[Role of endothelial dysfunction in the development of vascular complications of diabetes].

The literature review discusses the main pathological factors (hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, neurohormonal activation, disturbances in the synthesis system, allocation and availability of nitric oxide, etc.) that underlie the development of endothelial dysfunction in diabetes mellitus and determine their role in the development and progression of vascular complications of this disease.

[Endothelial protection drugs--a new class of pharmacological agents].

This review considers issues dealing with the role of nitric oxide and endothelial function/dysfunction in providing a number of physiological and pathophysiological processes and various body systems functioning. It also covers in details the possible ways of pharmacological management of endothelial dysfunction (ED) using drugs of different pharmacological groups (classes). Diverse pharmacological effects which have various degree of intensity and presented at various stages of ED pathogenesis are discussed. The value and urgency of search and development of agents with endothelial protection potential are studied in available experimental and clinical works on the considerable role of endothelial system in cardiovascular diseases and lack of specific means for prevention and treatment of endothelial dysfunction. Integrated morphological-functional approach to assessment of ED and endothelial protection of substances was developed and implemented in experimental practice in Cardiovascular Agents Laboratory of the Volgograd State Medical University Research Institute of Pharmacology. Various ED models were tested and most valid ones were selected. Endothelial protection of new compounds such as Salifen and Flavicin are considered and compared with cardiovascular drugs, antioxidants with metabolic effects, GABA derivatives. These drugs are assumed to belong to a new class of drugs--endothelial protection drugs.

[Effects of mexidol and sulodexide on the level of specific markers of endothelial dysfunction in animals with experimental diabetes mellitus].

Streptozotocin-induced diabetes leads to the development of endothelial dysfunction, as evidenced by decreased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and increased expression of endothelin-1 as specific markers of endothelial disorders. All test substances showed endotelioprotective activity by increasing the concentration of eNOS and reducing the level of endothelin-1. With respect to the degree of impact on the eNOS and endothelin-1 levels, the compounds studied can be rated as follows: sulodexide > meksidol.

[Effect of flavicin on vasodilating and antithrombotic endothelial functions in animals with experimental diabetes mellitus].

It is established that flavonoid flavicin improves antithrombotic and vasodilating functions of blood vessels in rats with endothelial dysfunction caused by streptozotocin-induced diabetes.