Thyroid hormone at supra-physiological dose optimizes cardiac geometry and improves cardiac function in rats with old myocardial infarction.

Thyroid hormone (TH) is critical in cardiac cell differentiation (regulating contractile proteins and cell geometry) and this effect could be potentially exploited therapeutically in reversing the process of de-differentiation which underlies postischemic cardiac remodeling. Acute myocardial infarction was induced in male Wistar rats by ligating left coronary artery (AMI, n=8), while sham operated animals served as control (SHAM, n=8). 13 weeks after AMI, TH was administered in a group of animals for 4 weeks (AMI-THYR, n=9).

Epidemiological Survey of Burn Victims Treated as Emergency Cases in our Hospital in the Last Five Years.

We present a retrospective epidemiological study based on 1061 patients admitted to our burns centre in Greece over the 5-yr period from January 2002 to January 2007. Their average age was 25 yr, and 61% were female. The two main causes of burns were scalding and flames.

Long-term thyroid hormone administration reshapes left ventricular chamber and improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction in rats.

Thyroid hormone (TH) is critical for tissue differentiation at early stages of development, induces physiological hypertrophy and regulates the expression of important contractile proteins such as myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform and calcium cycling proteins. Furthermore, TH seems to control the response to stress by regulating important cardioprotective molecules such as heat shock proteins (HSPs). Thus, the present study investigated whether TH administration immediately after acute myocardial infarction can favourably remodel the post-infarcted myocardium.