Plasma endothelin-1 elevation associated with alcohol-induced variant angina

Increased plasma glutamate in non-smokers with vasospastic angina pectoris is associated with plasma cystine and antioxidant capacity

Objectives. Endothelial dysfunction caused by oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of vasospastic angina pectoris (VSAP). Glutamate causes endothelial dysfunction by generating oxidative stress, and it inhibits cystine import into endothelial cells via the cystine/glutamate antiporter (X_C^-), which leads to depletion of antioxidant glutathione. However, whether glutamate and cystine are implicated in the pathogenesis of VSAP remains unclear. We investigated plasma glutamate and cystine levels, oxidative stress markers and antioxidant capacity in non-smoker patients with VSAP to determine whether glutamate and cystine are associated with the development of VSAP. We assessed 49 non-smokers assigned to groups with (n = 27) and without (n = 22) VSAP, and also measured plasma glutamate, cystine, nitrotyrosine, reactive oxygen metabolites and biological antioxidant potential. Results. Plasma glutamate and cystine values were significantly higher in the group with, than without VSAP (59.8 ± 25.7 vs. 43.5 ± 18.7 µmol/L, p = .016 and 35.3 ± 14.2 vs. 25.2 ± 9.1 µmol/L, p = .0056, respectively). Plasma glutamate and cystine values were significantly and positively associated (r = 0.32, p = .027). Levels of the oxidative stress markers nitrotyrosine and reactive oxygen metabolites, and biological antioxidant potential of as a measure of antioxidant capacity, did not significantly differ between the two groups. However, glutamate and biological antioxidant potential values were significantly and negatively associated (r = -0.3, p = .036). Conclusion. Plasma glutamate levels were increased in patients with VSAP who did not smoke, and they were positively associated with plasma cystine and negatively associated with the biological antioxidant potential levels.

Protective effects of nimodipine on cerebrovascular function in chronic alcoholic encephalopathy

In the present study, we used chronic gavage administration of alcohol with gradual increases in alcohol concentration and volume to generate a rat model of chronic alcohol intoxication. We measured the changes in biological, behavioral, pathological and vascular injury-related molecular biological markers, and explored the effects of nimodipine intervention on alcohol intoxication. We found that chronic alcohol consumption induced a variety of behavioral abnormalities, accompanied by severe pathological changes in cerebral arterioles, prefrontal cortex and cerebellar tissue, as well as an upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), leptin receptor (ob-R) and endothelin-1 (ET-1). Treatment with mimodipine for 15 days significantly improved behavioral abnormalities, alleviated the pathological changes in blood vessels and brain tissues, increased VEGF expression, decreased ob-R expression, reduced plasma ET-1 leakage and protected vascular and neuronal functions.