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Article
Open AccessRole of circulating endothelial progenitors in responsiveness to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in hemodialysis patients
Though treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients has been improved remarkably by erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA), hypo-responsiveness to ESA poses a persistent problem in a subgroup ...
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Article
V-ATPase blockade reduces renal gluconeogenesis and improves insulin secretion in type 2 diabetic rats
Vacuolar H+-adenosine triphosphatase (V-ATPase) stimulates vesicular acidification that may activate cytoplasmic enzymes, hormone secretion and membrane recycling of transporters. We investigated the effect of bl...
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Article
Optimal blood pressure targets for patients with hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Optimal blood pressure (BP) targets for hypertension have been an important clinical issue but have been elusive. The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) showed significant benefits of intensiv...
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Article
Effects of atorvastatin and ezetimibe on endothelial function in dyslipidemic patients with chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a staple risk factor not only for renal failure but also for cardiovascular diseases. In addition, because dyslipidemia facilitates atherosclerosis and renal dysfunction, antihy...
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Article
Aldosterone-induced osteopontin gene transcription in vascular smooth muscle cells involves glucocorticoid response element
Osteopontin (OPN) is known to be one of the cytokines that is involved in the vascular inflammation caused by aldosterone (Aldo). Previous reports have shown that Aldo increases OPN transcripts, and the mechan...
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Article
A new constitutively active mutant of AMP-activated protein kinase inhibits anoxia-induced apoptosis of vascular endothelial cell
The inhibition of apoptotic changes in vascular endothelial cells is important for preventing vascular damage from hypoxia. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has recently been identified as playing a role in...