血管成形术后原癌基因c—fos,c—myc表达的研究

ｃ－ｆｏｓ,ｃ－ｍｙｃ是两种参与细胞增殖的原癌基因。动脉血管成形术（ＰＴＡ）后的血管再狭窄,是由于血管壁平滑肌细胞增生所致。利用大白兔建立的试验动物模型,提取ＰＴＡ后不同时间间隔的动脉壁总ＲＮＡ,并用斑点杂交法分析两种原癌基因的表达情况,发现了ｃ－ｆｏｓ和ｃ－ｍｙｃ的基因分别在术后１５分钟内转录活性提高,并分别在３０分钟和第２小时达到高峰。     

血管成形术后原癌基因c－fos、c－myc表达的研究

ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｍｙｃ是两种参与细胞增殖的原癌基因。动脉血管成形术（ＰＴＡ）后的血管再狭窄,是由于血管壁平滑肌细胞增生所致。利用大白兔建立的试验动物模型,提取ＰＴＡ后不同时间间隔的动脉壁总ＲＮＡ,并用斑点杂交法分析两种原癌基因的表达情况,发现了ｃ－ｆｏｓ和ｃ－ｍｙｃ的基因分别在术后１５分钟内转录活性提高,并分别在３０分钟和第２小时达到高峰。     

电针刺激下即刻早期基因和前脑啡肽基因在中枢神经系统中的表达及定位研究

采用免疫组织化学、Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ杂交与原位杂交等方法,观察到２／１５Ｈｚ电针刺激可诱导大鼠中枢神经系统内即刻早期基因ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｊｕｎ的ｍＲＮＡ与免疫阳性物质以及前脑啡肽ｍＲＮＡ的生成。Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ杂交显示,电针在１－２ｈ内引起即刻早期基因ｃ－ｆｏｓｍＲＮＡ的表达,继之以ＰＥＮＫ ｍＲＮＡ的表达,在４８ｈ内方达顶点;形态学结果表明,电针诱导ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｊｕｎ与ＰＥＮＫ ｍＲＮＡ及其蛋     

血管紧张素Ⅱ诱导左心室原癌基因c—fos和c—myc的表达

本实验用Ｌａｎｇｅｎｄｏｒｆｆ心脏灌流装置,探讨血管紧张素Ⅱ对左心室原癌基因ｃ－ｆｏｓ和ｃ－ｍｙｃ表达的作用。观察到血管紧张素Ⅱ能诱导左心室ｃ－ｆｏｓ和ｃ－ｍｙｃ的表达,ｃ－ｆｏｓ表达早于ｃ－ｍｙｃ表达,并呈量－效关系。这种作用可被血管紧张素Ⅱ受体抗剂ｓａｒａｌａｓｉｎ所阻断。这些结果提示血管紧张素Ⅱ诱导的ｃ－ｆｏｓ和ｃ－ｍｙｃ的表达是受体介导的。ＴＴＳ完全阻断血管紧张素Ⅱ诱导的ｃ－ｆｏｓ表达。     

血管紧张素Ⅱ诱导左心室原癌基因c－fos和c－myc的表达

本实验用Ｌａｎｙｅｎｄｏｒｆｆ心脏灌流装置,探讨血管紧张素Ⅱ对左心室原癌基因ｃ－ｆｏｓ和ｃ－ｍｙｃ表达的作用。观察到血管紧张素Ⅱ能诱导左心室ｃ－ｆｏｓ和ｃ－ｍｙｃ的表达,ｃ－ｆｏｓ表达早于ｃ－ｍｙｃ表达,并呈量－效关系。这种作用可被血管紧张素Ⅱ受体拮抗剂ｓａｒａｌａｓｉｎ所阻断。这些结果提示血管紧张素Ⅱ诱导的ｃ－ｆｏｓ和ｃ－ｍｙｃ的表达是受体介导的。ＴＴＸ完全阻断血管紧张素Ⅱ诱导的ｃ－ｆｏｓ表达。ＴＴＸ对ｃ－ｍｙｃ的表达无明显影响。     

RGDS肽对大鼠主动脉球囊内膜剥脱后血管壁增殖的影响

在大鼠主动脉球囊内膜剥脱术后血管壁细胞过度增殖模型上,用合成的血小板膜纤维蛋白原受体（ｇｌｙｃｏｐｒｏｔｅｉｎⅡｂ／Ⅲａｃｏｍｐｌｅｘ,ＧＰⅡｂ／Ⅲａ）拮抗剂ＲＧＤＳ（Ａｒｇ－Ｇｌｙ－Ａｓｐ－Ｓｅｒ,５０μｍｏｌ·ｋｇ－１·ｄ－１）治疗可有效地抑制损伤血管壁的细胞计数增加和内膜增厚以及血管平滑肌细胞增殖,显著降低其血管组织３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ和３Ｈ－Ｌｅｕ的参入增加程度。实验结果提示ＲＧＤＳ肽作为血管成型术的辅佐剂,对于防治血管再狭窄可能具有潜在的临床应用前景。     

L-苯丙氨酸与血管平滑肌细胞增殖

本文用氚标胸腺嘧啶核苷掺入ＤＮＡ合成法测定自发性高血压大鼠（ＳＨＲ）与正常对照鼠的培养主动脉血管平滑肌细胞（ＶＳＭＣ）增殖,观察Ｌ－苯丙氨酸对细胞增殖、细胞生长及原癌基因ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｍｙｃ表达的影响。结果显示：（１）Ｌ－苯丙氨酸剂量依赖性地抑制血清、碱性成纤维细胞生长因子及凝血酶诱导的ＤＮＡ合成;（２）Ｌ－苯丙氨酸剂量依赖性地抑制细胞对血清的增殖反应;（３）Ｌ－苯丙氨酸抑制血清诱导的ｃ－ｆｏｓ     

c—fos,c—myb和c—erbB—2与大鼠卵巢颗粒细胞生孕酮调？…

目的和方法：用离体细胞体外孵育法,观察肥义ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｍｙｂ和ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ－２寡脱氧核苷酸（ｃ－ｆｏｓ ＯＤＮ、ｃ－ｍｙｂ ＯＤＮ和ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ－２ ＯＤＮ）对ｈＣＧ诱导大鼠颗粒细胞孕酮产生的影响。同时观察内皮素－１、γ－氨基丁酸和钙离子通道阻断剂维拉帕米对细胞中ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｍｙｂ和ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ－２蛋白的影响。结果：反义ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｍｙｂ和ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ－２ ＯＤＮ均明显抑制ｈＣＧ诱导颗     

反义c—fos和c—jun抑制IL—1诱导阿片肽分泌

白细胞介素（ＩＬ－１）及阿片肽作为神经调质参与了神经细胞兴奋性毒性作用,以大鼠大脑皮层神经细胞为研究对象,探讨了ＩＬ－１、阿片肽和ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｊｕｎ表达产物之间的关系,结果表明,ＩＬ－１β能诱导大脑皮层神经细胞ｃ－ｆｏｓ、ｃ－ｊｕｎ ｍＲＮＡ瞬时短暂表达,１５ｍｉｎ增高,３０ｍｉｎ达高峰,ｃ－ｆｏｓ ｍＲＮＡ ２ｈ回至基线水平,ｃ－ｊｕｎ ｍ ＲＮＡ ８ｈ回至基线水平;联合应用ｃ－ｆｏｓ,ｃ－     

一氧化氮抑制血管紧张素Ⅱ和内皮素—1诱导的心肌细胞原癌基因c—fo …

在原代培养的新生大鼠心肌细胞上,探讨一氧化氮（ＮＯ）对血管紧张素Ⅱ（ＡⅡ）和内皮素－１（ＥＴ－１）诱导的心肌细胞肥大和原癌基因ｃ－ｆｏｓ表达的影响。用Ｂｒａｄｆｏｒｄ法测定心肌细胞总蛋白含量（作为心肌细胞肥大的指标）;用基因特异性引物和ＳｕｐｅｒＳｃｒｉｐｔ一步法进行逆转录聚合酶链式反应（ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ）,检测大鼠心肌细胞原癌基因ｃ－ｆｏｓ的表达（以ＧＡＰＤＨ为内标）。结果显示,ＡⅡ和ＥＴ－１分别作     

Adenovirus-mediated transfer of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and neointima formation following balloon angioplasty of the rat carotid artery.

BACKGROUND: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation following arterial injury plays a critical role in a variety of vascular proliferative disorders, including atherosclerosis and restenosis after balloon angioplasty. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that localized arterial infection at the time of balloon angioplasty with an adenovirus (ADV-tk) encoding the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene (HSV-tk), followed by systemic ganciclovir administration, can inhibit VSMC proliferation and neointima formation in a well-characterized model of arterial injury and restenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The left carotid arteries of 31 male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to balloon angioplasty and immediately infected with 2 x 10(9) pfu of either ADV-tk or a control adenovirus that does not encode a recombinant protein (ADV-delta E1). Twenty-four hours after injury, animals from each experimental group were randomized to receive a course of systemic ganciclovir (ADV-tk/+GC, ADV delta E1/+GC) or saline (ADV-tk/-GC, ADV-delta E1/-GC). VSMC DNA synthesis was measured by 5'-bromodeoxuridine (BrdU) incorporation 2-4 days after balloon injury. The extent of restenosis, expressed as the neointima to media (I/M) area ratio was determined by digital planimetry 20 days after balloon injury in each of the four treatment groups. Immunohistochemistry using a mAb to von Willebrand factor (vWF) was used to determine the effects of ADV-tk infection and ganciclovir treatment on re-endothelialization of the carotid arteries 20 days following balloon angioplasty. RESULTS: Forty-one percent of the medial VSMCs in the ADV-tk/-GC arteries were labeled with BrdU 4 days after balloon injury. In contrast, ADV-tk infected animals that were treated with systemic ganciclovir (ADV-tk/+GC) displayed a 40% reduction in BrdU-staining medial VSMCs (p < 0.03). I/M area ratios of the three control groups were 1.17 +/- 0.18 (ADV-tk/-GC, n = 5), 1.15 +/- 0.10 (ADV-delta E1/+GC, n = 6), and 0.91 +/- 0.08 (ADV-delta E1/-GC, n = 6). These differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In contrast, the ADV-tk/+GC animals (n = 6) displayed an I/M area ratio of 0.49 +/- 0.13 which was significantly lower than that seen in each of the three control groups (p < 0.02). None of the treated animals showed evidence of significant organ toxicity at autopsy. A regenerated endothelium was observed in the ADV-tk/+GC animals 20 days after balloon injury. CONCLUSIONS: Localized arterial infection with ADV-tk at the time of balloon angioplasty followed by systemic ganciclovir therapy reduces VSMC proliferation and neointimal expansion in the rat carotid artery injury model. Moreover, combined treatment with ADV-tk and systemic ganciclovir does not result in systemic toxicity and appears to selectively eliminate proliferating VSMCs, while preserving the capacity of the injured arterial segments to re-endothelialize within 3 weeks of injury. Taken together, these results support the feasibility of using this gene therapy approach for the treatment of human vascular proliferative disorders.     

Porous balloon delivery of S-dC28 does not prevent restenosis in the porcine coronary artery model of balloon injury

Phosphorothioate (PS) oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation through antisense and G-quartet aptameric mechanisms. PS-ODN such as the cytidine homopolymers, have been demonstrated to have non-G-quartet, nonsequence-specific inhibitory effects in a rat carotid balloon injury model of neointimal proliferation. We sought to test the efficacy of S-dC28, a cytidine homopolymer lacking G-quartets, on neointimal proliferation in the porcine coronary artery model of balloon injury. A total of 23 animals (11 controls, 12 treated) were subjected to balloon injury in a coronary artery, followed by infusion of control solution or S-dC28 via porous balloon, the Scimed Dispatch Coronary Infusion Catheter. After a mean interval of 49 days, the animals were killed, and the target coronary segments were examined histologically. S-dC28 did not significantly inhibit neointimal formation. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled S-dC28 was present in the intima and media immediately after administration but was present mainly within the adventitia 3 hours after administration. S-dC28, when delivered by a Scimed Dispatch Coronary Infusion Catheter (Maple Grove, MN), did not significantly affect neointimal proliferation after balloon injury in a porcine coronary artery model.     

Aging exacerbates negative remodeling and impairs endothelial regeneration after balloon injury

Many older patients, because of their high prevalence of coronary artery disease, are candidates for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), but the effects of vascular aging on restenosis after PCI are not yet well understood. Balloon injury to the right carotid artery was performed in adult and old rats. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, apoptotic cell death, together with Akt induction, telomerase activity, p27kip1, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression was assessed in isolated arteries. Neointima hyperplasia and vascular remodeling along with endothelial cell regeneration were also measured after balloon injury. Arteries isolated from old rats exhibited a significant reduction of VSMC proliferation and an increase in apoptotic death after balloon injury when compared with adult rats. In the vascular wall of adult rats, balloon dilation induced Akt phosphorylation, and this was barely present in old rats. In arteries from old rats, Akt-modulated cell cycle check points like telomerase activity and p27kip1 expression were decreased and increased, respectively, compared with adults. After balloon injury, old rats showed a significant reduction of neointima formation and an increased vascular negative remodeling compared with adults. These results were coupled by a marked delay in endothelial regeneration in aged rats, partially mediated by a decreased eNOS expression and phosphorylation. Interestingly, chronic administration of L-arginine prevented negative remodeling and improved reendothelialization after balloon injury in aged animals. A decreased neointimal proliferation, an impaired endothelial regeneration, and an increase in vascular remodeling after balloon injury were observed in aged animals. The molecular mechanisms underlying these responses seem to be a reduced Akt and eNOS activity.     

ERK在17β-雌二醇抑制大鼠血管损伤后平滑肌细胞增殖中的作用

本实验旨在研究细胞外信号调节激酶(extmcellular signal-regulated kinase,ERK)在17β-雌二醇(17β-estra-diol,E2)介导的一氧化氮(nitric oxide,NO)抑制血管损伤后平滑肌细胞(vascular smooth musclecell,VSMC)增殖中的作用。在去势雌性大鼠中建立颈总动脉球囊损伤模型,实验分单纯去势组(OVX)、去势给予E2治疗组(E2 OVX)、去势后球囊损伤组(OVA Inj)和去势后球囊损伤给予E2治疗组(E2 OVA Inj)。分别检测各组血管壁的厚度、血浆中NO的浓度、ERK蛋白表达和活性的变化以及eNOS蛋白表达情况。结果显示,与OVX组相比,OVA Inj组血浆NO含量明显下降和血管壁厚度明显增厚,E2可增加血浆中NO含量和抑制球囊损伤后血管壁的增厚;E2可以抑制ERK蛋白表达和活化,诱导eNOS蛋白的表达。血浆中：NO含量与eNOS蛋白的表达呈正相关,与血管壁厚度和ERK蛋白表达呈负相关。以上结果提示,E2可通过增加血管组织eNOS蛋白表达,促进NO生成,抑制ERK蛋白的表达和活性,从而抑制血管损伤后VSMC的增殖。     

Studies on microRNAs that are correlated with the cancer stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia

Vascular remodeling is characterized by the aggregation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in intima. Previous studies have demonstrated that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a steroid hormone, can reverse vascular remodeling. However, it is still far clear that whether and how DHEA participates in the modulation of VSMCs activation and vascular remodeling. VSMCs were obtained from the thoracic aorta of SD rats. Cell proliferation was evaluated by CCK-8 assay and BrdU assay. To measure VSMCs migration activity, a transwell chamber assay was performed. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and western blot were used to explore the molecular mechanisms. ROS generation by VSMCs was measured by DCF fluorescence. NADPH oxidase activity and SOD activity were measured by the corresponding kits. NF-κB activity was detected by NF-κB luciferase reporter gene assay. A rat carotid artery balloon injury model was built to evaluate the neointimal formation, and plasma PGF2 was measured by ELISA. Our results showed that DHEA significantly inhibited VSMCs proliferation after angiotensin (Ang II) stimulation by down-regulation of NADPH oxidase activity and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Ang II can increase IL-6 and MCP-1 expression, but DHEA reverses these changes via inhibiting p38-MAPK/NF-κB (p65) signaling pathway. DHEA has no significant effects on VSMCs phenotype transition, but can reduce the neointimal to media area ratio after balloon injury. DHEA can alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation in VSMCs via ERK1/2 and NF-κB signaling pathway, but has no effect on VSMCs phenotype transition. Furthermore, DHEA attenuates VSMCs activation and neointimal formation after carotid injury in vivo. Taken together, DHEA might be a promising treatment for vascular injury under pathological condition.     

Temporal Analysis of Changes in Neuronal c-fos mRNA Levels Induced by Depletion of Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Stores: Effect of Clamping Cytoplasmic Calcium Activity at Resting Levels

Abstract: Activation of immediate early gene expression is a key event in stress-induced neuronal cell injury. To study whether changes in cytoplasmic calcium activity are necessary to activate neuronal immediate early gene expression, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium stores of primary neurons were depleted by exposing cells to thapsigargin (Tg), an irreversible inhibitor of ER Ca²⁺-ATPase. Tg-induced rise in [Ca²⁺]_i and the effect of loading neurons with the cell-permeable calcium chelator BAPTA-AM on this increase in [Ca²⁺]_i were measured in fura-2-loaded cells by fluorescence microscopy. Changes in c- fos mRNA levels were evaluated by quantitative PCR. Tg treatment of neurons produced a pronounced rise in c- fos mRNA levels (∼10-fold more than DMSO) which peaked at 1 h after exposure. The Tg-induced rise in c- fos mRNA content was unchanged (hippocampal neurons) or even increased further (cortical neurons) by preloading cells with BAPTA before incubation with Tg. It is concluded that in neuronal cells an increase in cytoplasmic calcium activity is not a prerequisite for a rise in mRNA levels of c- fos . Thus, stress-induced changes in mRNA levels of immediate early genes of neurons may also result from disturbances in ER calcium homeostasis and not necessarily by an overload of cells with calcium ions. The results of the present series of experiments cast further doubt on the widely accepted hypothesis that the stress-induced cytoplasmic overload of neurons with calcium ions is the primary event triggering cell injury.     

旋覆花素抑制血管内皮剥脱诱导的粘附分子表达

目的观察旋覆花素对内皮剥脱诱导的新生内膜形成过程中血管壁粘附分子OPN、ICAM-1、ILK表达的影响,为寻找该药物抑制新生内膜形成的作用靶标提供实验依据。方法采用主动脉球囊损伤后血管狭窄动物模型,用免疫组织化学和Western Blot方法分别检测血管壁中骨桥蛋白(osteopontin,OPN)、细胞间粘附分子-1(intercellular adhesion molecule-1,ICAM-1)、整合素偶联激酶(integrin-linked kinase,ILK)的表达变化及旋覆花素对其的影响。结果血管内皮剥脱可诱导血管壁平滑肌细胞大量增生,新生内膜呈弥漫性增厚,血管损伤局部组织中OPN、ICAM-1、ILK的表达均比正常对照组明显升高(P<0.05)。旋覆花素治疗组在球囊损伤后,血管内膜增生程度显著减轻,血管壁OPN、ICAM-1、ILK的表达均比模型组明显降低(P<0.05)。结论旋覆花素减缓新生内膜形成的效应与其抑制粘附分子的表达、阻断粘附分子信号传递有关。     

Regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase activity/expression in rat hearts from ghrelin-treated rats

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ghrelin on protein kinase B (Akt) and mitogen-activated protein kinase p42/44 (ERK1/2) activation as well as ghrelin effects on inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS; for gene Nos2) activity/expression in rat hearts. Male Wistar rats were treated with ghrelin (0.3 nmol/5 μl) or an equal volume of phosphate-buffered saline, injected every 24 h into the lateral cerebral ventricle for 5 days and 2 h after the last treatment the animals were sacrificed. Serum NO, L-arginine (L-Arg), and arginase activity were measured spectrophotometrically. For phosphorylation of Akt, ERK1/2, and iNOS protein expression, Western blot method was used. The expression of Nos2 mRNA was measured by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Treatment with ghrelin significantly increased NO production in serum by 1.4-fold compared with control. The concentration of L-Arg was significantly higher in ghrelin-treated rats than in control while arginase activity was significantly lower in ghrelin-treated than in control hearts. Ghrelin treatment increased phosphorylation of Akt by 1.9-fold and ERK1/2 by 1.6-fold and increased iNOS expression by 2.5-fold compared with control. In addition, ghrelin treatment increased Nos2 gene expression by 2.2-fold as determined by qRT-PCR. These results indicate that ghrelin regulation of iNOS expression/activity is mediated via Akt/ERK1/2 signaling pathway. These results may be relevant to understanding molecular mechanisms underlying direct cardiovascular actions of ghrelin.     

Trauma induced by nontraumatic coronary devices and its impact on vascular reactivity and morphology

This study evaluated the impact of low-pressure balloon devices on coronary morphology and function. An active coronary perfusion catheter (2.5-mm balloon diameter, inflation with 1 bar for 30 min) was placed in the left anterior descending coronary artery of 12 German landrace pigs under general anesthesia. After 3 mo, coronary segments with balloon contact were compared with control segments taken from the right coronary artery as to histology, vascular reactivity, and expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Thirty-three balloon treated segments were analyzed. Twenty of these segments (61%) showed neointima formation. In these segments endothelium-independent relaxation induced by sodium nitroprusside was preserved. However, endothelium-dependent bradykinin-induced relaxation was significantly attenuated compared with both the control segments and the balloon-treated segments without neointima formation. In >60% of the ballooned arterial segments examined, low-pressure balloon devices induced neointima formation accompanied by reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation. Thus interventions with so-called nontraumatic coronary devices can induce relevant vascular injury, with potential adverse clinical consequences.     

Role of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) in leptin-induced hypertension

We investigated if extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and oxidative stress are involved in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension induced by chronic leptin administration in the rat. Leptin was administered at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg twice daily s.c. for 4 or 8 days. Blood pressure (BP) was higher in leptin-treated than in control animals from the third day of the experiment. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic, tempol, normalized BP in leptin-treated rats on days 6, 7 and 8, whereas the ERK inhibitor, PD98059, exerted a hypotensive effect on days 3 through 6. Leptin increased ERK phosphorylation level in renal and aortic tissues more markedly after 4 than after 8 days of treatment. In addition, leptin reduced urinary Na(+) excretion and increased renal Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity, and these effects were abolished on days 4 and 8 by PD98059 and tempol, respectively. The levels of NO metabolites and cGMP were reduced in animals receiving leptin for 8 days. Markers of oxidative stress (H(2)O(2) and lipid peroxidation products) were elevated to a greater extent after 4 than after 8 days of leptin treatment. In contrast, nitrotyrosine, a marker of protein nitration by peroxynitrite, was higher in animals receiving leptin for 8 days. NADPH oxidase inhibitor, apocynin, prevented leptin's effect on BP, ERK, Na(+),K(+)-ATPase/Na(+) excretion and NO formation at all time points. SOD activity was reduced, whereas glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was increased in the group treated with leptin for 8 days. These data indicate that: (1) ERK, activated by oxidative stress, is involved only in the early phase of leptin-induced BP elevation, (2) the later phase of leptin-induced hypertension is characterized by excessive NO inactivation by superoxide, (3) the time-dependent shift from ERK to O(2)(-)-NO dependent mechanism may be associated with reduced SOD/GPx ratio, which favors formation of O(2)(-) instead of H(2)O(2).