Platelet and Monocyte Activation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (POTENT-TAVR): A Mechanistic Randomized Trial of Ticagrelor Versus Clopidogrel.

Background: Inflammation and thrombosis are often linked mechanistically and are associated with adverse events after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). High residual platelet reactivity (HRPR) is especially common when clopidogrel is used in this setting, but its relevance to immune activation is unknown. We sought to determine whether residual activity at the purinergic receptor P2Y12 (P2Y12) promotes prothrombotic immune activation in the setting of TAVR.

Atrial Tachyarrhythmias Among Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices: Prevalence, Clinical Outcomes, and Impact of Rhythm Control Strategies.

Objectives: This study sought to describe the burden of atrial fibrillation (AF)/atrial flutter (AFL) in patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) and to evaluate the impact of rhythm control strategies.

Background: AF and AFL among patients with LVADs are poorly characterized.

Methods: Retrospective multivariable survival analysis of all LVAD recipients at the Cleveland Clinic from January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2016 examining the association of death, thromboembolism, and major bleeding with AF/AFL and exposure to rhythm control measures.

C57BL/6J mouse apolipoprotein A2 gene is deterministic for apnea.

Rationale: Brainstem apolipoprotein AII (apoa2) mRNA expression correlates with apnea in breathing present in the adult C57Bl/6J (B6) sleep apnea model.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that the B6 apoa2 gene contributes to the trait, we performed plethysmographic testing in apoa2 knock out (KO: -/-) mice, an in situ brainstem-spinal cord preparation comparing KO to WT (+/+) mice, and B6xDBA recombinant inbred strains (RISs).

Measurements And Main Results: Apoa2 WT do, but KO and heterozygote (+/-) mice do not exhibit apnea during post-hypoxic breathing, measured in vivo.

Effects of hydrogen sulfide synthesis inhibitors on posthypoxic ventilatory behavior in the C57BL/6J mouse.

Background: H(2)S synthesis inhibitors (HSSI) have been shown to impact respiratory control. For instance, the HSSI hydroxylamine (HA) decreases the respiratory discharge rate from isolated medullary sections, and HA in addition to other HSSIs propargylglycine and amino-oxyacetic acid (AOAA) have been found to reduce hypoxic responsiveness.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if administration of HSSIs could improve respiratory stability in an intact organism prone to recurrent central apneas.

Ventilatory behavior and carotid body morphology of Brown Norway and Sprague Dawley rats.

Differences in acute ventilatory behavior are associated with carotid body (CB) structural and immunohistologic profiles in some, but not all, reports. Brown Norway (BN) rats exhibit lower acute ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia compared to Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. We hypothesized that BN rats possess CB with fewer glomus cells.

Morphological differences of the carotid body among C57/BL6 (B6), A/J, and CSS B6A1 mouse strains.

The C57/BL6 (B6) mouse strain exhibits post-hypoxic frequency decline and periodic breathing, as well as greater amount of irregular breathing during rest in comparison to the A/J and to the B6a1, a chromosomal substitution strain whereby the A/J chromosome 1 is bred onto the B6 background (Han et al., 2002; Yamauchi et al., 2008a,b).

Ventilatory patterning in a mouse model of stroke.

Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) is a breathing pattern characterized by waxing and waning of breath volume and frequency, and is often recognized following stroke, when causal pathways are often obscure. We used an animal model to address the hypothesis that cerebral infarction is a mechanism for producing breathing instability. Fourteen male A/J mice underwent either stroke (n=7) or sham (n=7) procedure.