Comparison of outcomes with surgical cut-down versus percutaneous transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement: TAVR transfemoral access comparisons between surgical cut-down and percutaneous approach.

Objectives: The objective is to compare the short-term (30 days) and late (12 months) vascular adverse events in patients undergoing transfemoral (TF)-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) by surgical cut-down (SC) vs. percutaneous (PC) approaches.

Background: Programs continue to utilize both approaches in TF-TAVR.

Prognostic utility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance upright maximal treadmill exercise testing.

Background: Left ventricular wall motion abnormalities (LVWMA) observed during cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) pharmacologic stress testing can be used to determine cardiac prognosis, but currently, information regarding the prognostic utility of upright maximal treadmill induced LVWMA is unknown. Our objective was to determine the prognostic utility of upright maximal treadmill exercise stress CMR.

Methods: One hundred and fifteen (115) men and women with known or suspected coronary arteriosclerosis and an appropriate indication for cardiovascular (CV) imaging to supplement ST segment stress testing underwent an upright treadmill exercise CMR stress test in which LVWMA were identified before and immediately after exercise.

Incessant ventricular tachycardia and cardiogenic shock: a common presentation of an uncommon diagnosis.

Giant cell myocarditis is a rare and highly lethal disease that is characterized by a rapidly progressive course of biventricular dysfunction. The authors present a case of giant cell myocarditis that presented with incessant ventricular tachycardia and cardiogenic shock in which clinical improvement was achieved with immunosuppressive therapy.

Iatrogenic intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia diagnosed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernias are very uncommon and are most typically caused by high-force blunt trauma. Other iatrogenic causes such as prior surgical formation of a pericardial window have been described, but are exceedingly rare. We present a case of an intrapericardial diaphragmatic hernia in a patient with a prior pericardial window in which the diagnosis was unclear using conventional imaging modalities, but was established using cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Identification of structures within GABAA receptor alpha subunits that regulate the agonist action of pentobarbital.

Barbiturates act on GABA(A) receptors (GABARs) through three distinct mechanisms, resulting in positive allosteric modulation, direct activation, and inhibition. These effects are observed at different concentrations and are differentially affected by some mutations and by the receptor's subunit composition. Mammalian GABARs can be formed from a combination of 16 different subunit subtypes.

Structural determinants of the pharmacological properties of the GABAA receptor alpha6 subunit.

GABA(A) receptors are responsible for fast inhibitory neurotransmission in the mammalian brain and are the targets for many clinical drugs that act as antiepileptics, anxiolytics, and sedatives. The pharmacological characteristics of the receptor are largely determined by its subunit composition. Compared with all other alpha subtypes, the alpha6 subtype confers unique pharmacological properties.

Fluoxetine increases GABA(A) receptor activity through a novel modulatory site.

Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor used widely in the treatment of depression. In contrast to the proconvulsant effect of many antidepressants, fluoxetine has anticonvulsant activity. This property may be due in part to positive modulation of the GABA(A) receptors (GABARs), which mediate most fast inhibitory neurotransmission in the mammalian brain.