Ultrasound enhances retrovirus-mediated gene transfer.

Viral vector systems are efficient for transfection of foreign genes into many tissues. Especially, retrovirus based vectors integrate the transgene into the genome of the target cells, which can sustain long term expression. However, it has been demonstrated that the transduction efficiency using retrovirus is relatively lower than those of other viruses.

Effects of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor and nitric oxide on endothelial function in femoral resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

In hypertension, endothelium-dependent relaxation is attenuated and this attenuation contributes to the increased peripheral resistance. However, the role of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) in the arteries of hypertensive rats remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of EDHF in the femoral resistance arteries of hypertensive rats.

Enhanced release of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor in small coronary arteries from rats with congestive heart failure.

1. Previous studies have suggested that the production of nitric oxide (NO) is reduced in coronary vessels of animals with congestive heart failure (CHF). However, the response to endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) in small coronary resistance arteries from CHF rats has not been investigated.

[Comparison of myocardial perfusion imaging by thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography with SUNY4001 (adenosine) and exercise--crossover clinical trial at multi-center].

We compared the ischemic diagnosis ability and adverse events of 201Tl myocardial perfusion imaging with SUNY4001 (adenosine) stress to that with exercise (ergometer) stress both on random crossover trial. Thirty one known or suspected chronic stable angina patients who are able to exercise and 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled for the trial. The early and delayed images were obtained by SPECT imaging.

The relationship between clinical stage, prognosis and myocardial damage in patients with Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy: five-year follow-up study.

Unlabelled: The evaluation of myocardial damage by [123I] 15-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(R,S)-methylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) imaging, which represents free fatty acid metabolism, has not been reported in patients with Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy (DMD). To date, the relationship between clinical stage, prognosis and myocardial damage has not been evaluated by radionuclear cardiac imaging. The main goal of this study was to elucidate the relationship of quantitative indices of myocardial damage obtained by radionuclear cardiac imaging ([201Tl] and [123I] BMIPP) to clinical stage and incidence of severe cardiac events in patients with Duchenne-type muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Candida parapsilosis endocarditis that emerged 2 years after abdominal surgery.

A 22-year-old man was hospitalized after 3 months of persistent fever and malaise. He had undergone abdominal surgery 24 months before admission. Echocardiography demonstrated two mobile pedunculated masses in the right ventricle.

Cilnidipine as an agent to lower blood pressure without sympathetic nervous activation as demonstrated by iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine imaging in rat hearts.

Background: Administration of short-acting antihypertensive agents to patients with ischemic heart disease results in increased sympathetic nervous activity and is associated with worsened outcomes. Cilnidipine is an agent which blocks not only L-type calcium channels at the smooth muscle in the artery, but also N-type calcium channels at the presynaptic terminal. The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of cilnidipine on sympathetic nervous activity as on agent which blocks both L-type and N-type calcium channels at the presynaptic terminal, on sympathetic nervous activity in an experimental rat model using iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial imaging.

Chronological changes of alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated vascular constriction in Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima fatty rats.

In recent years, it has been suggested that many factors are involved in the development of hypertension accompanying insulin resistance. Because changes in vascular reactivity could be one of these factors, we here investigated chronological changes of alpha-adrenoceptor (AR)-mediated peripheral arteriolar vasoconstriction in a rat model of type II diabetes. Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats that naturally develop insulin resistance at the age of 16 weeks and type II diabetes at the age of 30 weeks (DM group) and control rats (N group) were used.

Circadian gene expression of clock genes and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in heart and aorta of spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats.

Objective: Heart and aorta possess biologic clocks, but their involvement in genetic hypertension has been unknown. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression is directly regulated by clock genes, while angiotensin II modulates both PAI-1 and clock gene expression. We therefore examined circadian expression of PAI-1 and clock genes, and effects of angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonism, in heart and aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats.

Wavelet transform analysis of heart rate variability to assess the autonomic changes associated with spontaneous coronary spasm of variant angina.

We used Wavelet transform (WT) to investigate whether variation in autonomic tone was associated with spontaneous coronary spasm in patients with variant angina by analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). Twenty-one episodes preceding ST-segment elevation were selected under Holter monitoring in 12 men and 3 women with variant angina. HRV indices were calculated at 10 second intervals with the continuous WT, and analyzed within 30 minutes preceding ST-segment elevation.

The renin-angiotensin system is involved in the production of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 by cultured endothelial cells in response to chylomicron remnants.

Triglyceride-rich lipoproteins have been suggested to promote atherosclerosis. Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) plays an important role in the events of cardiovascular pathophysiology. The renin-angiotensin system influences various vascular functions, including PAI-1 production.

Troglitazone reduces activity of the Na+/H+ exchanger in fructose-fed borderline hypertensive rats.

Activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) is known to be related to elevated blood pressure in hyperinsulinemia. We previously demonstrated that a fructose-enriched diet induced hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia, elevated NHE activity, increased intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i), and increased blood pressure in borderline hypertensive rats (BHR). This study examines whether pharmacologically reducing plasma triglyceride or insulin concentrations lowers blood pressure and reduces NHE activity in fructose-fed BHR.

Impaired left ventricular function is associated with increased recovery time dispersion in patients with previous myocardial infarction.

Left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after myocardial infarction is associated with higher risk of serious ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. We suspected that heterogeneity in ventricular repolarization contributes to these arrhythmias. To quantify this heterogeneity, we measured the recovery time (the interval between QRS onset and the time of maximum dV/dt in the ST-T segment) using an 87-lead body surface mapping electrocardiogram and estimated recovery time dispersion (the difference between maximum recovery time and minimum recovery time) in each lead.

Augmented diurnal variations of the cardiac renin-angiotensin system in hypertensive rats.

There are several controversies concerning the enhanced gene expression of cardiac renin-angiotensin system components in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) compared with their normotensive control Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. We hypothesized that these discrepancies arise from circadian fluctuations in gene expression. We examined the circadian mRNA expression of renin, angiotensinogen, ACE, and angiotensin type 1a (AT1a) and type 2 (AT2) receptors in the hearts of SHR and WKY rats by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

A decrease in the amount and function of the stimulatory GTP-binding protein in the small resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We investigated the concentration of stimulatory GTP-binding protein (Gs protein) in the peripheral resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), and renovascular hypertensive rats (RHR). Changes in the function of Gs protein in SHR and WKY were also investigated by microcannulation techniques. The localization and abundance of Gs protein were determined immunohistochemically in 4-, 10- and 20-week-old SHR and age-matched WKY (control), as well as in RHR.

Eicosapentaenoic acid improves endothelial function in hypertriglyceridemic subjects despite increased lipid oxidizability.

Background: Epidemiologic investigations suggest that fish oil, which contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), has favorable cardiovascular effects. Fish oil improves endothelial function in subjects with hypercholesterolemia or diabetes. However, controversy persists regarding relationships between primary hypertriglyceridemia and endothelial dysfunction.

Correction of nonuniform attenuation and image fusion in SPECT imaging by means of separate X-ray CT.

Improvements in image quality and quantitation measurement, and the addition of detailed anatomical structures are important topics for single-photon emission tomography (SPECT). The goal of this study was to develop a practical system enabling both nonuniform attenuation correction and image fusion of SPECT images by means of high-performance X-ray computed tomography (CT). A SPECT system and a helical X-ray CT system were placed next to each other and linked with Ethernet.

Hepatocyte growth factor as a potential predictor of the presence of atherosclerotic aorto-iliac artery disease.

Background: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a member of the endothelial-specific growth factors with the greatest mitogenic activity, may play a role in the protection and/or repair of vascular endothelial cells injured by atherosclerosis. As a result, plasma HGF concentration may increase in response to endothelial cell damage. To test this hypothesis, we measured plasma concentrations of HGF in patients with or without aorto-iliac artery atherosclerotic disease.