Significance: Oxidative stress represents the common hallmark of pathological conditions associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), including atherosclerosis, heart failure, hypertension, aging, diabetes, and other vascular system-related diseases. The sirtuin (SIRT) family, comprising seven proteins (SIRT1-SIRT7) sharing a highly conserved nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + )-binding catalytic domain, attracted a great attention for the past few years as stress adaptor and epigenetic enzymes involved in the cellular events controlling aging-related disorder, cancer, and CVD. Recent Advances: Among sirtuins, SIRT1 and SIRT6 are the best characterized for their protective roles against inflammation, vascular aging, heart disease, and atherosclerotic plaque development. This latest role has been only recently unveiled for SIRT6. Of interest, in recent years, complex signaling networks controlled by SIRT1 and SIRT6 common to stress resistance, vascular aging, and CVD have emerged. Critical Issues: We provide a comprehensive overview of recent developments on the molecular signaling pathways controlled by SIRT1 and SIRT6, two post-translational modifiers proven to be valuable tools to dampen inflammation and oxidative stress at the cardiovascular level. Future Directions: A deeper understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms through which SIRT1 and SIRT6 act in the signalings responsible for onset and development CVD is a prime scientific endeavor of the upcoming years. Multiple ''omic'' technologies will have widespread implications in understanding such mechanisms, speeding up the achievement of selective and efficient pharmacological modulation of sirtuins for future applications in the prevention and treatment of CVD. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 711-732.

The mutual interference between the second-derivative bands of tyrosine and tryptophan in proteins has been evaluated in terms of the ratio r between two peak to peak distances. The r values have been found to be not only related to the tyrosine/tryptophan ratio but also dependent on the polarity of the medium in which tyrosyl residues are embedded. The results obtained on purified proteins have been found consistent with the available X-ray information and with the existing solvent perturbation data.

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The role of sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) in atherosclerotic progression of diabetic patients is unknown. We evaluated SIRT6 expression and the effect of incretin-based therapies in carotid plaques of asymptomatic diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Plaques were obtained from 52 type 2 diabetic and 30 nondiabetic patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Twenty-two diabetic patients were treated with drugs that work on the incretin system, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors for 26 6 8 months before undergoing the endarterectomy. Compared with nondiabetic plaques, diabetic plaques had more inflammation and oxidative stress, along with a lesser SIRT6 expression and collagen content. Compared with non-GLP-1 therapy-treated plaques, GLP-1 therapy-treated plaques presented greater SIRT6 expression and collagen content, and less inflammation and oxidative stress, indicating a more stable plaque phenotype. These results were supported by in vitro observations on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and endothelial cells (ECs). Indeed, both EPCs and ECs treated with high glucose (25 mmol/L) in the presence of GLP-1 (100 nmol/L liraglutide) presented a greater SIRT6 and lower nuclear factor-kB expression compared with cells treated only with high glucose. These findings establish the involvement of SIRT6 in the inflammatory pathways of diabetic atherosclerotic lesions and suggest its possible positive modulation by incretin, the effect of which is associated with morphological and compositional characteristics of a potential stable plaque phenotype.Cardiovascular disease represents the leading cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes (1). Diabetes leads to increased vulnerability for plaque disruption, and mediates increased incidence and severity of clinical events (2). Inflammation, particularly in diabetes, plays a central role in the cascade of events that result in plaque erosion and fissuring (2). There is now increasing evidence that a number of transcription factors, including the Sir2 family of enzymes, namely sirtuins (SIRTs), regulate multiple genes whose products are putatively involved in the regulation of inflammation and endothelial cell (EC) function (3). The Sir2 family consists of seven enzymes (SIRT1 to SIRT7) that share a conserved core catalytic domain, but differ in their cellular localization and tissue distribution (4). Among the SIRTs, SIRT6, a chromatinassociated deacetylase, is considered to have a leading role in regulating genomic stability, cellular metabolism, stress response, and aging (5-8). A recent study (9) in mice suggested a role for SIRT6 in inflammation. Moreover, the knockdown of SIRT6 resulted in the increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1b, IL-6, and IL-8), extracellular matrix remodeling enzymes (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]-2, MMP-9, and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1), and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (4). In ECs, the loss of SIRT6 was associated with an increased expression of nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), whereas o...