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“BACKGROUND: Endothelial damage is an early component of atherosclerosis; Belnacasan research buy however, the impact of cardiovascular risk factors on endothelial function is not clearly understood. We investigated the impact of lipid profiles and high blood pressure on damage.

OBJECTIVE: Japanese male outpatients with grade I or II hypertension, along with gender and age-matched normotensive subjects (both n = 25), were enrolled. Subjects with severe cardiovascular risk factors or illness or those taking medications were excluded. Blood was sampled for laboratory analysis and endothelial function was assessed by flow-mediated

dilation (FMD).

RESULTS: Total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (total-C/HDL-C) was inversely correlated with the FMD value and positively correlated with both malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein values. Stepwise regression analysis revealed total-C/HDL-C and systolic blood pressure were significant determinants of FMD. Hypertensive subjects had lower FMD values and similar lipid profiles to normotensive subjects. Grouping subjects according to total-C/HDL-C levels showed that those with high values had lower FMD values. Hypertensive subjects with low total-C/HDL-C had similar endothelial

index values to those in normotensive Selleckchem Prexasertib subjects with high total-C/HDL-C. Logistic regression indicated hypertension and high total-C/HDL-C were significantly associated with low FMD values.

CONCLUSION: Impaired endothelial function was associated with increased total-C/HDL-C values, possibly as the result of increased vascular oxidative stress and inflammation. FG 4592 In the early stages of atherosclerosis, the impact of both total-C/HDL-C and BP may be similar in terms of endothelial damage. (C)

2011 National Lipid Association. All rights reserved.”
“An analytical method was developed for simultaneous determination of trace amounts of nine corticosteroids in sewage-treatment-plant (STP) samples. The compounds studied were prednisolone, dexamethasone, betamethasone, triamcinolone acetonide, fluocinolone acetonide, prednisolone acetate, hydrocortisone acetate, betamethasone valerate, and betamethasone dipropionate. The method involves concentration and purification of analytes by solid-phase extraction, subsequent separation by liquid chromatography, and detection by mass spectrometry. Quantitative analysis was performed by the standard addition method. Instrument detection limits were in the range 1.6-9.4 pg for the target compounds. Recoveries were 57.2-106.7% in the STP influent sample and 59.1-112.5% in the STP effluent sample with relative standard deviations of 8.7-19.2% and 7.3-17.1%, respectively. This method was used for the determination of these chemicals in STP samples from Takase (Funabashi, Japan); some corticosteroids were determined at levels as low as single nanograms per liter.