The metamorphosis of amphibian myocardium: moving to the heart of the matter.

Amphibians are a classical object for physiological studies, and they are of great value for developmental studies owing to their transition from an aquatic larval form to an adult form with a terrestrial lifestyle. Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) are of special interest for such studies because of their neoteny and facultative pedomorphosis, as in these animals, metamorphosis can be induced and fully controlled in laboratory conditions. It has been suggested that their metamorphosis, associated with gross anatomical changes in the heart, also involves physiological and electrical remodeling of the myocardium.

Suprastin (Chloropyramine) Causes Proarrhythmic Deterioration of Excitation Conduction, Depolarization and Potentiates Adrenergic Automaticity in the Pulmonary Veins Myocardium.

A number of pharmacological drugs have side effects that contribute to the occurrence of atrial fibrillation, the most common type of cardiac rhythm disorders. The clinical use of antihistamines is widespread; however, information regarding their anti- and/or proarrhythmic effects is contradictory. In this work, we studied the effects and mechanisms of the potential proarrhythmic action of the first-generation antihistamine chloropyramine (Suprastin) in the atrial myocardium and pulmonary vein (PV) myocardial tissue.

3-Methyl-phenanthrene (3-MP) disrupts the electrical and contractile activity of the heart of the polar fish, navaga cod (Eleginus nawaga).

Alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are abundant in crude oil and are enriched during petroleum refinement but knowledge of their cardiotoxicity remains limited. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered the main hazardous components in crude oil and the tricyclic PAH phenanthrene has been singled out for its direct effects on cardiac tissue in mammals and fish. Here we test the impact of the monomethylated phenanthrene, 3-methylphenanthrene (3-MP), on the contractile and electrical function of the atrium and ventricle of a polar fish, the navaga cod (Eleginus nawaga).

Simulating institutional heterogeneity in sustainability science.

Sustainability outcomes are influenced by the laws and configurations of natural and engineered systems as well as activities in socio-economic systems. An important subset of human activity is the creation and implementation of institutions, formal and informal rules shaping a wide range of human behavior. Understanding these rules and codifying them in computational models can provide important missing insights into why systems function the way they do (static) as well as the pace and structure of transitions required to improve sustainability (dynamic).