Multiple bee stings resulting in ST elevation myocardial infarction (the Kounis syndrome).

Kounis syndrome consists of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction that is triggered by the release of inflammatory mediators in the setting of an allergic reaction. We present the case of a 61-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with anaphylaxis after being stung by >100 bees. During resuscitation, he subsequently developed ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Substance P receptor antagonism: a potential novel treatment option for viral-myocarditis.

Viral-myocarditis is an important cause of heart failure for which no specific treatment is available. We previously showed the neuropeptide substance P (SP) is associated with the pathogenesis of murine myocarditis caused by encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV). The current studies determined if pharmacological inhibition of SP-signaling via its high affinity receptor, NK1R and downstream G-protein, Ras homolog gene family, member-A (RhoA), will be beneficial in viral-myocarditis.

Somatostatin negatively regulates parasite burden and granulomatous responses in cysticercosis.

Cysticercosis is an infection of tissues with the larval cysts of the cestode, Taenia solium. While live parasites elicit little or no inflammation, dying parasites initiate a granulomatous reaction presenting as painful muscle nodules or seizures when cysts are located in the brain. We previously showed in the T.

Substance P causes seizures in neurocysticercosis.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC), a helminth infection of the brain, is a major cause of seizures. The mediators responsible for seizures in NCC are unknown, and their management remains controversial. Substance P (SP) is a neuropeptide produced by neurons, endothelial cells and immunocytes.