Impact of the time-to-target rate of urine volume concept on the outcome of acute decompensated heart failure.

Background: Early decongestion with diuretics could improve clinical outcomes. This study aimed to examine the impact of the time-to-target rate of urine volume (T2TUV) concept on the outcome of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 1670 patients with ADHF who received diuretics within 24 h of admission.

Predictors of Poor Very Early Diuretic Response and Effectiveness of Early Tolvaptan in Symptomatic Acute Heart Failure.

Background: Diuretic response (DR) in patients with symptomatic acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) has an impact on prognosis. This study aimed to identify predictive factors influencing acute 6 h poor DR and to assess DR after early administration of tolvaptan (TLV).

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 1670 patients who were admitted for ADHF and received intravenous furosemide within 1 h of presentation in clinical scenario 1 or 2 defined based on initial systolic blood pressure ≥100 mmHg with severe symptoms (New York Heart Association class III or IV (n = 830).

Hyponatraemia aggravates cardiac susceptibility to ischaemia/reperfusion injury.

Hyponatraemia is defined as a serum sodium concentration of <135 mEql/L and is the most common electrolyte disturbance in patients with chronic heart failure. We hypothesize that hyponatraemia may induce Ca overload and enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which will exacerbate myocardial injury more than normonatraemia. We investigated the effect of hyponatraemia on the ability of the heart to recover from ischaemia/reperfusion episodes.

A novel validated method for predicting the risk of re-hospitalization for worsening heart failure and the effectiveness of the diuretic upgrading therapy with tolvaptan.

Increased re-hospitalization due to acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a modern issue in cardiology. The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors for re-hospitalization due to worsening heart failure, and the effect of tolvaptan (TLV) on decreasing the number of re-hospitalizations. This was a multicenter, retrospective study.

Glucose Fluctuations Aggravate Cardiac Susceptibility to Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Modulating MicroRNAs Expression.

Background: The influence of glucose fluctuations (GF) on cardiovascular complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) has been attracting much attention. In the present study, whether GF increase susceptibility to ischemia/reperfusion in the heart was investigated.

Methods And Results: Male rats were randomly assigned to either a control, DM, and DM with GF group.

Epicardial catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia in no entry left ventricle: mechanical aortic and mitral valves.

Background: In patients with mechanical aortic and mitral valves and left ventricular tachycardia, catheter ablation may be prevented by limited access to the left ventricle.

Methods And Results: In our series of 6 patients, 2 patients underwent direct surgical ablation and 4 underwent epicardial catheter ablation via a pericardial window. All patients had abnormal low voltage areas with fractionated or delayed isolated potentials on the apical epicardium.

Glucose fluctuations increase the incidence of atrial fibrillation in diabetic rats.

Aims: We investigated whether glucose fluctuations aggravate cardiac fibrosis and increase the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in rats with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods And Results: Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were randomly divided into three groups: uncontrolled DM (U-STZ) group, controlled DM (C-STZ) group, and DM with glucose fluctuations (STZ-GF) group. Glucose fluctuations were induced by fasting for 24 h and additional regular insulin injections (0.

Production of reactive oxygen species in the diabetic heart. Roles of mitochondria and NADPH oxidase.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the main facilitators of cardiovascular complications in diabetes mellitus (DM), and the ROS level is increased in cultured cells exposed to high glucose concentrations or in diabetic animal models. Emerging evidence shows that mitochondria and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase are dominant mechanisms of ROS production in the diabetic heart. Hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial inner membrane potentials and impaired mitochondrial function promote ROS production in the mitochondria of the diabetic heart.

Activation of CaMKII as a key regulator of reactive oxygen species production in diabetic rat heart.

Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for heart failure. Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been proposed as a possible mechanism of cardiac dysfunction in diabetic patients. However, the mechanisms of ROS increase are still elusive.

Inhibition of Na⁺-H⁺ exchange as a mechanism of rapid cardioprotection by resveratrol.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Resveratrol is a polyphenol abundantly found in grape skin and red wine. In the present study, we investigated whether resveratrol exerts protective effects against cardiac ischaemia/reperfusion and also explored its mechanisms. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Infarct size and functional recovery in rat isolated perfused hearts subjected to no-flow global ischaemia followed by reperfusion were measured.

Cardioprotective effects of pravastatin against lethal ventricular arrhythmias induced by reperfusion in the rat heart.

Background: Statins are reported to reduce mortality in patients with coronary artery disease and that mortality benefit might be related to the drugs' antiarrhythmic properties.

Methods And Results: Male rats were fed with or without pravastatin (0.1 mg·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹) for 7 days, and thereafter subjected to 10 min of ischemia by coronary artery ligation followed by 20 min reperfusion.

High-glucose condition reduces cardioprotective effects of insulin against mechanical stress-induced cell injury.

Aims: Mechanical stress induces cardiomyocyte injury and contributes to the progression of heart failure in patients with hypertension. In this study, we investigated whether insulin exerts cardioprotective effects against mechanical stretching-induced cell injury, and whether the protective effect is influenced by high-glucose condition.

Main Methods: Cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were plated on silicone chambers, and the cells were mechanically stretched by 15% to induce cell injury.

Nanoscale spherical architectures fabricated by metal coordination of multiple dipyrrin moieties.

Phenylethynyl-bridged dipyrrin "dimers" have performed ZnII complexation to give coordination polymers, which provided the fluorescent colloidal spherical objects in solution as well as on the substrate according to the spacer units. Using a mixture of THF and water, unique morphologies, such as bell-shaped and "golf ball"-like architectures, were observed.

Image contrast analysis of STM images of self-assembled dioctadecyl chalcogenides on graphite at the liquid-solid interface.

The structures of self-assembled monolayers of dioctadecyl selenide (CH3(CH2)17)2Se and dioctadecyl telluride (CH3(CH2)17)2Te, as well as dioctadecyl ether (CH3(CH2)17)2O and dioctadecyl sulfide (CH3(CH2)17)2S, on graphite at the liquid-solid interface were systematically investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Both dioctadecyl selenide and telluride formed monolayer structures in which the tilt angle between the molecular axis of the alkyl chain and the lamellae axis was 90 degrees , while dioctadecyl ether assembled with a tilt angle of 60 degrees . Dioctadecyl sulfide was found to make two different self-assembled structures having tilt angles of 60 and 90 degrees .