How to Use the Good to Combat the Bad in Cardiovascular Disease

Newswise — Bethesda, Md. (July 1, 2015)—Changes in blood flow pattern, such as from plaque build-up in the arteries, initiate a cascade of conflicting signals. Some responses damage the blood vessel, while others heal it. A new study in American Journal of Physiology—Heart and Circulatory Physiology identifies the involvement of a protective response pathway, the heme oxygenase system, that has potential as a new therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular diseases. In the study, researchers from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., demonstrated that reducing blood flow activated the heme oxygenase genes. Activation of the genes enlarged the artery to restore blood flow and mitigated the blood vessel injury that follows blood flow pattern changes. This study is the first to demonstrate the importance of the heme oxygenase system in responding to changes in blood flow pattern and the possibility of using it to treat cardiovascular diseases, the researchers wrote.

The article “Induction and functional significance of the heme oxygenase system in pathological shear stress in vivo” is published in the American Journal of Physiology—Heart and Circulatory Physiology. It is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program. Read all of this month’s selected research articles at http://apsselect.physiology.org/.

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact Maggie Kuo at [email protected] or 301-634-7253.

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About the American Physiological SocietyPhysiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. Established in 1887, the American Physiological Society (APS) was the first U.S. society in the biomedical sciences field. The Society represents more than 11,000 members and publishes 14 peer-reviewed journals with a worldwide readership.