Published online before print July 21, 2008, doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.108.116558
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(Hypertension. 2008;52:465.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.
Editorial Commentaries |
Excitement of Clinical Investigation
New Basic Mechanisms of Action After Drug Introduction
From the Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, La.
Correspondence to Edward D. Frohlich, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, 1514 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans, LA 70121. E-mail efrohlich@ochsner.org
An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract. |
Enormous personal satisfaction is frequently derived from experiences resulting from systematic clinical investigation. Such are the lessons that have been learned from the tremendous insight that has evolved concerning the careful clinical and fundamental study of new therapeutic agents, events after their release for general clinical use. This has been the case derived from exciting gains into the cardiac and vascular remodeling after introduction of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and the statins.
According to the editors, an editorial commentary is intended to "highlight, provide a further perspective, and enhance the overall significance of a study that is novel, timely, and contributes to our understanding of the physiology, pathophysiology, clinical treatment or prevention of hypertension." To my way of thinking, there is no better example of such an article to fulfill these criteria than "Modulation of Angiotensin II–Mediated Hypertension and Cardiac Remodeling by Lectin-Like, Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-1 Deletion" by Hu et al.1 Inherent in this commentary are its key words: angiotensin II, cardiac remodeling, and lectin-like, oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) deletion. Moreover, central to its thesis are the concept and mechanisms of cardiovascular "remodeling."
The role of angiotensin in cardiac remodeling was first introduced into pathophysiology, clinical treatment, and prevention by Marc A. and Janice M. Pfeffer in 1988 after a discussion (which I witnessed) with Eugene Braunwald. That conversation concerned submission of an abstract on the benefits of prolonged survival with long-term captopril therapy of rats with myocardial infarction and heart failure for consideration at the forthcoming annual
Related Article:
Hypertension 2008 52: 556-562.