Is Intrinsic Cardioprotection a Laboratory Phenomenon or a Clinically Relevant Tool to Salvage the Failing Heart?

Cardiovascular diseases, especially ischemic heart disease, as a leading cause of heart failure (HF) and mortality, will not reduce over the coming decades despite the progress in pharmacotherapy, interventional cardiology, and surgery. Although patients surviving acute myocardial infarction live longer, alteration of heart function will later lead to HF. Its rising incidence represents a danger, especially among the elderly, with data showing more unfavorable results among females than among males.

The Molecular Mechanisms of Iron Metabolism and Its Role in Cardiac Dysfunction and Cardioprotection.

Iron is an essential mineral participating in different functions of the organism under physiological conditions. Numerous biological processes, such as oxygen and lipid metabolism, protein production, cellular respiration, and DNA synthesis, require the presence of iron, and mitochondria play an important role in the processes of iron metabolism. In addition to its physiological role, iron may be also involved in the adaptive processes of myocardial "conditioning".

Importance of tissue preparation methods in FTIR micro-spectroscopical analysis of biological tissues: 'traps for new users'.

Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) micro-spectroscopy is an emerging technique for the biochemical analysis of tissues and cellular materials. It provides objective information on the holistic biochemistry of a cell or tissue sample and has been applied in many areas of medical research. However, it has become apparent that how the tissue is handled prior to FTIR micro-spectroscopic imaging requires special consideration, particularly with regards to methods for preservation of the samples.

Developmental programming of cardiovascular disease following intrauterine growth restriction: findings utilising a rat model of maternal protein restriction.

Over recent years, studies have demonstrated links between risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood and adverse events that occurred very early in life during fetal development. The concept that there are embryonic and fetal adaptive responses to a sub-optimal intrauterine environment often brought about by poor maternal diet that result in permanent adverse consequences to life-long health is consistent with the definition of "programming". The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current knowledge of the effects of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) on long-term cardiac structure and function, with particular emphasis on the effects of maternal protein restriction.

When early life growth restriction in rats is followed by attenuated postnatal growth: effects on cardiac function in adulthood.

Purpose: Epidemiological and experimental studies demonstrate that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) followed by accelerated postnatal growth leads to increased risk of developing cardiac disease in adulthood. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of early life growth restriction on cardiac structure and function in young adult rats.

Methods: IUGR was induced in Wistar Kyoto dams through administration of a low protein diet (LPD; 8.

Low Birth Weight due to Intrauterine Growth Restriction and/or Preterm Birth: Effects on Nephron Number and Long-Term Renal Health.

Epidemiological studies have clearly demonstrated a strong association between low birth weight and long-term renal disease. A potential mediator of this long-term risk is a reduction in nephron endowment in the low birth weight infant at the beginning of life. Importantly, nephrons are only formed early in life; during normal gestation, nephrogenesis is complete by about 32-36 weeks, with no new nephrons formed after this time during the lifetime of the individual.

Evidence of altered biochemical composition in the hearts of adult intrauterine growth-restricted rats.

Purpose: Epidemiological studies clearly link intrauterine growth restriction with increased risk of cardiac disease in adulthood. The mechanisms leading to this increased risk are poorly understood; remodeling of the myocardium is implicated. The aim was to determine the effect of early life growth restriction on the biochemical composition of the left ventricular myocardium in adult rats.

Elevated vascular resistance and afterload reduce the cardiac output response to dobutamine in early growth-restricted rats in adulthood.

Epidemiological studies have linked intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) with an increased risk of CVD later in life. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of maternal protein restriction on cardiac function in adulthood during dobutamine (DOB) stimulation. IUGR was induced in Wistar Kyoto dams through administration of a low-protein diet (LPD; 8.

Nephrogenesis and the renal renin-angiotensin system in fetal sheep: effects of intrauterine growth restriction during late gestation.

Previous studies have shown that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can impair nephrogenesis, but uncertainties remain about the importance of the gestational timing of the insult and the effects on the renal renin-angiotensin system (RAS). We therefore hypothesized that induction of IUGR during late gestation alters the RAS, and this is associated with a decrease in nephron endowment. Our aims were to determine the effects of IUGR induced during the later stages of nephrogenesis on 1) nephron number; 2) mRNA expression of angiotensin AT(1) and AT(2) receptors, angiotensinogen, and renin genes in the kidney; and 3) the size of maculae densae.