Blood Pressure Regulation Pathway Identified by Pitt Researchers

by Thilaka Ravi on  July 08, 2010 at 10:41 AM Hypertension News
  •   Print
  •   Share
  •   Comments
  •  Text 
"For some time now, it has not been clear what role TSP1 served in the blood. Experiments in cells told us TSP1 could alter NO signaling. But TSP1 is a protein too large to cross through the endothelial layer and into the blood vessel wall, so it was not obvious how it could alter the muscle tone of the arteries," Dr. Isenberg said. "We also knew that mice genetically engineered to not produce TSP1 or CD47 showed more NO-based blood flow and blood vessel dilation. This suggested to us that perhaps circulating TSP1 was altering the ability of the endothelium to make NO by acting on eNOS."

He and his team are now developing agents that can alter the activity of eNOS by "blocking" the inhibitory signal mediated by TSP1 and CD47, which have the potential to be novel blood pressure-regulating drugs. Some cases of hypertension may arise from gene-based differences in these proteins, Dr. Isenberg noted.

"This work has identified a key pathway that effectively puts the brakes on nitric oxide production, which slows down blood flow," said Mark T. Gladwin, M.D., director of the Vascular Medicine Institute. "Furthermore, drugs that block this pathway have the potential to restore nitric oxide levels and may be useful for the treatment of high blood pressure and other vascular diseases."



Source-Eurekalert
Previous Page 2 Page 1 | 2 
 Email Email   RSS Feeds RSS Feeds   Print this page Print   Save this page Save   Link Link   Syndicate Syndicate   Comments Comments   Bookmark and Share
 
Comment & Contribute
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters

Notify me when reply is posted
I agree to the terms and conditions
  
If you have a question about health related issues, you can now post it in our Ask An Expert section on our community website Medwonders.com and get answers from our panel of experts.
X

Medwonders Health Network

  • Health News Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :
  • News Quick Links
News Central Health Watch
Latest Health News Health In Focus
News Category (500+) Breaking Health News
Popular News Celebrating Life
Health News and Press Release Medindia - Exclusive
News Photo Gallery India Special
News Video Gallery Lifestyle and Wellness
News From Other Resources
News Categories:  
Men's Health Center

Hypertension Related News

» CPAP Treatment may Reduce the Incidence of Hypertension: Study » WHO Says High Blood Pressure Affects 1 in 3
» Exercise may Reduce Hypertension Risk » High Normal Blood Pressure Not as Big a Factor in Heart Disease Among Elderly
» Intake of Vitamin C in Large Doses May Lower BP » Exercise Cuts Mortality Risk in High Blood Pressure Patients
» New Target to Lower High Blood Pressure Risk Discovered » Beetroot Juice Lowers BP
Read More >>