Association between Right Ventricular Function and Exercise Capacity in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: The association between right ventricular function and exercise capacity in patients with chronic heart failure remains uncertain. Several studies very recently mentioned the association between right ventricular reserve and exercise capacity, whereas the implication of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) remains uninvestigated. We aimed to assess the impact of TAPSE on exercise capacity in cardiac rehabilitation candidates.

Nicorandil Attenuates Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Via Inhibition of Norepinephrine Release From Cardiac Sympathetic Nerve Terminals.

A large amount of norepinephrine (NE) released from cardiac sympathetic nerve terminals might accelerate myocardial ischemic injury. Nicorandil (NICO), K channel opener, could attenuate cardiac NE release from the sympathetic nerve terminals during ischemia. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of NICO-induced attenuation of cardiac NE release on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats, by comparison with the effect of cardiac sympathetic denervation on I/R injury.

Association between virtual histology intravascular ultrasound findings and subsequent coronary events in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) was employed to compare coronary plaque characteristics between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with and without subsequent coronary events.It is critical to predict subsequent coronary events in patients treated for ACS. Coronary artery events sometimes occur in lesions that do not receive intervention.

Early administration of fluvastatin, but not at the onset of ischemia or reperfusion, attenuates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury through the nitric oxide pathway rather than its antioxidant property.

Background: Three-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are known to attenuate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Fluvastatin (FV) has a potent free radical scavenging action, but it is unclear whether the timing of FV administration could affect its cardioprotective effect or if the antioxidant property of FV might attenuate IR injury.

Methods And Results: IR was induced in rats by left coronary artery occlusion for 30 min followed by 24-h reperfusion.

Brief episode of myocardial ischemia before prolonged ischemia attenuates cardiac sympathetic nerve injury.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of brief ischemia before prolonged ischemia on cardiac sympathetic neural function. Brief ischemia inhibits the sympathetic neural release of norepinephrine (NE) during subsequent sustained ischemia. However, whether it can attenuate the neural function after sustained ischemia remains unknown.

Influence of CYP2D6 genotype on metoprolol plasma concentration and beta-adrenergic inhibition during long-term treatment: a comparison with bisoprolol.

In patients routinely treated with metoprolol, influences of CYP2D6 genotype on the response of heart rate to isoproterenol (IP) were studied at its peak and trough concentrations and were compared with those of bisoprolol. In 72 patients treated with metoprolol or bisoprolol, CYP2D6 genotype (ie, CYP2D6*1, *2, *4, *5, *10, and *14) was determined. No patients except one who was heterozygous for CYP2D6*5 carried the null alleles of CYP2D6.

Ischemia-induced norepinephrine release, but not norepinephrine-derived free radicals, contributes to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Background: Norepinephrine (NE)-derived free radicals may contribute to myocyte injury after ischemia -reperfusion, so the influence of sympathetic denervation on myocardial ischemia - reperfusion injury was investigated in the present study.

Methods And Results: Cardiac sympathetic denervation was produced in Wistar rats by a solution of 10% phenol 1 week before ischemia. Atenolol (0.

Evaluation of fatty acid metabolism in hearts after ischemia-reperfusion injury using a dual-isotope autoradiographic approach and tissue assay for metabolites of tracer.

Unlabelled: We investigated whether changes in myocardial uptake of fatty acid tracer after reperfusion following transient myocardial ischemia were closely related to alterations in intracellular fatty acid oxidation.

Methods: Using a fatty acid tracer of (131)I- and (125)I-labeled 15-(p-iodophenyl)-9-methylpentadecanoic acid (9MPA), the myocardial uptake and metabolites were determined by dual-tracer autoradiography and thin-layer chromatography in rats 3 or 14 d after reperfusion following 5 or 15 min of ischemia induced by coronary artery ligation.

Results: 9MPA metabolites processed via beta-oxidation were lower in the ischemic region (IR) than in non-IR 3 d after 5 min of ischemia, despite no reduction of tracer uptake in IR.

Discrepant recovery course of sympathetic neuronal function and beta-adrenoceptors in rat hearts after reperfusion following transient ischemia.

Unlabelled: Cardiac sympathetic neuronal function is closely coupled with beta-adrenoceptors and adrenergic signaling. However, the recovery process of sympathetic neuronal function and beta-adrenoceptors after reperfusion following transient ischemia is not fully understood. Accordingly, this study was performed to investigate serial changes in sympathetic neuronal function and beta-adrenoceptors after transient myocardial ischemia.

Saturated glucose uptake capacity and impaired fatty acid oxidation in hypertensive hearts before development of heart failure.

Abnormalities in energy metabolism may play an important role in the development of hypertensive heart failure. However, the transition from compensated hypertrophy to heart failure is not fully understood in terms of energy metabolism. In Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) rats, myocardial fatty acid and glucose uptake values were determined using (131)I- or (125)I-labeled 9-methylpentadecanoic acid ((131)I- or (125)I-9MPA), and [(14)C]deoxyglucose ([(14)C]DG), fatty acid beta-oxidation was identified using thin-layer chromatography, and insulin-stimulated glucose-uptake was observed using a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp.

Determination of carbon dioxide and acid components in exhaust gas by suppressed ion chromatography.

Although anions are usually determined by suppressed ion chromatography (IC), carbonate and bicarbonate ions can not be determined, because a mixed solution of sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogencarbonate is used as the eluent. This paper describes an IC method for the determination of carbonate ion and common anions using an IonPac AG17/AS17 column, an EG 40 eluent generator and a conductivity detector. The proposed IC method could determine carbonate ion and anions within 6 min.

Supersensitive response to isoproterenol in patients with marked global reduction of cardiac metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake.

It is unknown whether the non-transplanted, denervated human heart is supersensitive to beta-adrenergic agonist in terms of inotropism and chronotropism. In the present study, 36 patients with normal left ventricular (LV) wall motion were divided into 3 groups according to the cardiac metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigrams: group I with normal MIBG uptake, group II with regionally reduced MIBG uptake, and group III with globally reduced MIBG uptake (heart-to-mediastinum ratio <1.6).