Assessing the impact of atrial fibrillation on symptoms and quality of life in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), atrial fibrillation (AF) has historically been regarded to have a deleterious impact on clinical course, strongly associated with progressive heart failure (HF) symptoms. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the impact of AF on HCM employing validated quality of life (QoL) surveys. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of AF on QoL utilizing patient reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Sick Sinus Syndrome Can Be Associated with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome and Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia Syndrome.

As a known phenomenon, crossover between sinus node dysfunction and common atrial tachyarrhythmias-most notably, atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter-in older individuals has previously been seen. Here, we present one of the first case series demonstrating a similar relationship between sinus node dysfunction and much rarer etiologies of tachyarrhythmia-that is, postural tachycardia syndrome and inappropriate sinus tachycardia. The exact pathological mechanisms behind these arrhythmias as well as the observation of concurrent nodal dysfunction are poorly understood.

Echocardiography in Detecting Mechanical Complications in Acute Coronary Syndrome.

• ACS encompasses a wide variety of complex symptoms and presentations. • The use of echocardiography in ACS assists in early clinical decision-making. • Echocardiography can aid in detecting early and late mechanical complications of ACS.

A single, shared origin for all three coronary arteries from the right coronary cusp: a case report.

Background: Anomalous coronary arteries occur in less than 1% of the population and have been implicated in sudden cardiac and exercise-related death. The most common variant involves the left circumflex artery arising from a separate ostium than the left coronary artery. This case demonstrates a rare variation in which all three coronary arteries arise from a shared, single, ostium originating from the right coronary cusp.

A Quantitative Angiographic Comparison of Restenotic Tissue Following Placement of Drug-Eluting Stents and Bare Metal Stents in Symptomatic Patients With Femoropopliteal Disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the patterns of in-stent restenosis (ISR) within femoropopliteal bare metal stents (BMS) and drug-eluting stents (DES) as determined by quantitative angiographic analysis.

Methods: Utilizing results from independent core laboratory angiographic imaging analysis, quantitative assessment of the restenotic tissue burden was evaluated in 33 patients with symptomatic femoropopliteal ISR, including 20 lesions in 19 patients (mean age 71.5±8.

Telmisartan in the diabetic murine model of acute myocardial infarction: dual contrast manganese-enhanced and delayed enhancement MRI evaluation of the peri-infarct region.

Background: A novel MRI technique, employing dual contrast manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) and delayed enhancement MRI (DEMRI), can evaluate the physiologically unstable peri-infarct region. Dual contrast MEMRI-DEMRI enables comprehensive evaluation of telmisartan to salvage the peri-infarct injury to elucidate the underlying mechanism of restoring the ischemic cardiomyopathy in the diabetic mouse model.

Methods And Results: Dual contrast MEMRI-DEMRI was performed on weeks 1, 2, and 4 following initiation of telmisartan treatment in 24 left anterior descendent artery ligated diabetic mice.

Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Enables In Vivo Confirmation of Peri-Infarct Restoration Following Stem Cell Therapy in a Porcine Ischemia-Reperfusion Model.

Background: The exact mechanism of stem cell therapy in augmenting the function of ischemic cardiomyopathy is unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that increased viability of the peri-infarct region (PIR) produces restorative benefits after stem cell engraftment. A novel multimodality imaging approach simultaneously assessed myocardial viability (manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging [MEMRI]), myocardial scar (delayed gadolinium enhancement MRI), and transplanted stem cell engraftment (positron emission tomography reporter gene) in the injured porcine hearts.

Direct evaluation of myocardial viability and stem cell engraftment demonstrates salvage of the injured myocardium.

Rationale: The mechanism of functional restoration by stem cell therapy remains poorly understood. Novel manganese-enhanced MRI and bioluminescence reporter gene imaging were applied to follow myocardial viability and cell engraftment, respectively. Human-placenta-derived amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (AMCs) demonstrate unique immunoregulatory and precardiac properties.

Dual manganese-enhanced and delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI detects myocardial border zone injury in a pig ischemia-reperfusion model.

Background: Gadolinium (Gd)-based delayed-enhancement MRI (DEMRI) identifies nonviable myocardium but is nonspecific and may overestimate nonviable territory. Manganese (Mn(2+))-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) denotes specific Mn(2+) uptake into viable cardiomyocytes. We performed a dual-contrast myocardial assessment in a porcine ischemia-reperfusion (IR) model to test the hypothesis that combined DEMRI and MEMRI identifies viable infarct border zone (BZ) myocardium in vivo.

EVP-ABD-enhanced MRI to evaluate diffuse liver disease in a rat model.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using manganese-based MR imaging contrast agent EVP-ABD to detect diffuse liver disease in an established rat hepatitis model.

Materials And Methods: Hepatitis was induced by administration of CCl(4) in corn oil vehicle to rats intraperitoneally. MR images were acquired on a 3T scanner using a volume coil approximately 36 hours after the administration of CCl(4).

Magnetic resonance imaging of myocardial infarction using a manganese-based contrast agent (EVP 1001-1): preliminary results in a dog model.

Purpose: To investigate the MRI characteristics of an intracellular manganese-based contrast agent, EVP 1001-1 (Eagle Vision Pharmaceutical Corp.), in a canine model of myocardial infarction.

Materials And Methods: Three dogs were imaged 14-37 days following permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD).

MR imaging of the stomach: potential use for mangafodipir trisodium--a study in swine.

Purpose: To evaluate mangafodipir trisodium as a potential contrast agent at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the stomach.

Materials And Methods: Mangafodipir trisodium was injected intravenously into three swine at a dose of 5 micromol per kilogram of body weight. For comparison, gadopentetate dimeglumine was injected into three other swine at a dose of 0.

Preliminary evaluation of EVP 1001-1: a new cardiac-specific magnetic resonance contrast agent with kinetics suitable for steady-state imaging of the ischemic heart.

Rationale And Objectives: To investigate the potential of a novel manganese-based magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent, EVP 1001-1 for the evaluation of myocardial ischemia.

Methods: MR imaging with EVP 1001-1 was performed on 6 Yorkshire pigs, and T1 relaxation times were calculated. One animal served as a control, 2 were subjected to an acute coronary artery occlusion and 3 provided a model of chronic ischemia.

T1 efficacy of EVP-ABD: a potential manganese-based MR contrast agent for hepatic vascular and tissue phase imaging.

Purpose: To evaluate the T1 efficacy of EVP-ABD, a new manganese (Mn)-based contrast agent, for vascular and liver tissue enhancement in comparison with currently approved agents.

Materials And Methods: Ten Yorkshire pigs (body weight, 26 -46 kg) were used for the efficacy evaluation, nine for kinetic T1 evaluation (three each agent) and one for post EVP-ABD imaging. With a fast imaging scheme to monitor T1 values of blood and liver, 10 micromol/kg EVP-ABD was injected intravenously and compared with gadopentetate dimeglumine (Magnevist, GdDTPA) and mangafodipir trisodium (Teslascan, mangafodipir trisodium) at routine clinical dosages.

Effect of buthionine sulfoximine, a synthesis inhibitor of the antioxidant glutathione, on the murine nigrostriatal neurons.

This study analyzed the effects of acute systemic treatment with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a synthesis inhibitor of the antioxidant reduced glutathione (GSH), on dopaminergic neurons of the murine nigrostriatal pathway. Part 1 of the study established a dose-response curve and the temporal pattern of GSH loss and recovery in the substantia nigra and striatum following acute BSO treatment. Part 2 of the study determined the effect of acute BSO treatment on the morphology and biochemistry of nigrostriatal neurons.

Safety, tolerance, and pharmacokinetics of iodixanol injection, a nonionic, isosmolar, hexa-iodinated contrast agent.

Rationale And Objectives: A review of clinical-chemical parameters and tolerability of iodixanol is presented. Iodixanol is a newly developed dimeric, ratio 6 radiographic contrast medium formulated to be isotonic to plasma in all concentrations by the balanced addition of electrolytes. We summarize completed trials of iodixanol.

Indirect computed tomography lymphography of subdiaphragmatic lymph nodes using iodinated nanoparticles in normal dogs.

Rationale And Objectives: We evaluated the imaging characteristics of an iodinated particulate contrast agent for indirect computed tomography (CT) lymphography of normal subdiaphragmatic lymph nodes in dogs.

Methods: Four milliliters of a 15% (wt/vol) iodinated nanoparticle suspension was injected into the gastric, colonic, rectal, or cervical submucosa, loose paraprostatic fascia, or metatarsal subcutaneous tissues in 10 healthy beagles. Endoscopic, CT, or ultrasound guidance was used when necessary to facilitate contrast agent delivery.

Identification of a microsatellite instability phenotype in meningiomas.

To better understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for meningioma tumorigenesis we previously utilized subtractive hybridization protocols to identify genes the expression or structure of which is altered in these common brain tumors. Here we show that a CA dinucleotide repeat element present in one complementary DNA isolated by this approach has undergone a contraction in size in a meningioma cell line. Extension of this initial observation has revealed widespread genetic alterations affecting simple repeat sequences in this and other meningiomas.

Iodinated nanoparticles for indirect computed tomography lymphography of the craniocervical and thoracic lymph nodes in normal dogs.

Rationale And Objectives: We evaluated the imaging characteristics of an interstitially or intraperitoneally delivered iodinated particulate contrast agent for computed tomography (CT) lymphography of the craniocervical and thoracic lymph nodes.

Methods: We injected 2-4 ml of 15% wt/vol iodinated nanoparticle suspension subcutaneously, submucosally, or intraperitoneally in eight normal dogs. CT and plain radiographic images were obtained prior to contrast administration and 4 hr, 24 hr, and 7 days after injection.

Loss of chromosome 8p sequences in human breast carcinoma cell lines.

Cytogenetic and molecular analyses of human breast cancer cells have identified consistent losses of specific chromosomal regions in these tumors, suggesting that such regions harbor tumor suppressor genes whose homozygous loss or inactivation directly contributes to tumorigenesis. To date, deletions of chromosome 8 sequences have been described infrequently and only in low percentages of breast carcinomas. We report the identification of a new DNA marker on chromosome 8p that is deleted in 6 (75%) of 8 breast carcinoma cell lines and in 1 primary breast carcinoma examined.