Diabetes is an autoimmune, inflammatory disease affecting many different organ systems and exhibiting both primary and secondary defects. Because diabetes affects a wide range of cellular systems, a multidisciplinary effort has been mounted over the past several decades using a wide range of investigative techniques and methodologies in order to identify molecular mechanisms responsible for cellular dysfunction. Because primary defects at various levels of sub-cellular signaling, intracellular calcium handling, protein expression and energy regulation are often a primary consequence of diabetes.

This volume is a compilation of new multidisciplinary research that will broaden our current understanding of diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as provide the basis for the development of novel therapeutic interventions.

Inhalt
Content.- Preface.- Inhibition of glycation reaction in tissue protein incubations by water soluble rutin derivative.- Comparative analysis of the phenolic content of selected Chilean, Canadian and American Merlot red wines.- Absence of ischemic preconditioning protection in diabetic sheep hearts: Role of sarcolemmal KATP channel dysfunction.- Protein kinase B in the diabetic heart.- Inhibition of interleukin-1 ? convertase is associated with decrease of neointimal hyperplasia after coronary artery stenting in pigs.- Effects of MCC-135 on Ca2+ uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum and myofilament sensitivity to Ca2+ in isolated ventricular muscles of rats with diabetic cardiomyopathy.- Effect of sarpogrelate on altered STZ-diabetes induced cardiovascular responses to 5-hydroxytryptamine in rats.- Mitogen-activated protein kinases in the acute diabetic myocardium.- Association between coronary endothelial dysfunction and local inflammation of atherosclerotic coronary arteries.- Arteriosclerosis in rat aortic allografts: Dynamics of cell growth, apoptosis and expression of extracellular matrix proteins.- Effect of chronic treatment with losartan on streptozotocin-induced renal dysfunction.- The relationship between human cytomegalovirus infection and atherosclerosis development.- Changes in substrate metabolism in isolated mouse hearts following ischemia-reperfusion.- A comparison between NMR and GCMS 13C-isotopomer analysis in cardiac metabolism.- Chronic diabetes alters function and expression of ryanodine receptor calcium-release channels in rat hearts.- The relationship between QTc interval and cardiac autonomie neuropathy in diabetes mellitus.- Antioxidants decreases the intensification of low density lipoprotein in vivo peroxidation during therapy with statins.- Nativeand minimally oxidized low density lipoprotein depress smooth muscle matrix metalloproteinase levels.- Low matrix metalloproteinase levels precede vascular lesion formation in the JCR:LA-cp rat.- Impairment of glucose metabolism and energy transfer in the rat heart.- Ischemie tolerance of rat hearts in acute and chronic phases of experimental diabetes.- Remodelling of the sarcolemma in diabetic rat hearts: The role of membrane fluidity.- Index to Volume 249.