Usefulness of Myocardial Longitudinal Strain in Prediction of Heart Failure in Patients with Successfully Reperfused Anterior Wall ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background And Objectives: Acute myocardial infarction-related heart failure (HF) is associated with poor outcome. This study was designed to investigate the usefulness of global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS) and mean longitudinal strain of left anterior descending artery territory (LS) measured by 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D STE) in prediction of acute anterior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (ant-STEMI)-related HF.

Methods: A total of 171 patients with ant-STEMI who underwent successful primary coronary intervention and had available 2D STE data were enrolled.

Clinical profiles of patients with surgically resected pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Background/aims: Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) are catecholamine-producing tumors that can cause blood pressure (BP) elevation and cardiovascular complications. Clinical presentation of these tumors may be changed through widespread use of imaging studies, which enables detection of PPGLs before onset of symptoms. We investigated clinical profiles of patients with surgically resected PPGLs.

Relative Bradycardia in Scrub Typhus.

To investigate the relationship between heart rate and temperature, we examined 493 febrile patients with documented disease. These patients were diagnosed serologically and analyzed retrospectively: 337 (68.4%) responded to fever with increased heart rate < 10 beats/minute/°C (relative bradycardia [RB]), and 156 patients had a heart rate response ≥ 10 beats/minute/°C (general heart rate increase [GHRI]).

Variants of Brugada Syndrome and Early Repolarization Syndrome: An Expanded Concept of J-Wave Syndrome.

Background: The role of J-waves in the pathogenesis of ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurring in structurally normal hearts is important.

Methods: We evaluated 127 patients who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for Brugada syndrome (BS, n = 53), early repolarization syndrome (ERS, n = 24), and patients with unknown or deferred diagnosis (n = 50). Electrocardiography (ECG), clinical characteristics, and ICD data were analyzed.

ECG features and proarrhythmic potentials of therapeutic hypothermia.

Objective: Hypothermia can induce ECG J waves. Recent studies suggest that J waves may be associated with ventricular fibrillation (VF) in patients with structurally normal hearts. However, little is known about the ECG features, clinical significance or arrhythmogenic potentials of therapeutic hypothermia (TH)-induced J waves.

Rosuvastatin Reduces Blood Viscosity in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background And Objectives: Wall shear stress contributes to atherosclerosis progression and plaque rupture. There are limited studies for statin as a major contributing factor on whole blood viscosity (WBV) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study investigates the effect of statin on WBV in ACS patients.

Cervical vagal nerve stimulation activates the stellate ganglion in ambulatory dogs.

Background And Objectives: Recent studies showed that, in addition to parasympathetic nerves, cervical vagal nerves contained significant sympathetic nerves. We hypothesized that cervical vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) may capture the sympathetic nerves within the vagal nerve and activate the stellate ganglion.

Materials And Methods: We recorded left stellate ganglion nerve activity (SGNA), left thoracic vagal nerve activity (VNA), and subcutaneous electrocardiogram in seven dogs during left cervical VNS with 30 seconds on-time and 30 seconds off time.

Electrocardiographic predictors of bradycardia-induced torsades de pointes in patients with acquired atrioventricular block.

Background: Predictors of torsades de pointes (TdP) in bradyarrhythmia-induced acquired long QT syndrome are not well defined.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to search for electrocardiographic (ECG) TdP predictors in patients with acquired atrioventricular block (AVB) and QT prolongation.

Methods: We analyzed 12-lead ECGs from 20 patients (15 females, age 65.

Estimating sympathetic tone by recording subcutaneous nerve activity in ambulatory dogs.

Introduction: We tested the hypothesis that subcutaneous nerve activity (SCNA) of the thorax correlates with the stellate ganglion nerve activity (SGNA) and can be used to estimate the sympathetic tone.

Methods And Results: We implanted radio transmitters in 11 ambulatory dogs to record left SGNA, left thoracic vagal nerve activity (VNA), and left thoracic SCNA, including 3 with simultaneous video monitoring and nerve recording. Two additional dogs were studied under general anesthesia with apamin injected into the right stellate ganglion while the right SGNA and the right SCNA were recorded.

Autonomic nerve activity and blood pressure in ambulatory dogs.

Background: The relationship between cardiac autonomic nerve activity and blood pressure (BP) changes in ambulatory dogs is unclear.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that simultaneous termination of stellate ganglion nerve activity (SGNA) and vagal nerve activity (VNA) predisposes to spontaneous orthostatic hypotension and that specific β₂-adrenoceptor blockade prevents the hypotensive episodes.

Methods: We used a radiotransmitter to record SGNA, VNA, and BP in eight ambulatory dogs.

Temporal variation and morphologic characteristics of J-waves in patients with early repolarisation syndrome.

Objective: Electrocardiographic markers identifying malignant forms of early repolarisation (ER) from ER of normal variants are of prime clinical importance. We compared the ECG parameters of ER patterns in patients with early repolarisation syndrome (ERS) proximate to the ventricular fibrillation (VF) episodes, remote from the events and those with normal controls with ER.

Design: A retrospective, case-control study.

Apamin-sensitive calcium-activated potassium currents in rabbit ventricles with chronic myocardial infarction.

Introduction: The apamin-sensitive small-conductance calcium-activated potassium current (IKAS ) is increased in heart failure. It is unknown if myocardial infarction (MI) is also associated with an increase of IKAS .

Methods And Results: We performed Langendorff perfusion and optical mapping in 6 normal hearts and 10 hearts with chronic (5 weeks) MI.

Elevated coronary whole blood viscosity in acute coronary syndrome patients.

Objectives: As most clinical studies measure whole blood viscosity (WBV) from peripheral samples, potential differences in WBV obtained from the coronary arteries are often ignored. This study investigated differences in WBV measured from coronary artery specimens in patients with and without acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients with chest pain who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography were divided into two groups [non-ACS (n = 16), ACS (n = 22)].

Sympathetic nerve fibers and ganglia in canine cervical vagus nerves: localization and quantitation.

Background: Cervical vagal nerve (CVN) stimulation may improve left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with heart failure.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that sympathetic structures are present in the CVN and to describe the location and quantitate these sympathetic components of the CVN.

Methods: We performed immunohistochemical studies of the CVN from 11 normal dogs and simultaneously recorded stellate ganglion nerve activity, left thoracic vagal nerve activity, and subcutaneous electrocardiogram in 2 additional dogs.

Guggulsterone inhibits melanogenesis in B16 murine melanoma cells by downregulating tyrosinase expression.

In the present study, we investigated the effect of guggulsterone on melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells and elucidated its possible mechanism of action. The effects of guggulsterone on melanogenesis were determined by assaying melanin synthesis and cellular tyrosinase activity in B16/F10 mouse melanoma cells. Guggulsterone dose-dependently inhibited isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX)-induced melanogenesis and cellular tyrosinase activity with no cytotoxicity.

Effect of substrate modification in catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: pulmonary vein isolation alone or with complex fractionated electrogram ablation.

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation that targets complex fractionated electrogram sites has been widely applied in the management of persistent atrial fibrillation. The clinical outcomes of pulmonary vein isolation alone and pulmonary vein isolation plus the use of complex fractionated electrogram-guided ablation (CFEA) have not been fully compared in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.This prospective study included 70 patients with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation that remained inducible after pulmonary vein isolation.

Ryanodine receptor inhibition potentiates the activity of Na channel blockers against spontaneous calcium elevations and delayed afterdepolarizations in Langendorff-perfused rabbit ventricles.

Background: Na channel blockers are effective in suppressing delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs) in isolated Purkinje fibers. However, in isolated mouse ventricular myocytes lacking calsequestrin, only those Na channel blockers that also inhibit type 2 ryanodine receptor channels were effective against spontaneous Ca elevation (SCaE) and DADs.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that combined Na channel and type 2 ryanodine receptor channel blocker ((R)-propafenone) is more effective than a Na channel blocker (lidocaine) in suppressing SCaE and DADs in the intact rabbit ventricles.

Effects of slow pathway ablation on fast pathway function in patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia: cryo- vs. radiofrequency ablation.

Background: In typical atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the slow pathway (SP) is known to change the effective refractory period of the fast pathway (ERP(FP)) after successful RF ablation of the SP. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the mechanism of the ERP(FP) changes after SP ablation by comparing the results of both cryo- and RF ablation.

Methods And Results: A total of 112 patients were enrolled prospectively and their electrophysiological properties analyzed before and after successful SP ablation.

Infective Endocarditis due to Streptococcus Agalactiae in Young and Immunocompetent Woman: A Case of Structurally Normal Valve Endocarditis Presented with Major Stroke.

We describe here a 26-year-old woman who presented confusion and right hemiparesis due to embolic obstruction of left internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery. Transthoracic echocardiography showed structurally normal mitral valve with hypermobile echogenic material suggesting vegetation. The vegetation was disappeared after antimicrobial treatment without surgery.

A randomized comparison of sirolimus- versus paclitaxel-eluting stent implantation in patients with diabetes mellitus: 4-year clinical outcomes of DES-DIABETES (drug-eluting stent in patients with DIABETES mellitus) trial.

Objectives: We compared 4-year efficacy and safety of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Background: Four-year comparison of SES with PES in diabetic patients has not been evaluated in a randomized manner.

Methods: This prospective, multicenter, randomized study compared SES (n = 200) and PES (n = 200) implantation in diabetic patients.