Possible pathway of Na(+) flux into mitochondria in ischemic heart.

Previous studies showed that myocardial Na(+) overload during ischemia directly induced mitochondrial damage. The pathway for Na(+) flux into mitochondria remains unclear. We examined possible routes for Na(+) flux into mitochondria in the ischemic heart.

Effect of cimetidine on pentamidine induced hyperglycemia in rats.

The antiprotozoal agent pentamidine, used for the treatment of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP), is known to cause abnormalities in blood glucose homeostasis, such as hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Pentamidine has been reported to be a substrate of organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1). We investigated the combination effects of cimetidine, an OCT1 inhibitor, on the pharmacokinetics of pentamidine and on pentamidine-induced hyperglycemia.

Effects of tanshinone VI on phosphorylation of ERK and Akt in isolated cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts.

Effects of tanshinone VI, a diterpene from Tan-Shen, on humoral factor-induced phosphorylation of ERK and Akt during hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes and fibrosis of cardiac fibroblasts isolated from neonatal rats were examined. Treatment of cultured cardiomyocytes with 10 nM insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) or 10 nM endothelin-1 resulted in an increase in leucine incorporation into acid-insoluble fraction. Treatment of cultured cardiac fibroblasts with 10 nM IGF-1 or 10 nM angiotensin II increased incorporation of proline.

Effects of tanshinone VI on insulin-like growth factor-1-induced hypertrophy of isolated cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats.

The effects of tanshinone VI (Tan), a diterpene extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza, on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-induced hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes were examined. Cultured cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal rat hearts. The incorporation of [(3)H]-leucine into the trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-insoluble fraction was measured as a marker of protein synthesis, which revealed cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.