Does cyclooxygenase metabolism mediate vasorelaxation to 2-arachidonoylglycerol ( 2-AG ) in human mesenteric arteries?
We have shown for the first time that 2-AG causes vasorelaxation of human mesenteric arteries. Vasorelaxation is dependent on COX metabolism, activation of prostanoid receptors (EP4 & IP) and ion channel modulation. 2-AG responses are blunted in patients with cardiovascular risk factors.
A total of 192 clones identified by MS-RDA were sequenced, 27 DNA fragments derived from CpG islands (CGIs) were isolated, and seven of them were from CGI in the 5' regions of known genes, which include CHARC1, FAM44B, FLJ33655, HSUP, MLLT3, SLC16A1, and ZNF96. Then, methylation statuses of those CGIs were analyzed by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction using 5 primary samples of human uterine leiomyoma. Aberrant DNA methylation did not observed in 7 genes in 5 human uterine leiomyoma eventually. This study is insufficient to identify aberrant DNA methylation occurring in the human uterine leiomyoma, a large population of primary samples and more attempts, such as the use of cell lines or primary monolayer cultures established from tissue samples, are warranted to clarify this issue.