Plasma concentration and expression of adipokines in epicardial and subcutaneous adipose tissue are associated with impaired left ventricular filling pattern.

Background: Adipokines in serum derive mainly from subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), being a relatively small but unique fat depot, probably does not make an important contribution to systemic concentrations of adipokines. However, proximity of EAT to cardiac muscle and coronary arteries allows cells and proteins to penetrate between tissues.

Single-centre experience in surgery of acute aortic type A dissection and true aortic arch aneurysm.

Background: Surgery of the aortic arch is challenging.

Aim: To assess the results of aortic arch surgery.

Methods: Analysis of 172 patients operated on arch dissection (emergency group: 97 patients) or aneurysm (elective group: 75 patients) between 2007 and 2014.

Thrombocytopenia and perioperative complications after stentless Freedom Solo valve implantation.

Background: Freedom Solo (FS) stentless bioprostheses have superior haemodynamic performance compared to stented valves; however, the data of thrombocytopenia after FS implantations is disturbing.

Aim: To compare platelet count and perioperative complications between stentless and stented biological valves in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement.

Methods: In 29 patients, FS bovine valves (Sorin Group, Saluggia, Italy) were implanted.

Increased bioactive lipids content in human subcutaneous and epicardial fat tissue correlates with insulin resistance.

Obesity is a risk factor for metabolic diseases. Intramuscular lipid accumulation of ceramides, diacylglycerols, and long chain acyl-CoA is responsible for the induction of insulin resistance. These lipids are probably implicated in obesity-associated insulin resistance not only in skeletal muscle but also in fat tissue.

Risk factors of neurological complications in cardiac surgery.

Background: Postoperative complications are integral to cardiac surgery. The most serious ones are stroke, which develops in about 7.5% of the patients, and postoperative encephalopathy, which affects 10-30% of the patients.

Atrial expression of the CCN1 and CCN2 proteins in chronic heart failure.

Previous studies have reported the upregulation of CCN proteins early after acute heart injury. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the expression of the CCN1 and CCN2 proteins and their regulation by angiotensin II in the atrial myocardium of a chronically failing heart. Male adult mice were subjected to ligation of the left coronary artery to produce myocardial infarction (the MI group), and 16 of them were treated for 12 weeks with the AT1 receptor antagonist telmisartan (the MI-Tel group).

[Apicoaortic valved conduit as an alternative method of surgical treatment of aortic stenosis - a case report].

A case of a 73-year-old patient with critical aortic stenosis, porcelain aorta and occluded femoral arteries is presented. We performed apico-aortic valved conduit (A-AVC) without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Hegar dilator inserted through the apex into the left ventricle allowed anastomosis of dacron tube to the apex.