Connexins are ubiquitous channel forming proteins that assemble as plasma membrane hemichannels and as intercellular gap junction channels that directly connect cells. In the heart, gap junction channels electrically connect ...

Unexpected cardiac adverse effects are the leading causes of discontinuation of clinical trials and withdrawal of drugs from the market. Since the original observations in the mid-90s, it has been well established that ...

Evidence suggests association of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). On the contrary, we underline that the sole RDW values cannot represent a valid CVD biomarker. High RDW values ...

Mitochondria has essential role in myocardial tissue homeostasis, thus deterioration in mitochondrial function eventually leads to cardiomyocyte and endothelial cell death and consequent cardiovascular dysfunction. Several ...

Hypercholesterolemia is considered to be a principle risk factor for cardiovascular disease, having direct negative effects on the myocardium itself, in addition to the development of atherosclerosis. Since hypercholesterolemia ...

Nitric oxide (NO) deficiency is common in pulmonary diseases, but its effect on pulmonary remodelling is still controversial. As pulmonary parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) expression is a key regulator of pulmonary ...

Vascular adaptations to either physiological or pathophysiological conditions commonly require gene expression modifications in the most represented cellular elements of the vessel wall, i.e. endothelial and smooth muscle ...

Background and Aims. Human embryonic stem cell- (hESC-) derived cardiomyocytes are one of the useful screening platforms of potential cardiocytoprotective molecules. However, little is known about the behavior of these ...