Respiratory diseases linked with high blood pressure in lungs: MU researcher examines underlying conditions causing pulmonary hypertension - Science Daily

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Respiratory diseases linked with high blood pressure in lungs: MU researcher examines underlying conditions causing pulmonary hypertension - Science Daily Posted: 16 Oct 2019 12:00 AM PDT Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects the lungs of both animals and people. When tiny vessels in the lungs become narrowed or blocked, it becomes harder for blood to flow through and can cause the heart to weaken or fail. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that identifying respiratory diseases causing pulmonary hypertension can lead to improved health outcomes. Carol Reinero, professor of small animal internal medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine, was a member of a team that studied 47 dogs with pulmonary hypertension caused by respiratory disease. The goal was to better characterize the types of underlying respiratory disorders in dogs causing high blood pressure in their lungs and to identify prognostic variables. "Understanding the diseases that contribute to pulmonary hypertension can lead to more tailored therapy approaches and help identify which medications are likely to be most beneficial," Reinero said. "As many of these dogs have multiple issues, a thorough evaluation is needed to address the underlying problems causing the pulmonary hypertension." Reinero collaborated with veterinary cardiologists Kelly Wiggen and Stacey Leach, who performed an echocardiogram -- an ultrasound of the heart -- on the dogs in the study to identify pulmonary hypertension. "This is a great example of interdisciplinary teamwork, as MU's College of Veterinary Medicine has both the specialized expertise and technical abilities to conduct comprehensive evaluations that ultimately lead to more thorough diagnoses and individualized treatment plans," Reinero said. "We see people bring in their dogs from all over the country, which reflects our strength in the area of respiratory medicine." In both animals and humans, untreated pulmonary hypertension can lead to death. Recent research by the same investigators found that tadalafil, the active drug in Cialis, effectively treats pulmonary hypertension in dogs by dilating pulmonary vessels. The medicine, which is consumed by dogs in the form of a pill, only needs to be taken once a day and was the sole predictor of survival in the study. "Our goal is to make a difference by improving the quality of care for animals," Reinero said. "Doing clinically-relevant research means not just helping individual dogs, but also finding new knowledge that other vets can ultimately use to improve the quality of care for dogs worldwide." Story Source: Materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

HMGB1 Protein May Be Biomarker of PPHN, Chinese Study Suggests - Pulmonary Hypertension News Posted: 10 Oct 2019 12:00 AM PDT Measuring the levels of an inflammatory protein known as HMGB1 may help diagnose persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) and monitor its progression, according to a study in patients and in a rat model. The research, "High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) as biomarker in hypoxia-induced persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn: a clinical and in vivo pilot study," was published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences. Asphyxia (oxygen deprivation) during the perinatal period may result in PPHN, characterized by increased blood pressure in the lungs after birth, and damage in the brain and other organs. Along with inflammatory factors such as TNF-alpha and interleukin (IL)-6, high levels of HMGB1 have been shown in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Likewise, increased HMGB1 amounts have been found in mouse models of chronic hypoxia (reduced oxygen), while the use of antibodies targeting this protein slowed the progression of PAH. A team from Capital Medical University and the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, both in China, assessed whether similar changes in HMGB1 levels occur in PPHN. First, they analyzed serum samples from 12 full-term newborns diagnosed with PPHN up to 16 hours after admission. Researchers also used a rat model to characterize the role of HMGB1 in PPHN. Results showed that serum HMGB1 levels were significantly higher in newborns with PPHN, compared to healthy controls, and markedly reduced upon PPHN resolution (achieved after an average of 75.6 hours). Similar changes were found in the levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6. The higher the HMGB1 levels, the greater the serum amount of TNF-alpha and IL-6, both at PPHN onset and upon remission. In rats, the mean pulmonary arterial pressure in the group with PPHN was higher than in the controls. Similar to the findings in patients, serum levels of HMGB1 were higher in the PPHN group than in the control animals, peaking at 24 hours. One day after inducing PPHN, the pulmonary arteriole wall in the animals was thicker and the lumen (the interior) was narrower than in controls. However, pulmonary arteriole changes were not as severe as irreversible vascular remodeling after three days, the investigators noted. Apart from the serum, HMGB1 levels also were higher in the lungs of rats with PPHN at different time-points up to day three. The peak also occurred at 24 hours, decreasing thereafter yet still at greater amounts than in the controls. Overall, "these results indicate that changes in HMGB1 levels are related to the occurrence and development of PPHN," the scientists wrote. "HMGB1 changes might thus be used as an early indicator to diagnose hypoxia-induced PPHN and evaluate its improvement." Author Details José is a science news writer with a PhD in Neuroscience from Universidade of Porto, in Portugal. He has also studied Biochemistry at Universidade do Porto and was a postdoctoral associate at Weill Cornell Medicine, in New York, and at The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. His work has ranged from the association of central cardiovascular and pain control to the neurobiological basis of hypertension, and the molecular pathways driving Alzheimer's disease. Fact Checked By: Total Posts: 329 Patrícia holds her PhD in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands. She has studied Applied Biology at Universidade do Minho and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon, Portugal. Her work has been focused on molecular genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites. × José is a science news writer with a PhD in Neuroscience from Universidade of Porto, in Portugal. He has also studied Biochemistry at Universidade do Porto and was a postdoctoral associate at Weill Cornell Medicine, in New York, and at The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. His work has ranged from the association of central cardiovascular and pain control to the neurobiological basis of hypertension, and the molecular pathways driving Alzheimer's disease. Latest Posts Average Rating 0 out of 5 stars. 0 votes.

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