Establishment of a HFpEF model using female Dahl salt-sensitive rats: a valuable tool for elucidating the pathophysiology of HFpEF in women.

The pathogenesis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains unclear, and effective treatments are limited. HFpEF is more prevalent in females, indicating potential gender differences in its pathogenesis. However, no female HFpEF model animals have been established.

Impact of sympathetic hyperactivity induced by brain microglial activation on organ damage in sepsis with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of several diseases such as sepsis and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Activation of microglia in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) has been implicated in SNA. The mechanisms responsible for the adverse prognosis observed in sepsis associated with CKD remain to be determined.

Bidirectional Association Among the Type of Atrial Fibrillation, Sleep-Disordered Breathing Severity, Heart Failure Progression, and Left Atrial Enlargement, in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

This study aimed to clarify (1) the association among the atrial fibrillation (AF) type, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), heart failure (HF), and left atrial (LA) enlargement, (2) the independent predictors of LA enlargement, and (3) the effects of ablation on those conditions in patients with AF. The study's endpoint was LA enlargement (LA volume index [LAVI] ≥ 78 mL/m).Of 423 patients with nonvalvular AF, 236 were enrolled.

Esaxerenone: blood pressure reduction and cardiorenal protection without reflex sympathetic activation in salt-loaded stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is involved in the mechanisms of blood pressure elevation, organ fibrosis, and inflammation. MR antagonists have been used in patients with hypertension, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease. Esaxerenone, a recently approved MR blocker with a nonsteroidal structure, has demonstrated a strong blood pressure-lowering effect.

Triglyceride-Glucose Index Associated with Future Renal Function Decline in the General Population.

Background: The triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index), calculated as the logarithmic product of fasting triglyceride and glucose concentrations, is recognized as a simple marker of insulin resistance. However, the association between the TyG index and future decline of renal function remains unclear in the general population.

Objective: To investigate whether the TyG index was associated with future decline of renal function in the general population who had not progressed to chronic kidney disease stage G2.

Role of Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Epicardial Connections in the Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation.

The presence of epicardial connections (ECs) between the pulmonary veins (PVs) and atrium may contribute to atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence. This study aimed to determine the impact of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) on the presence of ECs and the interplay between SDB and ECs on AF recurrence.We retrospectively reviewed 400 consecutive non-valvular AF patients.

Paced QRS morphology mimicking complete left bundle branch block induced by right ventricular pacing is associated with pacing-induced cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: Right ventricular (RV) pacing sometimes causes left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, also known as pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM). However, the association between specifically paced QRS morphology and PICM development has not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the association between paced QRS mimicking a complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB) and PICM development.

Clinical outcomes and anticoagulation therapy in elderly non-valvular atrial fibrillation and heart failure patients.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often coexist. Older age is strongly associated with stroke, HF, and mortality. The association between coexistence of HF and a risk of clinical outcomes and the effectiveness of anticoagulation therapy including direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in elderly patients with AF and HF have not been investigated.

Association of baseline electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy with future renal function decline in the general population.

Electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) could predict adverse renal outcomes in patients with hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the association between electrocardiographic LVH and future decline in renal function in the general population using a dataset of population-based health checkups from 2010 to 2019 including 19,825 participants. Electrocardiographic LVH was defined according to the Minnesota code.

Electrophysiological features of repetitive focal Purkinje ventricular arrhythmias originating from the proximal cardiac conduction system.

Background: Focal Purkinje ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) might originate from the vicinity of the proximal portion of the cardiac conducting system. This study aimed to clarify the features associated with focal Purkinje VAs originating from the proximal conduction system.

Methods: A total of 18 patients with focal Purkinje VAs undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) were retrospectively examined and divided into the proximal type or the non-proximal type.

Contribution of afferent renal nerve signals to acute and chronic blood pressure regulation in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The activation of sympathetic nervous system plays a critical role in the development of hypertension. The input from afferent renal nerves may affect central sympathetic outflow; however, its contribution to the development of hypertension remains unclear. We investigated the role of afferent renal nerves in acute and chronic blood pressure regulation using normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP).

Intra-atrial activation pattern is useful to localize the areas of non-pulmonary vein triggers of atrial fibrillation.

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an established ablation procedure for atrial fibrillation (AF), however, PVI alone is insufficient to suppress AF recurrence. Non-pulmonary vein (non-PV) trigger ablation is one of the promising strategies beyond PVI and has been shown to be effective in refractory/persistent AF cases. To make non-PV trigger ablation more standardized, it is essential to develop a simple method to localize the origin of non-PV triggers.

Serial measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide and future cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without known cardiovascular disease.

Background: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without known cardiovascular disease, the association between B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiovascular events except for heart failure has not been elucidated. We aimed to investigate this association in high-risk T2DM patients.

Methods: We analyzed the association between BNP and cardiovascular events, including coronary, cerebral, renal, and vascular events or cardiovascular death based on the single and serial measurement of BNP in T2DM patients with retinopathy and hyperlipidemia without known cardiovascular disease enrolled in the EMPATHY study.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1-expressing cardiac afferent nerves may contribute to cardiac hypertrophy in accompany with an increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor within nucleus tractus solitarius in a pressure overload model.

Introduction: Increased sympathetic output contributes to cardiac hypertrophy. Sympathoexcitation is induced by activating the cardiac sympathetic afferent nerves through transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in cardiac afferent endings. Brainstem nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) receives the sensory cardiac afferent inputs.

Efficacy of intensive lipid-lowering therapy with statins stratified by blood pressure levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and retinopathy: Insight from the EMPATHY study.

Intensive lipid-lowering therapy is recommended in individuals exhibiting type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with microvascular complications (as high-risk patients), even without known cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, evidence is insufficient to stratify the patients who would benefit from intensive therapy among them. Hypertension is a major risk factor, and uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) is associated with increased CVD risk.

Effectiveness of statin intensive therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus with high visit-to-visit blood pressure variability.

Background: Intensive lipid-lowering therapy is recommended in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with target organ damage. However, the evidence is insufficient to stratify the patients who will benefit from the intensive therapy among them. High visit-to-visit variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Effects of compound-326, a selective delta-5 desaturase inhibitor, in ApoE knockout mice with two different protocols for atherosclerosis development.

Purpose: We previously confirmed its anti-atherosclerotic effects by pre-treatment with compound-326, a selective delta-5 desaturase (D5D) inhibitor, in Western diet-fed ApoE knockout mice. In the present study, we evaluated effects of compound-326 in ApoE knockout mice with two different protocols for atherosclerosis development.

Methods: In a post-treatment protocol, where the compound treatment started after 10 weeks pre-feeding of Western diet, compound-326 (1 and 3 mg/kg/day, p.

The strategy for Mirizzi syndrome type II with laparoscopic surgery: A case report.

Introduction: Mirizzi syndrome is an unusual condition involving gallstones. Laparotomy is recommended for the treatment of Mirizzi syndrome type II due to the risk of biliary duct injury. We herein report tips for performing laparoscopic surgery for Mirizzi syndrome type II as a treatment option.

Closed-loop stimulation as a physiological rate-modulated pacing approach based on intracardiac impedance to lower the atrial tachyarrhythmia burden in patients with sinus node dysfunction and atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: The effectiveness of rate-modulated pacing for the suppression of atrial fibrillation (AF) is controversial. Closed-loop stimulation (CLS) is a heart rate modulation technique based on the contractility of the right ventricle estimated by sensing myocardial impedance, and CLS can still adapt to the heart rate in conditions where there are no significant changes in acceleration or ventilation, such as emotional stress. We elucidated the association between CLS and atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) burden in patients with sinus node dysfunction and paroxysmal AF history before pacemaker implantation.

A Novel Orally Available Delta-5 Desaturase Inhibitor Prevents Atherosclerotic Lesions Accompanied by Changes in Fatty Acid Composition and Eicosanoid Production in Knockout Mice.

Delta-5 desaturase (D5D), encoded by fatty acid desaturase 1 (), is the rate-limiting enzyme for the conversion from dihomo--linolenic acid (DGLA) to arachidonic acid (AA) in the -6 polyunsaturated fatty acid pathway. Several AA-derived eicosanoids (e.g.

TAK-272 (imarikiren), a novel renin inhibitor, improves cardiac remodeling and mortality in a murine heart failure model.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which plays an important role in the progression of heart failure, is efficiently blocked by the inhibition of renin, the rate-limiting enzyme in the RAS cascade. In the present study, we investigated the cardioprotective effects of TAK-272 (SCO-272, imarikiren), a novel, orally effective direct renin inhibitor (DRI), and compared its efficacy with that of aliskiren, a DRI that is already available in the market. TAK-272 was administered to calsequestrin transgenic (CSQ-tg) heart failure mouse model that show severe symptoms and high mortality.

Acute and chronic effects of exercise on mRNA expression in the skeletal muscle of two mouse models of peripheral artery disease.

Endurance exercise improves walking performance in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), which is characterized by skeletal muscle dysfunction caused by lower extremity ischemia. Although transcriptional analyses of exercise-induced changes in normal animals and healthy volunteers have been reported, no detailed study has explored exercise-induced alterations in gene expression in PAD animal models. Here, we determined the acute and chronic effects of exercise on mRNA expression in the skeletal muscles of two mouse models of PAD.

Effects of 4(1H)-quinolinone derivative, a novel non-nucleotide allosteric purinergic P2Y agonist, on cardiomyocytes in neonatal rats.

Purinergic P2Y receptors, G-protein coupled receptors that primarily couple with Gα-proteins, are activated equipotently by adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) and uridine-5'-triphosphate. Evidence suggests that P2Y agonists make potential drug candidates for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, selective non-nucleotide, small-molecule P2Y agonists have yet to be developed.