Aortic Aneurysm with and without Dissection and Concomitant Atherosclerosis-Differences in a Retrospective Study.

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysm is a latent disease with a high risk of death. Today, as data are accumulating, an estimation of the differences in thoracic aneurysm in men and women of different age groups is required. The present study evaluated the type of atherosclerotic aortic lesions in males and females at different ages regarding the presence or absence of aortic dissection.

Applied physiology: gut microbiota and antimicrobial therapy.

The gut microbiota plays an important role in maintaining human health and in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed drugs and have a significant impact on the structure and function of the gut microbiota. The understanding that a healthy gut microbiota prevents the development of many diseases has also led to its consideration as a potential therapeutic target.

Sarcopenia in cirrhosis: Prospects for therapy targeted to gut microbiota.

Decreased muscle mass and function, also known as sarcopenia, is common in patients with cirrhosis and is associated with a poor prognosis. Although the pathogenesis of this disorder has not been fully elucidated, a disordered gut-muscle axis probably plays an important role. Decreased barrier function of the gut and liver, gut dysbiosis, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can lead to increased blood levels of ammonia, lipopolysaccharides, pro-inflammatory mediators, and myostatin.

The Neuroimmune Role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Disease.

Currently, a bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiota and the nervous system, which is considered as microbiota-gut-brain axis, is being actively studied. This axis is believed to be a key mechanism in the formation of somatovisceral functions in the human body. The gut microbiota determines the level of activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary system.

Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm: Blood Pressure and Inflammation as Key Factors in the Development of Aneurysm Dissection.

Aortic aneurism development is dependent on internal and external etiological factors that define the width of the therapeutic window available for the treatment of patients with such diagnosis. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the most prominent of these factors. In particular, we discuss the input of elevated blood pressure to the remodeling of the aortic wall, describe the mechanisms of inflammatory remodeling of the aorta, and evaluate the cross-interaction of blood pressure, inflammation and immunity during the pathology development.