PHILADELPHIA, Apr 27, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. scientists say they've
found mice lacking a receptor for one type of prostaglandins have lower blood
pressure and less atherosclerosis than other mice.
The discovery by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's School of
Medicine came during a study of the role of prostaglandins -- a family of fatty
compounds key to the cardiovascular system -- in blood pressure maintenance.
The scientists said their findings indicate the normal role for the type of
prostaglandin studied, PGF2a, is to increase blood pressure and accelerate
atherosclerosis, at least in rodents, and suggests targeting that pathway could
represent a novel therapeutic approach to cardiovascular disease.
"Blocking this prostaglandin receptor may provide a strategy for controlling
blood pressure and its attendant vascular disease," said the study's senior
author, Dr. Garret FitzGerald.
The research, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the
American Heart Association, appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International