Bloodless reperfusion with the oxygen carrier HBOC-201 in acute myocardial infarction: a novel platform for cardioprotective probes delivery.

Reperfusion, despite being required for myocardial salvage, is associated with additional injury. We hypothesize that infarct size (IS) will be reduced by a period of bloodless reperfusion with hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) before blood-flow restoration. In the pig model, we first characterized the impact of intracoronary perfusion with a fixed volume (600 ml) of a pre-oxygenated acellular HBOC, HBOC-201, on the healthy myocardium.

Impact of the Timing of Metoprolol Administration During STEMI on Infarct Size and Ventricular Function.

Background: Pre-reperfusion administration of intravenous (IV) metoprolol reduces infarct size in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Objectives: This study sought to determine how this cardioprotective effect is influenced by the timing of metoprolol therapy having either a long or short metoprolol bolus-to-reperfusion interval.

Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis of the METOCARD-CNIC (effect of METOprolol of CARDioproteCtioN during an acute myocardial InfarCtion) trial, which randomized anterior STEMI patients to IV metoprolol or control before mechanical reperfusion.

Association of myocardial T1-mapping CMR with hemodynamics and RV performance in pulmonary hypertension.

Early detection of right ventricular (RV) involvement in chronic pulmonary hypertension (PH) is essential due to prognostic implications. T1 mapping by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as a noninvasive technique for extracellular volume fraction (ECV) quantification. We assessed the association of myocardial native T1 time and equilibrium contrast ECV (Eq-ECV) at the RV insertion points with pulmonary hemodynamics and RV performance in an experimental model of chronic PH.

β3 adrenergic receptor selective stimulation during ischemia/reperfusion improves cardiac function in translational models through inhibition of mPTP opening in cardiomyocytes.

Selective stimulation of β3 adrenergic-receptor (β3AR) has been shown to reduce infarct size in a mouse model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. However, its functional long-term effect and the cardioprotective mechanisms at the level of cardiomyocytes have not been elucidated, and the impact of β3AR stimulation has not been evaluated in a more translational large animal model. This study aimed at evaluating pre-perfusion administration of BRL37344 both in small and large animal models of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.

Metabolomics reveals metabolite changes in acute pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common cardiovascular emergency which can lead to pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right ventricular failure as a consequence of pulmonary arterial bed occlusion. The diagnosis of PE is challenging due to nonspecific clinical presentation, which results in relatively high mortality. Moreover, the pathological factors associated with PE are poorly understood.

Noninvasive monitoring of serial changes in pulmonary vascular resistance and acute vasodilator testing using cardiac magnetic resonance.

Objectives: The study sought to evaluate the ability of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to monitor acute and long-term changes in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) noninvasively.

Background: PVR monitoring during the follow-up of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the response to vasodilator testing require invasive right heart catheterization.

Methods: An experimental study in pigs was designed to evaluate the ability of CMR to monitor: 1) an acute increase in PVR generated by acute pulmonary embolization (n = 10); 2) serial changes in PVR in chronic PH (n = 22); and 3) changes in PVR during vasodilator testing in chronic PH (n = 10).

Cystathionine β-synthase deficiency causes infertility by impairing decidualization and gene expression networks in uterus implantation sites.

Hyperhomocysteinemia has been reported in human reproduction as a risk factor for early pregnancy loss, preeclampsia, and congenital birth defects like spina bifida. Female infertility was also observed in cystathionine beta synthase-deficient mice (Cbs-KO) as an animal model for severe hyperhomocysteinemia. The aim for the present research was to elucidate the time-point of pregnancy loss and to pinpoint gene and cellular changes involved in the underlying pathological mechanism.

Cysteinemia, rather than homocysteinemia, is associated with plasma apolipoprotein A-I levels in hyperhomocysteinemia: lipid metabolism in cystathionine beta-synthase deficiency.

Objective: Genetic and dietary hyperhomocysteinemia has been found to decrease high density lipoproteins (HDL) and their apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1). To test the hypothesis that the presence of cysteine could normalize HDL levels in hyperhomocysteinemic cystathionine beta-synthase (Cbs)-deficient mice and that the inclusion of glycine would block this effect.

Methods: Lipids and HDL cholesterol were studied in Cbs-deficient mice and wild-type animals fed a low-methionine diet supplemented with cysteine and glycine and in Cbs-deficient mice on the same diet supplemented only with cysteine.