology ; Waist-Hip Ratio

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Xiaoyu Tablet (XYT) on blood flow parameters and morphology of carotid artery in atherosclerotic patients.

METHODSUsing color Doppler ultrasonographic technique to examine the blood flow parameters and intimal thickness of carotid artery in 20 patients of carotid atherosclerosis after 24 weeks treatment of XYT, and compared with those in 10 patients treated with gastrodine lipid-lowering tablet.

RESULTSAfter 24 weeks treatment, blood flow parameters of carotid artery were obviously improved and intimal thickness of common carotid arteries in both side was markedly decreased. XYT showed an effect better than that of gastrodine lipid-lowering tablet.

CONCLUSIONXYT is effective in increasing blood flow of cervical and cerebral arteries.

Arteriosclerosis ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Carotid Arteries ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Carotid Stenosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Tablets ; Tunica Intima ; pathology ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color

The purposes of this study was to determine the effects of recombinant human interleukin-10 (rhIL-10) on proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) stimulated by advanced glycation end products (AGE) and neointima hyperplasia after rat carotid arterial injury. Rat aortic VSMCs were cultured and treated with rhIL-10 or AGE respectively, and then co-treated with rhIL-10 and AGE. Proliferation of VSMCs was quantified by colormetric assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytomertry. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with recombinant human IL-10 (rhIL-10) for 3 d after carotid arteries injury. The ratio of neointima to media area at the site of arterial injury was measured 28 d after balloon injury. The p44/42 MAPK activity was evaluated by the immunoblotting technique using anti-p44/42 phospho-MAPK antibody. Compared to control, AGE stimulated VSMCs proliferation. rhIL-10 alone had no effect on VSMCs growth. With AGE stimulation, rhIL-10, at dose as low as 10 ng/ml, inhibited VSMCs growth (P<0.05). The cell number in G(0)/G(1) phase of AGE and rhIL-10 co-treatment group was higher than that of AGE treatment alone (P<0.01) by flow cytometry analysis. Compared with the control group of neointima hyperplasia in rats, the ratio of neointima to media area of recombinant human IL-10 group was reduced by 45% (P<0.01). The p44/42 MAPK activity was significantly enhanced by AGE. The AGE effects were opposed by rhIL-10. The anti-inflammatory cytokine rhIL-10 inhibits AGE-induced VSMCs proliferation. Recombinant human IL-10 also inhibited neointima hyperplasia after carotid artery injury in rats. The results suggest the possibility that recombinant human IL-10, as a potential therapeutic approach, prevents neointimal hyperplasia.
Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; cytology ; Atherosclerosis ; physiopathology ; Carotid Artery Injuries ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Glycation End Products, Advanced ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Hyperplasia ; prevention & control ; Interleukin-10 ; pharmacology ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; drug effects ; Neointima ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Proteins ; pharmacology ; Tunica Intima ; pathology

Vascular remodeling is being recognized as a fundamental process during atherosclerosis and restenosis. Cumulative studies have demonstrated that extracellular matrix (ECM) degrading enzymes play a critical role during vascular remodeling. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) family is a recently identified metalloproteinase family which also has capacity to degrade ECM. ADAMTS family consists of 19 members and has been linked to a variety of physiological processes including development, angiogenesis, coagulation etc. Aberrant expression or function of ADAMTS members have been implicated to many disease states such as arthritis, cancer, thrombocytopenic purpura, but barely described with regard to cardiovascular disease. This review summarizes the recent advance with respect to the role of ADAMTS-7 in vascular remodeling. We review the structure, tissue distribution, substrate, expression and regulation of ADAMTS-7, especially highlight the fine tune by ADAMTS-7 of its substrate cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) in maintaining vascular homeostasis. By use of rat carotid artery balloon injury model to mimic vascular injury in vivo, we found that ADAMTS-7 protein was accumulated preferentially in neointima and mainly localized in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Adenovirus-elicited ADAMTS-7 overexpression greatly accelerated VSMCs migration and proliferation both in vivo and in vitro, and subsequently aggravated neointima thickening post-injury. Conversely, siRNA-mediated ADAMTS-7 knock down bona fide inhibited VSMCs migration and proliferation in cultured VSMCs and injured arteries, and ultimately ameliorated neointima area. Further studies demonstrated that ADAMTS-7 facilitated VSMCs migration through degradation of its substrate COMP. Moreover, we elucidated that COMP has the capacity to maintain the contractile phenotype of VSMCs through interacting with integrin alpha7beta1. ADAMTS-7 may therefore serve as a novel therapeutic target for atherosclerosis and postangioplasty restenosis.
ADAM Proteins ; physiology ; ADAMTS7 Protein ; Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; physiopathology ; Carotid Artery Injuries ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Glycoproteins ; physiology ; Humans ; Matrilin Proteins ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Tunica Intima ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the neointima formation and the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in cuff-induced vascular injury in mouse model, and to examine the effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) blocker, olmesartan, on MCP-1 and TNF-alpha expression and consequently vascular remodeling.

METHODSVascular injury was induced by polyethylene cuff-placement around the mouse femoral artery. Some mice were treated with AT1 receptor blocker, olmesartan, at the dose of 3 mg.kg(-1).day(-1) with an osmotic minipump. Neointima formation and the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were measured by morphometric analysis and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. MCP-1 and TNF-alpha expression was detected by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTSWe observed neointima formation 14 days after cuff placement as well as VSMCs proliferation in the media and neointima. Cuff placement also induced MCP-1 and TNF-alpha expression in the media and neointima that the VSMCs specifically existed. Treatment of mice with olmesartan at a dose of 3 mg.kg(-1).day(-1), which did not influence systolic blood pressure, significantly decreased neointima formation and the proliferation of VSMCs. Olmesartan also inhibited MCP-1 and TNF-alpha expression in the injured arteries.

CONCLUSIONSOur results demonstrate that blockade of AT1 receptor inhibits MCP-1 and TNF-alpha expression and thereby improves vascular remodeling.

Analysis of Variance ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CCL2 ; analysis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Imidazoles ; pharmacology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Monocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; drug effects ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects ; physiology ; Olmesartan Medoxomil ; Probability ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tetrazoles ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; analysis ; drug effects ; Tunica Intima ; drug effects ; pathology ; Vascular Diseases ; physiopathology