Gender Specificity of a Genetic Variant of Androgen Receptor and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease

An Ethnopharmaceutical Study on the Hypolipidemic Formulae in Taiwan Issued by Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacies

Globally, approximately one-third of ischemic heart diseases are due to hyperlipidemia, which has been shown to cause various metabolic disorders. This study was aimed to disassemble and analyze hypolipidemic formulae sold by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacies. Using commonly used statistical parameters in ethnopharmacology, we identified the core drug combination of the hypolipidemic formulae, thereby exploring the strategy by which the Taiwanese people select hypolipidemic drugs. Most important of all, we preserved the inherited knowledge of TCM. We visited 116 TCM pharmacies in Taiwan and collected 91 TCM formulae. The formulae were mainly disassembled by macroscopical identification, and the medicinal materials with a relative frequency of citation (RFC) >0.2 were defined as commonly used medicinal materials. Subsequently, we sorted the information of medicinal materials recorded in the Pharmacopeia, searched for modern pharmacological research on commonly used medicinal materials using PubMed database, and visualized data based on the statistical results. Finally, the core hypolipidemic medicinal materials used in folk medicine were obtained. Of the 91 TCM formulae collected in this study, 80 traditional Chinese medicinal materials were used, belonging to 43 families, predominantly Lamiaceae. Roots were the most commonly used part as a medicinal material. There were 17 commonly used medicinal materials. Based on medicinal records in Pharmacopeia, most flavors and properties were warm and pungent, the majority traditional effects were “tonifying and replenishing” and “blood-regulating.” Besides, the targeted diseases searching from modern pharmacological studies were diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. The core medicinal materials consisted of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge, and the core formulae were Bu-Yang-Huan-Wu-Tang and Xie-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang. In addition, 7 groups of folk misused medicinal materials were found. Although these TCMs have been used for a long period of time, their hypolipidemic mechanisms remain unclear, and further studies are needed to validate their safety and efficacy.

CALM1 rs3179089 polymorphism might contribute to coronary artery disease susceptibility in Chinese male: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Calmodulin 1 (CALM1) mutations are involved in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the relationship of CALM1 rs3179089 polymorphism with CAD is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the relationship of CALM1 rs3179089 polymorphism with CAD susceptibility, CALM1 expression, blood pressure, blood glucose, blood coagulation and serum lipid levels of CAD patients.

METHODS

550 CAD patients and 550 control subjects were genotyped for CALM1 using Sequenom MassARRAY technology. CALM1 expression level was measured by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

RESULTS

CALM1 mRNA expression was higher in CAD patients than that in control subjects (P < 0.001). CAD patients with CC genotype had higher CALM1 mRNA expression level than control subjects with CC genotype (P = 0.006). Genotypic frequency of rs3179089 was different between male patients of CAD and control subjects (P = 0.045). Rs3179089 polymorphism was related to CAD risk of males in recessive model (P = 0.039). Moreover, rs3179089 polymorphism was associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and D-Dimer (D-D) level of patients with CAD in recessive model (P = 0.013 for SBP; P = 0.034 for DBP; P = 0.004 for FPG; P = 0.046 for D-D). In addition, rs3179089 polymorphism was correlated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC) serum levels of patients with CAD in both addictive (P = 0.025 for LDL-C; P = 0.001 for TC) and recessive models (P = 0.001 for LDL-C; P = 0.001 for TC).

CONCLUSION

CALM1 expression is associated with development of CAD. CALM1 rs3179089 polymorphism affects CAD susceptibility in males, and blood pressure, blood glucose, blood coagulation and serum lipid of CAD patients.

Androgen actions on endothelium functions and cardiovascular diseases

The roles of androgens on cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology are controversial as both beneficial and detrimental effects have been reported. Although the reasons for this discrepancy are unclear, multiple factors such as genetic and epigenetic variation, sex-specificity, hormone interactions, drug preparation and route of administration may contribute. Recently, growing evidence suggests that androgens exhibit beneficial effects on cardiovascular function though the mechanism remains to be elucidated. Endothelial cells (ECs) which line the interior surface of blood vessels are distributed throughout the circulatory system, and play a crucial role in cardiovascular function. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are considered an indispensable element for the reconstitution and maintenance of an intact endothelial layer. Endothelial dysfunction is regarded as an initiating step in development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. The modulation of endothelial functions by androgens through either genomic or nongenomic signal pathways is one possible mechanism by which androgens act on the cardiovascular system. Obtaining insight into the mechanisms by which androgens affect EC and EPC functions will allow us to determine whether androgens possess beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. This in turn may be critical in the prevention and therapy of cardiovascular diseases. This article seeks to review recent progress in androgen regulation of endothelial function, the sex-specificity of androgen actions, and its clinical applications in the cardiovascular system.