Vascular Remodeling in Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction.

Background: Approximately one-half of the patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) have evidence of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD).

Objectives: This study aims to characterize patients with ANOCA by measuring their minimal microvascular resistance and to examine the pattern of vascular remodeling associated with these measurements.

Methods: The authors prospectively included patients with ANOCA undergoing continuous thermodilution assessment.

Echocardiographic surrogate of left ventricular stroke work in a model of brain stem death donors.

Background: The commonest echocardiographic measurement, left ventricular ejection fraction, can not necessarily predict mortality of recipients following heart transplantation potentially due to afterload dependency. Afterload-independent left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI) is alternatively recommended by the current guideline; however, pulmonary artery catheters are rarely inserted in organ donors in most jurisdictions. We propose a novel non-invasive echocardiographic parameter, Pressure-Strain Product (PSP), as a potential surrogate of catheter-based LVSWI.

Impact of vessel volume on thermodilution measurements in patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction.

Background: Two invasive methods are available to estimate microvascular resistance: bolus and continuous thermodilution. Comparative studies have revealed a lack of concordance between measurements of microvascular resistance obtained through these techniques.

Aims: This study aimed to examine the influence of vessel volume on bolus thermodilution measurements.

Enhanced Sodium Ion Batteries' Performance: Optimal Strategies on Electrolytes for Different Carbon-based Anodes.

Carbon-based materials have emerged as promising anodes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to the merits of cost-effectiveness and renewability. However, the unsatisfactory performance has hindered the commercialization of SIBs. During the past decades, tremendous attention has been put into enhancing the electrochemical performance of carbon-based anodes from the perspective of improving the compatibility of electrolytes and electrodes.

Clinical Validation of a Virtual Planner for Coronary Interventions Based on Coronary CT Angiography.

Background: Low fractional flow reserve (FFR) values after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) carry a worse prognosis than high post-PCI FFR values. Therefore, the ability to predict post-PCI FFR might play an important role in procedural planning. Post-PCI FFR values can now be computed from pre-PCI coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) using the fractional flow reserve derived from coronary computed tomography angiography revascularization planner (FFR Planner).

Quantification of calcium burden by coronary CT angiography compared to optical coherence tomography.

Coronary artery calcifications (CAC) are frequently observed in patients referred for coronary CT angiography (CTA). Calcification volume (in mm) can accurately be assessed during catheterization by optical coherence tomography (OCT). The aim of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of CTA-derived assessment of calcification volume as compared with OCT.

Clinical impact of CT coronary angiography without exclusion of small coronary artery segments: a real-world and long-term study.

Objectives: CT coronary angiography (CTCA) has become a valuable diagnostic test in the workup of patients with possible coronary artery disease (CAD). Because of inherent limitations in spatial resolution, epicardial vessels with a small diameter, in general less than 1.5-2 mm, have so far been excluded in studies assessing clinical utility of CTCA.

Complex Effects of Putative DRP-1 Inhibitors on Stress Responses in Mouse Heart and Rat Cardiomyoblasts.

Dynamin-related protein-1 (DRP-1)-dependent mitochondrial fission may influence cardiac tolerance to ischemic or oxidative stress, presenting a potential "cardioprotective" target. Effects of dynamin inhibitors [mitochondrial division inhibitor 1 (MDIVI-1) and dynasore] on injury, mitochondrial function, and signaling proteins were assessed in distinct models: ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) in mouse hearts and oxidative stress in rat H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. Hearts exhibited substantial cell death [approx.

Unintended Consequences: Fluid Resuscitation Worsens Shock in an Ovine Model of Endotoxemia.

Rationale: Fluid resuscitation is widely considered a life-saving intervention in septic shock; however, recent evidence has brought both its safety and efficacy in sepsis into question.

Objectives: In this study, we sought to compare fluid resuscitation with vasopressors with the use of vasopressors alone in a hyperdynamic model of ovine endotoxemia.

Methods: Endotoxemic shock was induced in 16 sheep, after which they received fluid resuscitation with 40 ml/kg of 0.

An Ovine Model of Hyperdynamic Endotoxemia and Vital Organ Metabolism.

Background: Animal models of endotoxemia are frequently used to understand the pathophysiology of sepsis and test new therapies. However, important differences exist between commonly used experimental models of endotoxemia and clinical sepsis. Animal models of endotoxemia frequently produce hypodynamic shock in contrast to clinical hyperdynamic shock.

Eosinophilic Liver Disease Mimicking Hepatic Metastases.

In rare cases of hypereosinophilic syndrome, nodular lesions of liver due to infiltration of eosinophilic granulocytes has been described. In such cases, a computed tomography of the abdomen could mimic a metastasizing disease while a spontaneous regression of the lesions can be expected. We will present such a case and discuss how this misdiagnosis can be avoided.

Ischemic Strangulation of a Giant Epiploic Appendage through an Omental Defect: a Case Report.

We report a rare case of an epiploic appendage twisted through an omental defect, resulting in an epiploic appendagitis at a distance to the colonic wall. The 59-year-old women complained of low abdominal pain and alguria, progressively increasing following a total colonoscopy 4 days earlier.

Cardio-protective effects of combined l-arginine and insulin: Mechanism and therapeutic actions in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability plays a central role in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (I-R), and reduced l-arginine transport via cationic amino acid transporter-1 is a key contributor to the reduced NO levels. Insulin can increase NO levels by increasing the transport of its substrate l-arginine but insulin alone exerts minimal cardiac protection in I-R. We hypothesized that combined insulin and l-arginine may provide cardioprotective effects in the setting of myocardial I-R.

Postnatal shifts in ischemic tolerance and cell survival signaling in murine myocardium.

The immature heart is known to be resistant to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, key proteins engaged in phospho-dependent signaling pathways crucial to cell survival are not yet defined. Our goal was to determine the postnatal changes in myocardial tolerance to I/R, including baseline expression of key proteins governing I/R tolerance and their phosphorylation during I/R. Hearts from male C57Bl/6 mice (neonates, 2, 4, 8, and 12 wk of age, n = 6/group) were assayed for survival signaling/effectors [Akt, p38MAPK, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), connexin-43, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and caveolin-3] and regulators of apoptosis (Bax and Bcl-2) and autophagy (LC3B, Parkin, and Beclin1).

Ectopic gastric pancreatitis: unusual cause of epigastric pain.

Ectopic pancreatic tissue has the same characteristics than normal pancreatic tissue.Therefore it may be affected by the same diseases. We report a rare cause of epigastric pain due to gastric heterotopic pancreatitis.

Essential role of EGFR in cardioprotection and signaling responses to A1 adenosine receptors and ischemic preconditioning.

Transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) may contribute to specific protective responses (e.g. mediated by δ-opioid, bradykinin, or muscarinic receptors).

Sustained ligand-activated preconditioning via δ-opioid receptors.

We have previously described novel cardioprotection in response to sustained morphine exposure, efficacious in young to aged myocardium and mechanistically distinct from conventional opioid or preconditioning (PC) responses. We further investigate opioid-dependent sustained ligand-activated preconditioning (SLP), assessing duration of protection, opioid receptor involvement, additivity with conventional responses, and signaling underlying preischemic induction of the phenotype. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with morphine (75-mg subcutaneous pellet) for 5 days followed by morphine-free periods (0, 3, 5, or 7 days) before ex vivo assessment of myocardial tolerance to 25-min ischemia/45-min reperfusion.