A novel neurotrophic therapeutic strategy for experimental stroke.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) promotes proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells, and erythropoietin (EPO) promotes differentiation of these cells into neural stem cells. The current study examined effects of sequential administration of these two compounds, initiated 24 h after stroke. At that time, rats were randomized into four treatment groups: hCG+EPO (3 IM doses hCG over 5 days, followed by 3 IV doses EPO over 3 days), hCG+Saline using the same schedule, Saline+EPO using the same schedule, or neither drug (Saline+Saline).

Spontaneous diastolic contractions and phosphorylation of the cardiac ryanodine receptor at serine-2808 in congestive heart failure in rat.

Objective: The role of phosphorylation of the ryanodine receptor at serine-2808 (RyRS2808) in congestive heart failure (CHF) is controversial, and effects of RyRS2808 phosphorylation on contraction are unclear. It has been reported that diastolic sarcomere length (SL) fluctuations accompany propagating contractile waves due to propagating SR Ca2+ release in trabeculae from rats with CHF. Here, we studied the influence of RyR destabilization by FK506 and isoproterenol on twitch force (Ftw) and SL fluctuations in right ventricular (RV) trabeculae.

Losartan inhibits myosin isoform shift after myocardial infarction in rats.

Hypertrophy and heart failure following a myocardial infarction in rodents are accompanied by a switch of myosin isoforms from V1 to V3. The angiotensin II receptor blocker, Losartan, has been demonstrated to improve cardiac function and long-term survival after myocardial infarction. In this study we have investigated whether chronic Losartan treatment affects myosin isoform composition in the hearts of rats following a myocardial infarction.