Rita Benko

• PhD
• Lecturer at Semmelweis University

In the 16th-17th century, many libertines hid their thoughts by obscuring their ideas and mixing old and new theories. Cyrano’s method may open a window to the methods of early modern thinkers’ ways to conceal heretic ideas. I analysed 16th and 17th century biology and modern-day understanding of the human mind to assess how Cyrano described the wo...

Heart transplantation remains the definitive therapy of end-stage heart failure. Ischemia-reperfusion injury occurring during transplantation is a primary determinant of long-term outcome of heart transplantation and primary graft insufficiency. Modification of the nitric oxide/soluble guanylate cyclase/cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling path...

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is frequently used after soft tissue injuries and in diabetic patients with ulcerated wounds; however, its ability to increase oxidative stress casts doubts. Diabetes (DM) in male Wistar rats (N = 20) weighing 300 g were induced by a single dose of streptozotocin. Ten diabetics (DMHBOT) and 10 controls (CHBOT) under...

Aim: We aimed to examine the alterations of the insulin signaling pathway, autophagy, nitrative stress and the effect of vitamin D supplementation in the liver and ovaries of vitamin D deficient hyperandrogenic rats. Methods: Female Wistar rats received eight weeks of transdermal testosterone treatment and lived on a low vitamin D diet (D–T+). Vita...

Objectives: Crohn’s disease (CD) is a multifactorial disease, characterized by oxidant-induced tissue injury with a possible activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1. MicroRNAs (miRs) can offer a potential link between the genetic susceptibility, environmental and immunologic factors in the pathogenesis of CD. Previously, PARP-1 was ident...

Objective Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents the most prevalent endocrine disorder in women of fertile age; besides infertility, an elevated cardiovascular risk was described. Vitamin D hypovitaminosis affects about 80-90% of PCOS patients. Our team assessed aortic function and nitrative stress in a hyperandrogenic rat model and the effect...

Objective Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a prevalent endocrine disorder in women, is associated with elevated cardiovascular risk and vitamin D deficiency. This study evaluates blood pressure, renal arterial function and oxidative stress in a rat PCOS model, also exploring the impact of vitamin D supplementation. Assessing mean arterial blood pr...

Introduction T cell-dependent inflammatory response with the upregulation of helper 17 T cells (Th17) and the downregulation of regulatory T cells (Treg) accompanied by the increased production of tumor necrosis alpha (TNFa) is characteristic of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Modulation of T cell response may alleviate the inflammation thus red...

In endotoxemic models, the inflammatory parameters are altered to a favorable direction as a response to activation of cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2. The phytocannabinoid Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is an agonist/partial antagonist of both cannabinoid receptors. This report targets the effects of THC on the cardiovascular system of endotoxemic ra...

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and vitamin D deficiency are associated with elevated cardiovascular risk, whereas vitamin D deficiency is a common comorbidity in PCOS that may contribute to the pathogenesis and complications of the disease. Our aim was to investigate the role of vitamin D status on the aortic function of hyperandrogen...

We examined the vasoactive effect of estradiol in a rat model of early PCOS and the influence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD). We created a model of chronic hyperandrogenism and VDD in adolescent female Wistar rats (N = 46) with four experimental groups: vitamin D supplemented (T-D+), VDD (T-D-), hyperandrogenic and vitamin D supplemented (T+D+), and...

Background The cardiovascular effects of training have been widely investigated; however, few studies have addressed sex differences in arteriolar adaptation. In the current study, we examined the adaptation of the gracilis arterioles of male and female rats in response to intensive training. Methods Wistar rats were divided into four groups: male...

Background: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) may be considered an independent cardiovascular (CV) risk factor, and it is well known that CV risk is higher in males. Our goal was to investigate the pharmacological reactivity and receptor expression of intramural coronary artery segments of male rats in cases of different vitamin D supply. Methods: Four-we...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with elevated cardiovascular risk. Early vascular dysfunction may lead to the development of cardiovascular disease in PCOS. Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a common comorbidity of PCOS that contributes to the pathogenesis of the disease and its complications. Both PCOS and VDD are accompanied by increas...

Introduction: Increased oxidative/nitrative stress is characteristic not only in pathologic, but also in healthy pregnancy. High uterine artery pulsatility index (UtAPI) at the end of the first trimester is associated with altered placentation and elevated risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to examine the relationship of systemic oxidat...

Background: Several reports prove interconnection between vitamin D (VD) deficiency and increased cardiovascular risk. Our aim was to investigate the effects of VD status on biomechanical and oxidative–nitrative (O–N) stress parameters of coronary arterioles in rats. Methods: 4-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into a control group (11 animals...

In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) hyperandrogenism and metabolic dysfunction increase cardiovascular risk. Vitamin D3 deficiency is a common comorbidity in PCOS. Our aim was to examine the alterations of insulin-induced vasodilation and receptor expression in rat aorta in a PCOS model. Methods: Female Wistar rats were treated as follows: 1. vitam...

Objectives: The cardiovascular/CV risk is higher in males. To know better these increased risks, our aim was to investigate the effects of different vitamin D/VD status on mechanical, pharmacological and histological characteristics of coronary arterioles in male rat model. Methods: In male Wistar-rats we induced different VD status: “Group C” got...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2017/1249614.].

Background The sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin has been shown to reduce major cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic patients, with a pronounced decrease in hospitalization for heart failure (HF) especially in those with HF at baseline. These might indicate a potent direct cardioprotective effect, which is currently...

Vitamin D (vitD) insufficiency affects 1 billion people worldwide. Androgen excess (AE) occurs in 8% of fertile females. There are few data about the combined effect of vitD deficiency and AE on the early biomechanical changes of cerebral arterioles in fertile-aged female. Forty-six adolescent female Wistar rats (21–28 day-old, weighing 90–110 g) w...

Background Oxidative-nitrative stress and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activation have been previously observed in healthy and gestational diabetic pregnancies, and they were also linked to the development of metabolic diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine these parameters and their correlation to known metabolic risk factors follow...

Background The present study aims to examine the oxidative stress-related activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a cause of parthanatos in circulating mononuclear leukocytes of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), that was rarely investigated in the human setting yet. Methods Patients with CHF (n = 20) and age- and body mass index...

Purpose Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) are promising tools for endothelial repair in vascular regenerative medicine. We hypothesized that these epithelial cells are capable of repairing the damaged endothelial layer following balloon injury of the carotid artery in adult male rats. Results Two days after injury, the transplanted hAECs wer...

Introduction: Oxidative-nitrative stress and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation observed in gestational diabetes may play role in the increased cardiovascular risk in later life. Aim: The present study aimed to examine the influence of the severity of previous gestational diabetes (insulin need) on vascular function three years after deliver...

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 4-10% of fertile women. It is already known that insulin resistance, altered metabolic status and hypertension occur in these patients. Our aims were to clarify the effects of dihydrotestosterone(DHT)-induced PCOS on carbohydrate metabolism, arteriovenous biomechanics, pharmacological reactivity a...

Background: polycystic ovary syndrome induces vascular damage of arteries, however, there is no data on the venous side. Aims: To clarify the effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on both venous biomechanics and pharmacological reactivity in a rat model and to test the possible modulatory role of vitamin D3 (...

Aims: In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunction is related to hyperandrogenic status and insulin resistance, however, Vitamin D3 has a beneficial effect partly due to its anti-oxidant capacity. Nitrative stress is a major factor in the development of cardiovascular dysfunction and insulin resistance in various d...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance, both of which have been connected to atherosclerosis. Indeed, an increased risk of clinical manifestations of arterial vascular diseases has been described in PCOS. On the other hand endothelial dysfunction can be detected earl...

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the hyperandrogenic state in dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the vascular responses to different vasoactive agents, and the modulatory role of vitamin D3. Methods: APCOS model was induced by DHT application in 20 female Wistar rats. Ten of the DHT...

Endocannabinoids are among the most intensively studied lipid mediators of cardiovascular functions. In the present study the effects of decreased and increased activity of the endocannabinoid system (achieved by cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor blockade and inhibition of cannabinoid reuptake, respectively) on the systemic and cerebral circulation were...

Objective: To clarify the effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on the insulin-dependent vasodilatation of the thoracic aorta and the role of vitamin D in a rat model. Design: Controlled experimental animal study. Setting: Laboratory. Animal(s): Thirty adolescent female Wistar rats. Intervention(s):...

The internal thoracic artery (ITA) is the first choice for myocardial revascularization, but atherosclerotic lesions and perioperative vasospasm may still limit its functionality. Oxidative stress via the peroxynitrite - poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cascade plays an important role in the pathogenesis of impaired vascular tone via endothelial...

Low frequency (4-12 cpm) spontaneous fluctuations of the cerebrovascular tone (vasomotion) and oscillations of the cerebral blood flow (CBF) have been reported in diseases associated with endothelial dysfunction. Since endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) suppresses constitutively the release and vascular effects of thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)), NO-d...

An in situ gelling liquid suppository is liquid at room temperature but forms a gel at body temperature. In our work, Metolose® SM-4000 (methylcellulose) is studied that basically shows thermal gelation at 68°C (2%, w/w). The objective was to study the potency of different factors (concentration, pH, additives) to change the value of thermal gelati...

Postpandrial hyperglycaemia is a significant risk factor for the development of macrovascular diseases. There is no clear agreement in the field whether these alterations result from hyperglycaemic episodes or from exaggerated alterations ('glycaemic swings') in blood glucose. We compared the effect of stable high glucose with a model of poorly mai...

The influence of endocannabinoids on the resting blood flow and on hypoxia/hypercapnia (H/H)-induced vasodilation was investigated in the cerebral cortex with laser-Doppler (LD) flowmetry in anesthetized adult male Wistar rats. Inhibition of endocannabinoid reuptake by AM-404 (10 mg/kg) resulted in a transient increase of the resting cerebrocortica...

In critically ill patients various conditions may lead to the activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). By promoting cellular energetic dysfunction, and by enhancing pro-inflammatory gene expression, PARP activation significantly contributes to the pathogenesis of shock. PARP activation is usually triggered by DNA strand breakage, which is...

Previous studies raised the possibility that nitric oxide synthase is present in heart mitochondria (mtNOS) and the existence of such an enzyme became generally accepted. However, original experimental evidence is rather scarce and positive identification of the enzyme is lacking. We aimed to detect an NOS protein in human and mouse heart mitochond...

The activation of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of various diseases associated with oxidative stress. We found increased amounts of poly(ADP) ribosylated proteins in diabetic kidneys of Lepr(db/db) (BKsJ) mice, suggesting increased PARP activity. Therefore, we examined the effects of two struc...

Activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is an important factor in the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. Here, we report that the gender-specific inflammatory response is preferentially down-regulated by PARP in male animals. Female mice produce less tumor necrosis factor-alpha and macrophage inflammatory pro...

Increased production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiac and endothelial dysfunction associated with atherosclerosis, hypertension, and aging. Oxidant-induced cell injury triggers the activation of nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), which in turn contributes to cardiac...

Angiotensin II (AII) contributes to the pathogenesis of many cardiovascular disorders. Oxidant-mediated activation of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) plays a role in the development of endothelial dysfunction and the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases. We have investigated whether activation of the nuclear enzyme P...

Oxidant-mediated activation of the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) plays a role in the development of endothelial dysfunction and the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether activation of PARP contributes to the development of endothelial dysfunction in the apolipopr...

Kimutattuk az oxidált LDL eredetu 7-ketokoleszterin PARP aktivációt okozó hatását. Kkimutattuk hogy az endotoxémia által kiváltott PARP aktivációt inzulinnal gátolni lehet, vagyis a PARP aktiváció indirekt jelenség, a hiperglikémia eredménye. A PARP enzim szerepét kimutattuk thorakoabdominális aorta okkluziót követő reperfúzióban is. A PARP gátlók...