Consolidated knowledge is accumulating as to the role of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in the physiology of vascular development and vascular tone as well as in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. The modulation of gene expression through modification of the epigenome by structural changes of the chromatin architecture without alterations of the associated genomic DNA sequence is part of the cellular response to environmental changes. Such environmental conditions, which are finally being translated into adaptations of the cardiovascular system, also comprise pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis or myocardial infarction. This review summarizes recent findings on the epigenetics of vascular regulation and disease and presents nutritional and pharmacological approaches as novel epigenetic strategies in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

BackgroundVibration-induced white finger disease (VWF), also known as hand-arm vibration syndrome, is a secondary form of Raynaud’s disease, affecting the blood vessels and nerves. So far, little is known about the pathogenesisof the disease. VWF is associated with an episodic reduction in peripheral blood flow. Sirtuin 1, a class III histone deacetylase, has been described to regulate the endothelium dependent vasodilation by targeting endothelial nitric oxide synthase. We assessed Sirt1single nucleotide polymorphisms in patients with VWF to further elucidate the role of sirtuin 1 in the pathogenesis of VWF.MethodsPeripheral blood samples were obtained from 74 patients with VWF (male 93.2%, female 6.8%, median age 53 years) and from 317 healthy volunteers (gender equally distributed, below 30 years of age). Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and screened for potential Sirt1single nucleotide polymorphisms. Four putative genetic polymorphisms out of 113 within the Sirt1 genomic region (NCBI Gene Reference: NM_012238.3) were assessed. Allelic discrimination was performed by TaqMan-polymerasechainreaction-based allele-specific genotyping single nucleotide polymorphism assays.ResultsSirt1single nucleotide polymorphism A2191G (Assay C_25611590_10, rs35224060) was identified within Sirt1 exon 9 (amino acid position 731, Ile → Val), with differing allelic frequencies in the VWF population (A/A: 70.5%, A/G: 29.5%, G/G: 0%) and the control population (A/A: 99.7%, A/G: 0.3%, G/G: 0.5%), with significance levels of P < 0.001 (Mann–Whitney U test (two-tailed) P <0.001; F-exact t-test and Chi-square test with Yates correction (all two-tailed): P <0.0001). The heterogeneous A/G genotype in base pair position 2191 is significantly overrepresented in the VWF patient population when compared with healthy controls.ConclusionWe identified theSirt1A2191Gsingle nucleotide polymorphism as a diagnostic marker for VWF.