FeLIX is a restriction factor for mammalian retrovirus infection.

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are remnants of ancestral viral infections. Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is an exogenous and endogenous retrovirus in domestic cats. It is classified into several subgroups (A, B, C, D, E, and T) based on viral receptor interference properties or receptor usage.

The effects of renal denervation on blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy, and sympathetic activity during the established phase of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

This study aimed to investigate whether renal denervation (RDN) reduces blood pressure and attenuates cardiac hypertrophy with decreasing sympathetic activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), a model of essential hypertension, during the established phase of hypertension. We performed RDN or sham operation in 15-weeks-old SHRs. Thirty days after RDN, mean blood pressure measured by telemetry, heart weight, left ventricular wall thickness assessed by echocardiography, and urinary norepinephrine levels were significantly decreased in the RDN group compared to the Sham group.

Fatal Pulmonary Hemorrhagic Infarction Caused by Pulmonary Vein Thrombotic Occlusion During Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

A 20-year-old man with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) was resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation. He was transferred to our hospital because of progressive multiorgan dysfunction despite mechanical circulatory support with peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP). At admission to our hospital, chest X-ray showed bilateral complete lung opacification, and echocardiography revealed a massive thrombus occupying the left atrium (LA) and left ventricle (LV).

Undiagnosed Cardiac Sarcoidosis Causing Refractory Heart Failure After Acute Myocardial Infarction due to Thromboembolism.

A 61-year-old woman suffered chest pain and was admitted to a nearby hospital emergency department. She was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction probably due to thromboembolism in the left anterior descending coronary artery and aspiration thrombectomy was performed. Afterwards, she developed refractory heart failure with severe global left ventricular dysfunction and was transferred to our hospital.

Plaque modification using a cutting balloon is more effective for stenting of heavily calcified lesion than other scoring balloons.

Cutting balloons (CBs) and other scoring balloons are known to be useful for plaque modification in heavily calcified lesions. There have been some reports of the efficacy of these balloons compared to conventional balloons. However, there have been no reports exploring which balloon is most effective among these three types of balloons.

Decreased proportion of Foxp3+ CD4+ regulatory T cells contributes to the development of hypertension in genetically hypertensive rats.

Objective: Dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system and the immune system has been highlighted in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Foxp3 regulatory T (Treg) cells, which maintain immune homeostasis, have potent antihypertensive properties. We systematically explored whether Treg cells proportions are altered in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) with increased sympathetic activity.

Calorie restriction improves cognitive decline via up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor: tropomyosin-related kinase B in hippocampus ofobesity-induced hypertensive rats.

In metabolic syndrome (MetS), previous studies have suggested that cognitive decline is worsened. Among the factors associated with cognition, decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus causes cognitive decline. We previously reported that exercise training with calorie restriction yielded protection against cognitive decline via BDNF in the hippocampus of hypertensive rats.

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor expression in astrocytes is upregulated leading to increased mortality in mice with myocardial infarction-induced heart failure.

Enhanced central sympathetic outflow worsens left ventricular (LV) remodeling and prognosis in heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI). Previous studies suggested that activation of brain angiotensin II type 1 receptors (AT₁R) in the brain stem leads to sympathoexcitation due to neuronal AT₁R upregulation. Recent studies, however, revealed the importance of astrocytes for modulating neuronal activity, but whether changes in astrocytes influence central sympathetic outflow in heart failure is unknown.

Exercise training causes sympathoinhibition through antioxidant effect in the rostral ventrolateral medulla of hypertensive rats.

Exercise training normalizes sympathetic outflow in hypertension and chronic heart failure. The aim of this study was to determine whether the exercise training inhibits sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) via reduction of oxidative stress through blocked angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT(1)R) in rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). We divided stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) into SHRSP with exercised training (SHRSP-EX) and control (SHRSP-C).