Publications by authors named "Aimi Yokoi"

Article Synopsis
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common heart condition in cats, leading to heart failure due to diastolic dysfunction, and can be classified as obstructive or non-obstructive based on whether there's an obstruction in the outflow tract.
  • Recent research focused on using color M-mode (CMM) to measure intraventricular pressure differences (IVPD) and create an intraventricular pressure gradient (IVPG) index to assess diastolic impairment non-invasively in cats with obstructive HCM.
  • The findings indicated that while there was no severe left atrial enlargement in cats with obstructive HCM, the IVPG was significantly higher compared to control cats, suggesting elevated left
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Article Synopsis
  • Intra-operative hypotension is a frequent issue during surgery using general anesthesia in both dogs and humans, prompting the development of a computer-controlled infusion system for norepinephrine (NE) to stabilize blood pressure.
  • The study involved a closed-loop infusion system that administered NE while monitoring mean arterial pressure (MAP) in six Beagle dogs undergoing anesthesia with isoflurane, adjusting dosages every 2 seconds.
  • Results showed that when the system was active, it effectively maintained the MAP within the target range of 55-65 mmHg for 96% of the time during the latter half of a 30-minute period, demonstrating its efficacy in preventing hypotension.
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Introduction: Periodontitis is a prevalent and severe dental condition characterized by the gradual degradation of the bone surrounding the teeth. Over the past two decades, numerous epidemiological investigations have suggested a potential link between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease. However, the complex mechanistic relationship between oral health issues and cardiovascular disorders remains unclear.

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Aims: To quantify in vivo the effects of the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, vericiguat, on autonomic cardiovascular regulation in comparison with the nitric oxide (NO) donor, sodium nitroprusside.

Methods: In anesthetized Wistar-Kyoto rats, baroreflex-mediated changes in sympathetic nerve activity (SNA), arterial pressure (AP), central venous pressure (CVP), and aortic flow (AoF) were examined before and during the intravenous continuous administration (10 μg·kg-1·min-1) of vericiguat or sodium nitroprusside (n = 8 each). Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) was calculated as SVR = (AP-CVP) / AoF.

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This paper reports the clinical findings and surgical treatment of feline right patent ductus arteriosus (RPDA) with a left aortic arch. A two-month-old female Maine Coon was referred for an investigation of regurgitation after weaning. RPDA with a left aortic arch was diagnosed based on the echocardiographic and computed tomography (CT) findings.

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Although suppression of sympathetic activity is suggested as one of the underlying mechanisms for the cardioprotective effects afforded by sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, whether the modulation of glucose handling acutely affects sympathetic regulation of arterial pressure remains to be elucidated. In Goto-Kakizaki diabetic rats, we estimated the open-loop static characteristics of the carotid sinus baroreflex together with urine glucose excretion using repeated 11-min step input sequences. After the completion of the 2nd sequence, an SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin (10 mg kg) or vehicle solution was administered intravenously (n = 7 rats each).

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Accentuated antagonism refers to a phenomenon in which the vagal effect on heart rate (HR) is augmented by background sympathetic tone. The dynamic aspect of accentuated antagonism remains to be elucidated during different levels of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) intensity. We performed VNS on anesthetized rats ( = 8) according to a binary white noise signal with a switching interval of 500 ms at three different stimulation rates (low-intensity: 0-10 Hz, moderate-intensity: 0-20 Hz, and high-intensity: 0-40 Hz).

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Chymase is a protease stored in mast cell granules that produces angiotensin II (ANG II) from angiotensin I (ANG I) and is associated with tissue injury, inflammation, and remodeling, especially involving the cardiovascular system. As cardiovascular events occur, chymase is activated by degranulation to the extracellular matrix. Although chymase has been suggested to be associated with cardiovascular disease progression, there are not enough reports in veterinary medicine.

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We examined urine excretion during primary acute sympathetic activation (PASA) in anesthetized Wistar-Kyoto rats. Since arterial pressure (AP) changes with sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) during PASA, urine excretion reflects a neurally mediated antidiuretic effect combined with an effect of pressure diuresis. We hypothesized that preventing AP changes under PASA would enable the direct estimation of the neurally mediated antidiuretic effect alone.

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Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a rare congenital cardiovascular anomaly in cats. Due to their small body, intercostal thoracotomy is the most common option to close the PDA. However, few reports detail the surgical technique for ligating PDA in kittens.

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Recently, biomedicine and tissue regeneration have emerged as great advances that impacted the spectrum of healthcare. This left the door open for further improvement of their applications to revitalize the impaired tissues. Hence, restoring their functions.

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