Hawthorn extract inhibits human isolated neutrophil functions.

Hawthorn extract is a popular herbal medicine given as adjunctive treatment for chronic heart failure. In contrast to the cardiac properties of hawthorn extract, its anti-inflammatory effect has been scarcely investigated. This study examines the effects of a dry extract of leaves and flowers of Crataegus laevigata on various functional outputs of human neutrophils in vitro. Incubation of human neutrophils obtained from peripheral blood of healthy donors with C. laevigata extract (0.75-250 microg/ml) inhibited N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP)-induced superoxide anion generation, elastase release and chemotactic migration with potency values of 43.6, 21.9, and 31.6 microg/ml, respectively. By contrast, serum-opsonized zymosan-induced phagocytosis was unaltered by plant extract. C. laevigata extract (125 microg/ml) reduced FMLP-induced leukotriene B(4) production and lipopolysaccharide-induced generation of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-8. Extract inhibited FMLP-induced intracellular calcium signal with potency of 17.4 microg/ml. Extract also markedly inhibited the extracellular calcium entry into calcium-depleted neutrophils, and the thapsigargin-induced intracellular calcium response. In conclusion, C. laevigata extract inhibited various functional outputs of activated human neutrophils which may be relevant to the pathophysiology of cardiac failure.

[Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation in healthy men, men with risk factors, and men with acute myocardial infarction. Importance of occlusion-cuff position]. / Dilatación de la arteria humeral mediada por flujo en varones sanos, con factores de riesgo e infarto agudo de miocardio importancia de la posición del manguito oclusor.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is endothelium-dependent and can be assessed by ultrasound in the brachial artery. We sought to determine the most suitable position for the occlusion cuff for the study of FMD in three groups of adult men. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We included 160 subjects, mean age 58.5 7.8 years: 40 healthy subjects, 80 with cardiovascular risk factors, and 40 patients with AMI. In a subgroup of 60 subjects, the first 10, 30, and 20 of each group, respectively, FMD was evaluated twice, after upper arm occlusion and forearm occlusion to induce hyperemia. RESULTS: In the initial substudy, the FMD after upper arm occlusion was 7.6 2.4% in healthy subjects, 5.1 2.2% in men with risk factors (p < 0.0001), and 3.5 2.2% in AMI patients (p < 0.041, with respect to the risk-factor group). FMD after forearm occlusion was 4.6 1.5%, 2.3 2.1% (p < 0.006), and 2.2 1.9%, respectively, with no significant statistical differences between the risk-factor and AMI groups. Only upper arm occlusion was performed in the remaining participants, as planned, because it provided the most accurate information. Overall, the FMD was, respectively, 7.8 3.1%, 5 2.6% (p < 0.0001) and 3.3 3% (p < 0.004, with respect to the risk-factor group). FMD was directly related to HDL cholesterol and inversely related to resting diameter and number of risk factors. CONCLUSION: The best approach to studying FMD is proximal occlusion since it allows for a better stratification of the with endothelial dysfunction. With this technique, a worsening of endothelial function in acute myocardial infarction can be demonstrated.

Dilatación de la arteria humeral mediada por flujo en varones sanos, con factores de riesgo e infarto agudo de miocardio. Importancia de la posición del manguito oclusor / Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation in healthy men, men with risk factors, and men with acute myocardial infarction. Importance of occlusion-cuff position

Introducción y objetivos. La dilatación mediada por flujo (DMF) es dependiente del endotelio y puede estudiarse con ultrasonidos en la arteria humeral. Quisimos conocer la localización idónea de la oclusión arterial para analizar adecuadamente la DMF en tres grupos de varones adultos.Sujetos y métodos. Se incluyó a 160 sujetos, con edad media de 58,5 ñ 7,8 años: 40 sujetos sanos, 80 con factores de riesgo cardiovascular y 40 pacientes con IAM. En un subgrupo de 60 sujetos -los primeros 10, 30 y 20 de cada grupo, respectivamente- se evaluó la DMF por duplicado, tras oclusión en el brazo y en el antebrazo para inducir la hiperemia.Resultados. En el subestudio inicial, tras oclusión proximal, la DMF fue 7,6 ñ 2,4 por ciento en sujetos sanos, 5,1 ñ 2,2 por ciento en sujetos con factores de riesgo (p < 0,0001), y 3,5 ñ 2,2 por ciento en pacientes con IAM (p < 0,041 respecto al grupo con factores de riesgo). La DMF tras compresión distal fue respectivamente: 4,6 ñ 1,5 por ciento, 2,3 ñ 2,1 por ciento (p < 0,006), y 2,2 ñ 1,9 por ciento, sin diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos con factores de riesgo e IAM. En el resto se evaluó la DMF mediante compresión proximal por aportar datos más precisos, según estaba previsto. Globalmente, la DMF en los 160 sujetos estudiados fue 7,8 ñ 3,1 por ciento, 5 ñ 26 por ciento (p < 0,0001) y 3,3 ñ 3 por ciento (p < 0,004, respecto al grupo con factores de riesgo), respectivamente. La DMF se relacionó directamente con el cHDL e inversamente con el diámetro basal y número de factores de riesgo.Conclusión. La oclusión proximal es el método óptimo para estudiar la DMF al conseguir una mejor estratificación de los sujetos con disfunción endotelial. Esta técnica permite demostrar que en el IAM se produce un empeoramiento de la función endotelial (AU)