New Molecules and Mechanisms to Fight the Onset and Progression Cardiovascular Diseases—the Role of Oxidative Stress

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 March 2021) | Viewed by 35350

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular diseases are a growing, worldwide epidemic with an enormous economic burden; as such, the care and prevention of cardiovascular alterations constitute an important world challenge. Reduced endothelial function is an early, subclinical stage of vascular alteration that precedes and accompanies the development of cardiovascular diseases, contributing to vascular complications. Downregulated nitric oxide, caused by either reduced synthesis or inactivation due to increased oxidative stress, significantly contributes to endothelial dysfunction. Although many drugs are effective, their molecular mechanisms and long-term side effects are still unknown and are currently an area of active research. Nowadays, biological markers of oxidative stress-induced endothelial injury lack specificity in predicting disease progression in hypertensive patients. On the other hand, clinical trials of antioxidant treatments have failed to show long-term improvements, suggesting the importance of directly acting on upstream signaling to prevent vascular oxidative stress rather than adopting strategies to scavenge reactive oxygen species.

Based on these data, we invite investigators to contribute original research and review articles addressing the identification of novel molecules able to exert beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, as well as novel roles for old pharmacological molecules.

This will improve our knowledge of possible therapeutic approaches and will open a new scenario to improve the health of patients fighting cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Albino Carrizzo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Identification of novel molecules involved in the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases
  • Novel potential therapeutic approaches to reducing oxidative stress and vascular injury
  • Discovery of novel pharmacological approaches to fighting cardiovascular disease
  • Identification of novel molecules able to contribute to the reduction of vascular dysfunction
  • Identification of novel natural compounds with beneficial cardiovascular properties

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Review

12 pages, 903 KiB  
Review
Inflammation in Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders—Role of Oxidative Stress
by Ying Sun, Elias Rawish, Henry M. Nording and Harald F. Langer
Life 2021, 11(7), 672; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/life11070672 - 09 Jul 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2607
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) constitute the main cause of death worldwide. Both inflammation and oxidative stress have been reported to be involved in the progress of CVD. It is well known that generation of oxidative stress during the course of CVD is involved in [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) constitute the main cause of death worldwide. Both inflammation and oxidative stress have been reported to be involved in the progress of CVD. It is well known that generation of oxidative stress during the course of CVD is involved in tissue damage and inflammation, causing deleterious effects such as hypertension, dysfunctional metabolism, endothelial dysfunction, stroke, and myocardial infarction. Remarkably, natural antioxidant strategies have been increasingly discovered and are subject to current scientific investigations. Here, we addressed the activation of immune cells in the context of ROS production, as well as how their interaction with other cellular players and further (immune) mediators contribute to metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. We also highlight how a dysregulated complement system contributes to immune imbalance and tissue damage in the context of increases oxidative stress. Additionally, modulation of hypothalamic oxidative stress is discussed, which may offer novel treatment strategies for type-2 diabetes and obesity. Together, we provide new perspectives on therapy strategies for CVD caused by oxidative stress, with a focus on oxidative stress. Full article
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21 pages, 715 KiB  
Review
Vitamin D: Not Just Bone Metabolism but a Key Player in Cardiovascular Diseases
by Marcello Izzo, Albino Carrizzo, Carmine Izzo, Enrico Cappello, Domenico Cecere, Michele Ciccarelli, Patrizia Iannece, Antonio Damato, Carmine Vecchione and Francesco Pompeo
Life 2021, 11(5), 452; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/life11050452 - 18 May 2021
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5123
Abstract
Vitamin D is the first item of drug expenditure for the treatment of osteoporosis. Its deficiency is a condition that affects not only older individuals but also young people. Recently, the scientific community has focused its attention on the possible role of vitamin [...] Read more.
Vitamin D is the first item of drug expenditure for the treatment of osteoporosis. Its deficiency is a condition that affects not only older individuals but also young people. Recently, the scientific community has focused its attention on the possible role of vitamin D in the development of several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This review aims to highlight the possible role of vitamin D in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In particular, here we examine (1) the role of vitamin D in diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and obesity, and its influence on insulin secretion; (2) its role in atherosclerosis, in which chronic vitamin D deficiency, lower than 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L), has emerged among the new risk factors; (3) the role of vitamin D in essential hypertension, in which low plasma levels of vitamin D have been associated with both an increase in the prevalence of hypertension and diastolic hypertension; (4) the role of vitamin D in peripheral arteriopathies and aneurysmal pathology, reporting that patients with peripheral artery diseases had lower vitamin D values than non-suffering PAD controls; (5) the genetic and epigenetic role of vitamin D, highlighting its transcriptional regulation capacity; and (6) the role of vitamin D in cardiac remodeling and disease. Despite the many observational studies and meta-analyses supporting the critical role of vitamin D in cardiovascular physiopathology, clinical trials designed to evaluate the specific role of vitamin D in cardiovascular disease are scarce. The characterization of the importance of vitamin D as a marker of pathology should represent a future research challenge. Full article
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16 pages, 544 KiB  
Review
Exercise Training and Cardiac Rehabilitation in COVID-19 Patients with Cardiovascular Complications: State of Art
by Mariaconsiglia Calabrese, Marina Garofano, Roberta Palumbo, Paola Di Pietro, Carmine Izzo, Antonio Damato, Eleonora Venturini, Severino Iesu, Nicola Virtuoso, Andrea Strianese, Michele Ciccarelli, Gennaro Galasso and Carmine Vecchione
Life 2021, 11(3), 259; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/life11030259 - 21 Mar 2021
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 11378
Abstract
Recent scientific literature has investigated the cardiovascular implications of COVID-19. The mechanisms of cardiovascular damage seem to involve the protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), to which severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2 (CoV-2) binds to penetrate cells and other mechanisms, most of which [...] Read more.
Recent scientific literature has investigated the cardiovascular implications of COVID-19. The mechanisms of cardiovascular damage seem to involve the protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), to which severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2 (CoV-2) binds to penetrate cells and other mechanisms, most of which are still under study. Cardiovascular sequelae of COVID-19 include heart failure, cardiomyopathy, acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmias, and venous thromboembolism. This article aims to collect scientific evidence by exploiting PubMed, Scopus, and Pedro databases to highlight the cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 and to define the physiotherapy treatment recommended for these patients. Exercise training (ET), an important part of cardiac rehabilitation, is a powerful tool in physiotherapy, capable of inducing significant changes in the cardiovascular system and functional in the recovery of endothelial dysfunction and for the containment of thromboembolic complications. In conclusion, due to the wide variety of possible exercise programs that can be obtained by combining intensity, duration, and speed in various ways, and by adjusting the program based on continuous patient monitoring, exercise training is well suited to the treatment of post-COVID patients with an impaired cardiovascular system of various degrees. Full article
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20 pages, 1419 KiB  
Review
Regulation of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress by Formyl Peptide Receptors in Cardiovascular Disease Progression
by Valentina Maria Caso, Valentina Manzo, Tiziana Pecchillo Cimmino, Valeria Conti, Pio Caso, Gabriella Esposito, Vincenzo Russo, Amelia Filippelli, Rosario Ammendola and Fabio Cattaneo
Life 2021, 11(3), 243; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/life11030243 - 15 Mar 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4083
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most important regulators of cardiac function and are commonly targeted for medical therapeutics. Formyl-Peptide Receptors (FPRs) are members of the GPCR superfamily and play an emerging role in cardiovascular pathologies. FPRs can modulate oxidative stress through nicotinamide [...] Read more.
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the most important regulators of cardiac function and are commonly targeted for medical therapeutics. Formyl-Peptide Receptors (FPRs) are members of the GPCR superfamily and play an emerging role in cardiovascular pathologies. FPRs can modulate oxidative stress through nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) production whose dysregulation has been observed in different cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, many studies are focused on identifying molecular mechanisms of the regulation of ROS production. FPR1, FPR2 and FPR3 belong to the FPRs family and their stimulation triggers phosphorylation of intracellular signaling molecules and nonsignaling proteins that are required for NADPH oxidase activation. Some FPR agonists trigger inflammatory processes, while other ligands activate proresolving or anti-inflammatory pathways, depending on the nature of the ligands. In general, bacterial and mitochondrial formylated peptides activate a proinflammatory cell response through FPR1, while Annexin A1 and Lipoxin A4 are anti-inflammatory FPR2 ligands. FPR2 can also trigger a proinflammatory pathway and the switch between FPR2-mediated pro- and anti-inflammatory cell responses depends on conformational changes of the receptor upon ligand binding. Here we describe the detrimental or beneficial effects of the main FPR agonists and their potential role as new therapeutic and diagnostic targets in the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Full article
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42 pages, 1160 KiB  
Review
The Role of Oxidative Stress in Cardiovascular Aging and Cardiovascular Diseases
by Carmine Izzo, Paolo Vitillo, Paola Di Pietro, Valeria Visco, Andrea Strianese, Nicola Virtuoso, Michele Ciccarelli, Gennaro Galasso, Albino Carrizzo and Carmine Vecchione
Life 2021, 11(1), 60; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/life11010060 - 15 Jan 2021
Cited by 67 | Viewed by 7931
Abstract
Aging can be seen as process characterized by accumulation of oxidative stress induced damage. Oxidative stress derives from different endogenous and exogenous processes, all of which ultimately lead to progressive loss in tissue and organ structure and functions. The oxidative stress theory of [...] Read more.
Aging can be seen as process characterized by accumulation of oxidative stress induced damage. Oxidative stress derives from different endogenous and exogenous processes, all of which ultimately lead to progressive loss in tissue and organ structure and functions. The oxidative stress theory of aging expresses itself in age-related diseases. Aging is in fact a primary risk factor for many diseases and in particular for cardiovascular diseases and its derived morbidity and mortality. Here we highlight the role of oxidative stress in age-related cardiovascular aging and diseases. We take into consideration the molecular mechanisms, the structural and functional alterations, and the diseases accompanied to the cardiovascular aging process. Full article
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22 pages, 1139 KiB  
Review
Cardiotoxicity of Novel Targeted Hematological Therapies
by Valentina Giudice, Carmine Vecchione and Carmine Selleri
Life 2020, 10(12), 344; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/life10120344 - 11 Dec 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3959
Abstract
Chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction, also known as cardiotoxicity, is a group of drug-related adverse events negatively affecting myocardial structure and functions in patients who received chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Clinical manifestations can vary from life-threatening arrythmias to chronic conditions, such as heart failure or [...] Read more.
Chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction, also known as cardiotoxicity, is a group of drug-related adverse events negatively affecting myocardial structure and functions in patients who received chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Clinical manifestations can vary from life-threatening arrythmias to chronic conditions, such as heart failure or hypertension, which dramatically reduce quality of life of cancer survivors. Standard chemotherapy exerts its toxic effect mainly by inducing oxidative stress and genomic instability, while new targeted therapies work by interfering with signaling pathways important not only in cancer cells but also in myocytes. For example, Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors interfere with class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase isoforms involved in cardiac hypertrophy, contractility, and regulation of various channel forming proteins; thus, off-target effects of BTK inhibitors are associated with increased frequency of arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, compared to standard chemotherapy. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of cardiotoxic effects of targeted therapies used in hematology. Full article
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