Aspects of molecular mechanisms in myocardial hypertrophy, particular morphological changes and cell bioenergetic characteristics in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Aim: To present the particular morphological aspects of hypertrophied myocardium by determining protein expression profile, the role of creatine kinase in cardiac cell function and mitochondrial respiration using endomyocardial biopsy samples obtained at cardiac catheterization in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Material And Methods: The study included 43 DCM patients (37 men and 6 women, mean age 34 +/- 8.6 years).

Annexins, calcium-dependent phospholipid binding proteins in irreducible heart failure.

Aim: To analyze the expression and distribution of annexins V and VI in intact human hearts and in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in patients with irreducible heart failure.

Material And Methods: The study included nine patients with DCM and irreducible heart failure. By immunoblotting and indirect immunofluorescence, the amount and location of annexins was determined using samples of left ventricular (LV) myocardium collected during orthotopic heart allotransplantation.

The use of beta blocker Nebivolol in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in association with arterial hypertension.

There were investigated 22 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in association with arterial hypertension initially and after 5 weeks of treatment with beta-blocker Nebivolol 5 mg/day. There were not detected any negative changes on bronchial permeability after treatment. Considerable improvement of endothelial function (from 7-12% to 17-35%, p < 0.

[Expression of contractile and cytoskeletal proteins in myocardium of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.].

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by enlargement and dilation of all heart compartments associated with serious decrease of its contractile function. DCM hallmark is the combination of dystrophic and hypertrophic alterations of cardiomyocytes. Since the power output of cardiac cells is directly related to remodeling of their contractile machinery we investigated expression of selected contractile and cytoskeletal proteins in the left ventricle of DCM patients using immunoblotting.

[Apoptosis and hibernation of cardiomyocytes of periscar zone as factor of chronic cardiac aneurysm progression].

Tissue specimen from chronic aneurysms and adjacent myocardium obtained at aneurysmectomy and coronary bypass surgery from 46 patients were subjected to morphological study. Immunohistochemical methods and electronic microscopy were applied for detection of apoptosis and hibernation of cardiomyocytes in 11 cases and histochemical determination of activity of energetic enzymes succinate and lactate dehydrogenase was used in 5 cases. Cardiomyocytes from peri and intra scar layers of myocardium were found to be in a state of hibernation while some of them were in a state of apoptosis.