Sacubitril/valsartan reduces susceptibility to atrial fibrillation by improving atrial remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Aim: Sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val, LCZ696), the world's first angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi), has been widely used in the treatment of heart failure. However, the use of Sac/Val in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), especially AF with hypertension, has been less reported. We investigated the effect of Sac/Val on atrial remodeling and hypertension-related AF.

Mechanisms of U46619-induced contraction in mouse intrarenal artery.

Thromboxane A (TXA ) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular complications, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The contraction of renal arterial rings in mice was measured by a Multi Myograph System. The intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca ] ) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) was obtained by using a fluo-4/AM dye and a confocal laser scanning microscopy.

Impact of a dedicated training program on the reproducibility of systolic dyssynchrony measures using tissue Doppler imaging.

Background: The reproducibility of the measurement of mechanical dyssynchrony by echocardiography including Doppler tissue imaging has recently been questioned. The aim of this study was to ascertain the role of a dedicated training program to improve skills and the reproducibility of dyssynchrony assessment.

Methods: In 70 patients with heart failure, color Doppler tissue images were acquired, and the time to peak systolic velocity of each segment and several dyssynchrony indices, including the standard deviation of time to peak systolic velocity, were measured by an expert to constitute a reference standard.