Responsiveness to dobutamine stimulation in patients with left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome.

To investigate the underlying mechanisms of the left ventricular (LV) apical ballooning syndrome, we evaluated the functional responsiveness to dobutamine stimulation in patients with the syndrome. Over a 22-month period, 11 consecutive patients with the apical ballooning syndrome were referred to our institution. All 11 patients were women and 57 to 85 years of age (mean 73 +/- 10).

Does handgrip exercise training increase forearm ischemic vasodilator responses in patients receiving hemodialysis?

In patients receiving hemodialysis, exercise capacity is extremely limited. Although vasodilation is one of the key phenomena for blood perfusion into working skeletal muscles during exercise, it is not clear whether the vasodilator capacity is increased after physical training in this population. We attempted to clarify whether handgrip exercise training increases forearm vasodilator responses to arterial occlusion, and to determine the relationship between muscle contraction function and the vasodilator responses in patients receiving hemodialysis.

Use of everolimus-eluting stent with a bioresorbable polymer coating for treatment of recurrent in-stent restenosis.

Recently, an everolimus-eluting stent utilizing a bioresorbabale PLA polymer coating to release the agent everolimus has proven safe and effective in preventing restenosis for up to six months in de novo coronary arteries. But the use of a bioresorbable polymer-coated everolimus-eluting stent for in-stent restenosis lesions has not been previously investigated. This is a case report of one-year angiographic follow-up results after the implantation of a bioresorbable PLA polymer-coated everolimus-eluting stent for the treatment of recurrent in-stent restenosis.

Effectiveness of right or left radial approach for coronary angiography.

The transradial approach for catheterization is becoming increasingly more popular. At present, the choice of the right or left radial artery depends on the operator's preference. We examined how the laterality influenced the effectiveness of the approach.

Deficit of CD38/cyclic ADP-ribose is differentially compensated in hearts by gender.

To elucidate whether myocardial CD38/cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) signaling plays a physiological role, we investigated the heart of CD38 knockout mice (CD38KO). In CD38KO, the myocardial cADPR content was reduced by 85% compared with wild-type mice (WT). Cardiac hypertrophy developed only in males.

A new miniature catheter with side-holes for percutaneous transradial or transbrachial coronary angiography.

The percutaneous arm approach through the radial or brachial artery for diagnostic cardiac catheterization has advantages, such as a lower incidence of access-site complications and decreased patient discomfort, particularly when smaller diameter catheters are employed. However, the pressure produced by high-flow jets of contrast material exiting from an end-hole against the vascular wall can cause coronary dissection or myocardial blushing. To avoid this type of complication, we designed and developed a new miniature (4 French) catheter with two side-holes for coronary angiography.

Acute and chronic adaptation to hemodynamic overload and ischemia in the aged heart.

Congestive heart failure occurs more frequently in older individuals. This higher incidence of heart failure may be caused by the diminished capacity of aged hearts to adapt to increased hemodynamic overload and ischemia which are the most important triggers for heart failure in the aged. In the immediate early phase after the imposition of ascending aortic banding, the mRNA expression of proto-oncogenes (c-fos, c-jun and c-myc) was diminished in aged rat hearts compared with young adult hearts.