Inflammatory cytokines in atherosclerosis: current therapeutic approaches

The Acute Impact of Different Types of Aerobic Exercise on Arterial Wave Reflections and Inflammation

Objectives: Whilst physical activity is linked to cardiovascular health, it has lately been recognized that different types of exercise exert diverse effects on the cardiovascular system. Therefore, we investigated the acute effects of continuous moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (CAE) and high-intensity interval aerobic exercise (hIAE) on arterial function and inflammation. Methods: Twenty healthy men (mean age 22.6 ± 3.3 years) were recruited in this crossover study. Each of the 20 volunteers participated in two separate sessions (hIAE and CAE). The augmentation index (AIx) of aortic pressure waveforms and serum levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) were measured before and after each exercise session. Results: There were no significant differences in baseline hemodynamic and inflammatory measurements before CAE and hIAE. Compared to baseline, AIx was significantly improved after CAE (p = 0.04), while there was no significant change after hIAE (p = 0.65). Serum levels of IL-17 were significantly elevated after CAE (p = 0.042), while hIAE had no significant effect on IL-17 levels (p = 0.47). Interestingly, there was an inverse association between the elevation of IL-17 levels and the AIx improvement after CAE (p = 0.05). Conclusion: These findings provide additional evidence concerning the cardiovascular effects of different types of exercise training through modification of peripheral hemodynamics and the inflammatory process.

Pleiotropic effects of statins: new therapeutic targets in drug design

The HMG Co-enzyme inhibitors and new lipid-modifying agents expand their new therapeutic target options in the field of medical profession. Statins have been described as the most effective class of drugs to reduce serum cholesterol levels. Since the discovery of the first statin nearly 30 years ago, these drugs have become the main therapeutic approach to lower cholesterol levels. The present scientific research demonstrates numerous non-lipid modifiable effects of statins termed as pleiotropic effects of statins, which could be beneficial for the treatment of various devastating disorders. The most important positive effects of statins are anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, anti-diabetes, and antithrombotic, improving endothelial dysfunction and attenuating vascular remodeling besides many others which are discussed under the scope of this review. In particular, inhibition of Rho and its downstream target, Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (ROCK), and their agonistic action on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) can be viewed as the principle mechanisms underlying the pleiotropic effects of statins. With gradually increasing knowledge of new therapeutic targets of statins, their use has also been advocated in chronic inflammatory disorders for example rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In the scope of review, we highlight statins and their pleiotropic effects with reference to their harmful and beneficial effects as a novel approach for their use in the treatment of devastating disorders. Graphical abstract Pleiotropic effect of statins.

Preoperative red cell distribution width: Not a useful prognostic indicator for 30-day mortality in patients who undergo major- or ultra-major noncardiac surgery

Background:

Red cell distribution width (RDW) has been shown to be associated with mortality in cardiac surgical patients. This study investigates the association of RDW with the 30-day mortality for those patients who undergo major- or ultra-major noncardiac surgery.

Methods:

Patients who received major- or ultra-major noncardiac surgery between July 2012 and May 2013 were included in the study and patients those with preoperative hemoglobin <10 g/day were excluded from the study. Patients were followed till day 30 from the date of surgery or death, whichever occurred earlier.

Results:

The overall 30-day mortality for major- and ultra-major surgery was 11.4%. The mean RDW of the 30-day survivors was 13.6 ± 1.6 and that of nonsurvivors was 14.2 ± 2.1 (P < 0.001). Other factors that were significantly different (P < 0.05) between survivors and nonsurvivors included age, sex, preoperative pulse rate, current or ex-alcoholic, the American Society of Anesthesiologists score, diabetes mellitus, use of antihypertensives, sepsis with 48 h before surgery, preoperative hemoglobin, white cell count, sodium, urea, creatinine, albumin, international normalized ratio (INR), pH, base excess, estimated blood loss, and emergency surgery. Logistic regression revealed that preoperative RDW > 13.35% (P = 0.025, odds ratio [OR]: 1.52), INR (P = 0.008, OR: 4.49), albumin level (P < 0.001, OR: 1.10), use of antihypertensives (P = 0.001, OR: 1.82), and preoperative pulse rate (P = 0.006, OR: 1.02) independently predicted the 30-day mortality. However, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve for the prediction of 30-day mortality using RDW was only 0.614.

Conclusions:

Although preoperative RDW independently predicted 30-day mortality in patients who underwent major- or ultra-major noncardiac surgery, it may not serve as an influential prognostic indicator in view of its low sensitivity and specificity.