Inferior Vena Cava as a Trigger for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: Incidence, Characteristics, and Implications.

Background: Identifying nonpulmonary vein triggers during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is of great importance. Currently, there are limited data on AF triggered by the inferior vena cava (IVC).

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the incidence, characteristics, and implications of IVC triggers for AF.

Blockade of Na1.8 Increases the Susceptibility to Ventricular Arrhythmias During Acute Myocardial Infarction.

/Na1.8 may be associated with a lower risk of ventricular fibrillation in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but if and by which mechanism Na1.8 impacts on ventricular electrophysiology is still a matter of debate.

The mechanical effects of CRT promoting autophagy via mitochondrial calcium uniporter down-regulation and mitochondrial dynamics alteration.

The mechanism of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) remains unclear. In this study, mitochondria calcium uniporter (MCU), dynamin-related protein-1 (DNM1L/Drp1) and their relationship with autophagy in heart failure (HF) and CRT are investigated. Thirteen male beagle's dogs were divided into three groups (sham, HF, CRT).

"Pacing Bigeminal".

A rapid pacing-induced heart failure model is commonly used in developing dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Traditionally, the right ventricular lead was connected with a single chamber pacemaker specific for animals that had a high frequency. However, the pacemaker used in this model is commercially unavailable.

C-reactive protein and atrial fibrillation in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Previous studies have found elevated plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Most of these studies included AF patients with various heart diseases, but few studies were designed to investigate CRP in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) patients with AF.

Method And Results: CRP levels in 242 IDCM patients with AF were compared with CRP levels in 280 control IDCM patients.

Prognostic factors affecting the all-cause death and sudden cardiac death rates of post myocardial infarction patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction.

Background: Post myocardial infarction (post-MI) patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) have been candidates for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) since the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trail II (MADIT II). However, due to the high costs of ICDs, widespread usage has not been accepted. Therefore, further risk stratification for post-MI patients with low LVEF may aid in the selection of patients that will benefit most from ICD treatment.

Locally overexpressing hepatocyte growth factor prevents post-ischemic heart failure by inhibition of apoptosis via calcineurin-mediated pathway and angiogenesis.

Background: Myocardial infarction is a significant cause of heart failure. Currently, therapies are limited and novel revascularization methods may play a role. We investigated the effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) expressed by bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on post-ischemic heart failure.

Blockade of renin-angiotensin system: a supplementary treatment for circumferential pulmonary vein isolation in treating persistent atrial fibrillation.

The development of atrial fibrillation ablation has revolutionized the field of antiarrhythmic treatment by reducing the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) significantly in patients with paroxysmal atrium fibrillation (PAF). However, the effect of ablation on the patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) is not as good as it on PAF. Although doctors have created a series of ablation strategy, they still cannot treat PeAF effectively.