Contents

#### **Preface XI**




Preface

scientists are working on.

diseases and atherogenesis.

also clinical questions.

Cardiovascular diseases and atherogenesis have been and still are an important topic many

In the 16th century, Leonardo da Vinci had described "The narrowing of the passage of blood vessels, thickening of the coats of these vessels and hardening of arteries". This is the first documentation of atherosclerosis, but today our understanding of atherogenesis as a process of a chronic inflammatory disease has been updated by many mechanisms such as hypercholesterolemia, dysfunction of endothelial cells, oxidation of lipoproteins and espe‐ cially oxidative stress. In particular, the endothelium is responsible for the regulation of vas‐ cular tone, the exchange of plasma and cell biomolecules, inflammation, lipid metabolism and modulation of fibrinolysis and coagulation. Endothelial cell disruption, morphological abnormalities in size and shape, susceptibility to apoptosis and abnormal release of endo‐ thelial cell-derived factors are strictly implicated in the pathogenetic mechanisms of cardio‐ vascular diseases. Growing evidence indicates that chronic and acute overproduction of

It is important to remember that drugs intake, such as statins, life style control for regulating fat intake and exercise activity must be monitored for improving cardiovascular disease in‐ cidence. In recent years a novel topic regarding antioxidant properties of some natural sub‐ stances seems to be very important for decreasing certain problems related to cardiovascular

This book presents the state of the art of the antioxidants in the clinical and experimental approaches in order to bring better understanding of the mechanisms and useful therapies for these diseases. We hope that it can indicate new "current trends" for identifying new aspects regarding this scientific problem involving not only anatomical and functional, but

> **Dr. Rita Rezzani** University of Brescia

> > Italy

oxidative stress alters endothelial cells as pivotal early event in atherogenesis.

Chapter 11 **Attributes of Hypoxic Preconditioning Determine the Complicating Atherogenesis of Plaques 237** Lawrence M Agius
