Spatial organizations of heterochromatin underpin nuclear structural integrity of ventricular cardiomyocytes against mechanical stress.

Cardiomyocyte (CM) nuclei are constantly exposed to mechanical stress, but how they maintain their nuclear shape remains unknown. In this study, we found that ventricular CM nuclei acquire characteristic prominent spatial organizations of heterochromatin (SOH), which are disrupted by high-level expression of H2B-mCherry in mice. SOH disruption was associated with nuclear softening, leading to extreme elongation and rupture under unidirectional mechanical stress.

Wnt signaling in cardiac development and heart diseases.

The Wnt signaling pathway is a fundamental cellular communication system with extensive implications in various organs including the heart. In cardiac homeostasis, it governs essential processes like cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, ensuring the heart's structural and functional integrity from embryonic stages and throughout life. Both canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways play a critical role during embryonic heart development in a region- and stage-specific manner.

Incremental value of diastolic wall strain in predicting heart failure events in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Diastolic wall strain (DWS), an echocardiographic index based on linear elasticity theory, has been identified as a predictor of heart failure (HF) in patients with sinus rhythm. However, its effectiveness in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients remains uncertain. This study aims to assess DWS as a predictor of HF in AF patients with preserved ejection fraction.

Frequency and Distribution of Sheet and Nodular Calcification in Coronary Arteries in Japanese Patients.

Whether a nodular calcification (NC), which is the precursor to intracoronary thrombosis, is focally or diffusely distributed in the coronary tree has major implications for ongoing efforts to identify. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and spatial distribution patterns of sheet calcification (SC) and NC in a 3-vessel examination of autopsied human hearts.A total of 323 coronary artery specimens from 110 cadavers were obtained from autopsy cases.

Elevated Aminotransferase Levels and Intracerebral Hemorrhage Deaths in a General Japanese Population.

Although chronic liver disease has been associated with cardiovascular disease, to which metabolic syndrome might be related, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) generally has not been focused. Associations of chronic liver disease assessed by aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) aminotransferase levels with ICH deaths were examined using 15,952 subjects without a history of cardiovascular disease who underwent annual health checkups in 1997 in Japan. Proportional hazards regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, current smoking, diabetes mellitus, drinking habits, excess body weight, and hypercholesterolemia were performed.

Wnt5a-YAP signaling axis mediates mechanotransduction in cardiac myocytes and contributes to contractile dysfunction induced by pressure overload.

Non-canonical Wnt signaling activated by Wnt5a/Wnt11 is required for the second heart field development in mice. However, the pathophysiological role of non-canonical Wnt signaling in the adult heart has not been fully elucidated. Here we show that cardiomyocyte-specific knockout mice exhibit improved systolic function and reduced expression of mechanosensitive genes including when subjected to pressure overload.

HARDD score as a feasible predictor of heart failure events in patients with atrial fibrillation: a validation study.

It was reported that the HARDD score (organic heart diseases = 2 points, anemia = 1 point, renal dysfunction = 1 point, diabetes = 1 point, and diuretic use = 1point; range 0 to 6 points) may help identify patients with AF at high risk for HF events. However, this score has not been externally validated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of HARDD score in predicting HF events in patients with AF.

Diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of erythrocyte creatine content to predict the improvement of anaemia in patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis.

Background: The improvement of anaemia over time by erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) is associated with better survival in haemodialysis patients. We previously reported that erythrocyte creatine content, a marker of erythropoietic capacity, was a reliable marker to estimate the effectiveness of ESA. The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy and clinical usefulness of erythrocyte creatine content to predict the improvement of anaemia in haemodialysis patients.

Increased Incidence of ECG Abnormalities in the General Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cardiovascular system in the general population, we compared ECG changes after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with those before the pandemic period. The incidence of newly appeared ECG abnormalities (T wave abnormalities, ST-segment depression including minor changes, and abnormal Q waves) from 2019 to 2020 (COVID-19 period) was compared with that from 2018 to 2019 (control period) in subjects 40 to 74 years of age without a history of cardiovascular disease who had 12-lead ECG recordings during annual health checkups offered to adult citizens of Moriguchi City, Osaka, Japan. Logistic regression analyses were performed after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors.

Analysis of site-specific late potentials using a novel Holter signal-averaged electrocardiography in patients with Brugada syndrome.

Background: The utility of late potentials on signal-averaged electrocardiography (SAECG) for risk stratification in patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) remains controversial. Late potentials on conventional SAECG with Frank leads may be insufficiently sensitive to detect site-specific late potentials in right precordial leads.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of site-specific late potentials using a novel unipolar Holter-SAECG system for risk stratification in patients with BrS.

Atrial fibrillation and stroke: importance of left atrium as assessed by echocardiography.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, which has been increasing dramatically. AF has unfavorable consequences, such as stroke, heart failure, and cardiovascular death. Of these, stroke has been considered to be the serious complication.

Prediction of medial damage by rotational atherectomy using intravascular ultrasound.

Objective: This study evaluated whether intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images before rotational atherectomy (RA) can predict medial injury caused by RA burr passage in advance.

Methods: Thirty-three patients with de-novo lesions located in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) who underwent IVUS before and immediately after RA were enrolled. The spatial axes of the two matched pre- and post-RA IVUS cross-sectional images were merged.

Evaluation of recombinant human erythropoietin responsiveness by measuring erythrocyte creatine content in haemodialysis patients.

Background: One of the main causes of anaemia in patients with end-stage renal disease is relative deficiency in erythropoietin production. Eythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA), a potent haematopoietic growth factor, is used to treat anaemia in haemodialysis patients. The effect of ESA is usually assessed by haematological indices such as red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit, but erythrocyte indices do not provide information of the rapid change in erythropoietic activity.

Serum Angiopoietin-Like Protein 2 and NT-Pro BNP Levels and Their Associated Factors in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure Participating in a Phase III Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

Angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) promotes chronic inflammation and plays a key role in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an integral component of heart failure management and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. However, ANGPTL2 concentration in chronic heart failure patients undergoing CR has not been evaluated.

Repetitive spikes of glucose and lipid induce senescence-like phenotypes of bone marrow stem cells through H3K27me3 demethylase-mediated epigenetic regulation.

Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to endothelial repair and angiogenesis. Reduced number of circulating EPCs is associated with future cardiovascular events. We tested whether dysregulated glucose and/or triglyceride (TG) metabolism has an impact on EPC homeostasis.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Optical Frequency Domain Imaging for Identifying Necrotic Cores with Intraplaque Hemorrhage in Advanced Human Carotid Plaques.

This study investigated whether optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) can identify carotid artery vulnerable plaque characteristics, focusing on lipid-rich necrotic core (NC) and intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH). Fourteen patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy underwent OFDI scan during preoperative angiography. Atherosclerotic plaque specimens obtained from carotid endarterectomy were cut every 3-4 mm into 4-μm transverse cross-sections and stained with standard methods.

Factors Associated with Coronary In-Stent Restenosis after Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Patients on Chronic Hemodialysis.

Aims: Recently, drug-eluting stents (DESs) have been widely adopted for patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). However, whether DES implantation is associated with a reduced rate of in-stent restenosis (ISR) is unclear. We investigated the incidence of ISR and its predictors in patients on HD after DES implantation.

Automated classification of coronary atherosclerotic plaque in optical frequency domain imaging based on deep learning.

Background And Aims: We developed a deep learning (DL) model for automated atherosclerotic plaque categorization using optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) and performed quantitative and visual evaluations.

Methods: A total of 1103 histological cross-sections from 45 autopsy hearts were examined to compare the ex vivo OFDI scans. The images were segmented and annotated considering four histological categories: pathological intimal thickening (PIT), fibrous cap atheroma (FA), fibrocalcific plaque (FC), and healed erosion/rupture (HER).

Additional decrease in fractional flow reserve in the left anterior descending artery after hand-grip exercise during pharmacological coronary hyperemia.

Maximal hyperemia at the time of fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement is generally induced by vasodilators, even when hyperemia at the onset of angina symptoms is caused by exercise stress. This study was designed to evaluate whether pharmacological hyperemia could be used as a substitute for exercise-induced hyperemia during FFR measurement. Twenty-two patients with angiographically intermediate stenosis in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) were prospectively enrolled.

Differential effect of malnutrition between patients hospitalized with new-onset heart failure and worsening of chronic heart failure.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the differences in the prevalence, severity, and prognostic impact of malnutrition between patients with new-onset heart failure (HF) and worsening of chronic HF.

Methods And Results: In older (≥60 years) hospitalized patients with acute HF, malnutrition was assessed according to the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI). A score <92 was defined as malnutrition.

The incidence, natural history, and predictive factors for tissue protrusion after drug-eluting stent implantation.

Objectives And Background: Although tissue protrusion (TP) between the stent struts after stent implantation has been implicate as a potential factor of stent failure, the incidence, natural history, and predictive factor of TP after stent implantation remains unclear. This prospective study evaluated the fate of TP after drug-eluting stent (DES) deployment using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Method And Result: This study analyzed TP for 42 lesions after DES in which three serial OCTs, including preprocedure, postprocedure, and 1-month after the procedure were performed.