Publications by authors named "Costas J Schulze"

Background: Extra-corporeal life support (ECLS) is a life-saving intervention for patients with hypothermia induced cardiac arrest or severe cardiovascular instability. However, its application is highly variable due to a paucity of data in the literature to guide practice. Current guidelines and recommendations are based on expert opinion, single case reports, and small case series.

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Objectives: Matrix metalloproteinase-2 proteolyzes intracellular proteins in the heart and induces acute myocardial contractile dysfunction in ischemia-reperfusion injury. Doxycycline, a matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor, prevented matrix metalloproteinase-2-induced troponin I cleavage in rat hearts and improved contractile function following ischemia-reperfusion. In patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, increased atrial matrix metalloproteinase-2 activity was inversely correlated with cardiac mechanical function at 3 hours reperfusion.

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Background: Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. However, its pathophysiology remains incompletely understood. We hypothesized that intra-operative mean arterial pressure (MAP) relative to pre-operative MAP would be an important predisposing factor for CSA-AKI.

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Background: The interaction of blood with foreign artificial surfaces during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been recognized as a major stimulus in evoking a systemic inflammatory and metabolic response. Phosphorylcholine (PC) is a new-generation coating material designed to ameliorate biocompatibility and thereby to reduce the detrimental interactions of CPB. We studied the effects of PC-coated perfusion circuits on platelet function and the humoral and cellular response to CPB.

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Background: Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) contributes to cardiac dysfunction resulting from ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. MMP-2 not only remodels the extracellular matrix but also acts intracellularly in I/R by degrading troponin I. Whether other intracellular targets exist for MMP-2 during I/R is unknown.

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Aims: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) regulate matrix remodelling in the heart and play a pivotal role in myocardial dysfunction immediately following ischaemia-reperfusion injury ex vivo in rats. We investigated the changes in MMPs and TIMPs in acute myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury in humans.

Methods And Results: Fifteen patients with stable angina undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were enrolled.

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Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are traditionally known for their role in extracellular matrix remodeling. Increasing evidence reveals several alternative substrates and novel biological roles for these proteases. Recent evidence showed the intracellular localization of MMP-2 within cardiac myocytes, colocalized with troponin I within myofilaments.

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Background: We have previously reported that matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) contributes to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by degradation of troponin I, a regulatory element of the contractile proteins. MMP activities are also tightly regulated by tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMPs). The change in TIMPs during acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury is not clear.

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Background: Matrix metalloproteinases are best recognized for their ability to degrade the extracellular matrix in both physiological and pathological conditions. However, recent findings indicate that some of them are also involved in mediating acute processes such as platelet aggregation and vascular tone. The acute contractile defect of the heart after ischemia-reperfusion may involve the proteolytic degradation of the thin filament protein troponin I; however, the protease responsible for this remains obscure.

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