Université de Fribourg

Endothelial-specific deletion of Connexin40 promotes atherosclerosis by increasing CD73-dependent leukocyte adhesion

Chadjichristos, C.E. ; Scheckenbach, K.E.L. ; Veen, T.A.B. van ; Richani Sarieddine, M.Z. ; Wit, C. de ; Yang, Zhihong ; Roth, I. ; Bacchetta, M. ; Viswambharan, Hema ; Foglia, B. ; Dudez, T. ; Kempen, M.J.A. van ; Coenjaerts, F.E.J. ; Miquerol, L. ; Deutsch, U. ; Jongsma, H.J. ; Chanson, M. ; Kwak, B.R.

In: Circulation, 2010, vol. 121, p. 123-131

Background— Endothelial dysfunction is the initiating event of atherosclerosis. The expression of connexin40 (Cx40), an endothelial gap junction protein, is decreased during atherogenesis. In the present report, we sought to determine whether Cx40 contributes to the development of the disease.Methods and Results— Mice with ubiquitous deletion of Cx40 are hypertensive, a risk factor for...

Université de Fribourg

The hexosamine biosynthesis inhibitor azaserine prevents endothelial inflammation and dysfunction under hyperglycemic condition through antioxidant effects

Rajapakse, Angana Gupta ; Ming, Xiu-Fen ; Carvas, João Miguel ; Yang, Zhihong

In: American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 2009, vol. 296, p. H815-H822

Hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) accounts for some cardiovascular adverse effects of hyperglycemia. We investigated whether the HBP inhibitor azaserine protects against hyperglycemia-induced endothelial damage dependently of HBP. Human endothelial cells isolated from umbilical veins were exposed either to a high (30.5 mmol/l) or low concentration of glucose (5.5 mmol/l) for 4 days, followed...

Université de Fribourg

Mutation of the circadian clock gene Per2 alters vascular endothelial function

Viswambharan, Hema ; Carvas, João Miguel ; Antic, Vladan ; Marecic, Ana ; Jud, Corinne ; Zaugg, Christian E. ; Ming, Xiu-Fen ; Montani, Jean-Pierre ; Albrecht, Urs ; Yang, Zhihong

In: Circulation, 2007, vol. 115, p. 2188-2195

Background— The circadian clock regulates biological processes including cardiovascular function and metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the role of the circadian clock gene Period2 (Per2) in endothelial function in a mouse model. Methods and Results— Compared with the wild-type littermates, mice with Per2 mutation exhibited impaired...

Université de Fribourg

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene transfer restores endothelium–dependent relaxations and attenuates lesion formation in carotid arteries in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice

Mujynya-Ludunge, Kathi ; Viswambharan, Hema ; Driscoll, Robert ; Ming, Xiu-Fen ; Segesser, Ludwig K. von ; Kappenberger, Lukas ; Yang, Zhihong ; Vassalli, Giuseppe

In: Basic Research in Cardiology, 2005, vol. 100(2), p. 102

Nitric oxide (NO) and monocyte chemoattractant protein–1 (MCP-1) exert partly opposing effects in vascular biology. NO plays pleiotropic vasoprotective roles including vasodilation and inhibition of platelet aggregation, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and endothelial monocyte adhesion, the last effect being mediated by MCP–1 downregulation. Early stages of arteriosclerosis are associated...