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.

Status of Mitochondrial Oxidative Phosphorylation during the Development of Heart Failure.

Mitochondria are specialized organelles, which serve as the "Power House" to generate energy for maintaining heart function. These organelles contain various enzymes for the oxidation of different substrates as well as the electron transport chain in the form of Complexes I to V for producing ATP through the process of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Several studies have shown depressed OXPHOS activity due to defects in one or more components of the substrate oxidation and electron transport systems which leads to the depletion of myocardial high-energy phosphates (both creatine phosphate and ATP).

Multiple Spontaneous Vertebral Fractures in a Younger Post-menopausal Woman Upon Stopping Denosumab Therapy.

Denosumab is a widely used medication for the treatment of osteoporosis. It has been observed in recent years that abruptly stopping denosumab leads to an increase in bone turnover markers, a decrease in bone mineral density, and a higher incidence of vertebral fractures. We present the case of a 53-year-old woman with few comorbidities and no prior fragility fractures who experienced 4 spontaneous and severely debilitating vertebral fractures 5-months post denosumab discontinuation.

Oat Beta-Glucan Alone and in Combination with Hydrochlorothiazide Lowers High Blood Pressure in Male but Not Female Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Oats are considered a functional food due to the beneficial health effects associated with their consumption and are suitable to be explored for their ability to prevent or manage chronic disease, such as hypertension. Here, we examined the cardiovascular benefits of an oat beta-glucan extract in male and female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) to unravel its sex-specific roles when used with an anti-hypertensive medication, hydrochlorothiazide. Five-week-old male and female SHRs and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were treated with oat beta-glucan and hydrochlorothiazide for 15 weeks.

Prescription drug usage as measure of comorbidity resolution after bariatric surgery: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Obesity is a chronic and progressive disease associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and health-care costs. Bariatric surgery is the most effective intervention for sustainable weight loss and resolution of obesity-related comorbidities. Studies examining comorbidity resolution largely rely on individual self-reported outcomes and electronic record reviews.

Physiological and Pathological Considerations for the Use of Flaxseed as a Therapeutic Dietary Strategy.

The inclusion of flaxseed in the diet may have a great number of potential benefits for the well-being of both healthy individuals and those challenged by disease conditions as well. With an increase in the number and quality of studies focused on the physiological and pathophysiological effects of dietary flaxseed, our knowledge concerning the rationale for the inclusion of flaxseed in our diet has become more convincing and stronger. The purpose of this review is threefold.

Regulation of Autophagy via Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism in Cancer.

Metabolic changes are an important component of tumor cell progression. Tumor cells adapt to environmental stresses via changes to carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Autophagy, a physiological process in mammalian cells that digests damaged organelles and misfolded proteins via lysosomal degradation, is closely associated with metabolism in mammalian cells, acting as a meter of cellular ATP levels.

Immunoengineered MXene nanosystem for mitigation of alloantigen presentation and prevention of transplant vasculopathy.

MXenes are an emerging class of nanomaterials with significant potential for applications in nanomedicine. Amongst MXene technologies, titanium carbide (TiCT) nanomaterials are the most mature and have received significant attention to tackle longstanding clinical challenges due to its tailored physical and material properties. Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is an aggressive form of atherosclerosis and a major cause of mortality among patients with heart transplants.

Growth State-Dependent Activation of eNOS in Response to DHA: Involvement of p38 MAPK.

Our laboratory previously reported that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) differentially activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in growing and quiescent human endothelial cells, which represent the dysfunctional and healthy states in vivo, respectively. Since endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity differs between healthy and dysfunctional endothelial cells, and p38 MAPK reportedly regulates both the activity and expression of eNOS, we hypothesized that the beneficial actions of DHA on endothelial cells are due to eNOS activation by p38 MAPK. The contribution of mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase (MSK), a p38 MAPK substrate, was also investigated.

Oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and autophagy: Balancing the contrary forces in spermatogenesis.

Spermatogenesis is a complex process in the testis and is a cornerstone of male infertility. The abundance of unsaturated fatty acid and high cell division rate make male germs cells prone to DNA deterioration. ROS-mediated oxidative stress triggers DNA damage, autophagy, and apoptosis in male germ cells, which are critical causative factors that lead to male infertility.

Acute Kidney Injury Induces Oxidative Stress and Hepatic Lipid Accumulation through AMPK Signaling Pathway.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) often impairs the function of other organs leading to distant organ injury. The liver is the major organ that regulates metabolism and lipid homeostasis in the body. It has been reported that AKI causes liver injury with increased oxidative stress, inflammatory response and steatosis.

Impact of C-reactive protein levels on lipoprotein(a)-associated aortic stenosis incidence and progression.

Aims: Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels are associated with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS). Observational studies revealed that Lp(a) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, a biomarker of systemic inflammation, may jointly predict CAD risk. Whether Lp(a) and CRP levels also jointly predict CAVS incidence and progression is unknown.

Understanding the Role of Vitamin D in Heart Failure.

Vitamin D is now believed to have a significant role in cardiac signal transduction and regulation of gene expression, and thus influences normal cardiomyocyte function. It has been reported to provide cardioprotection through its anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-fibrotic actions; and to prevent cardiac remodeling, -handling defects, and abnormal electrophysiological patterns. A vitamin D deficient state has been associated in the pathogenesis of heart failure; however, while many clinical studies report a benefit of vitamin D to heart function, other clinical studies are inconsistent with these findings.

Vertebral Level Variations in Trabecular Bone Score and Effect on Fracture Prediction: The Manitoba BMD Registry.

Trabecular bone score (TBS), a texture measure derived from spine dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) images, is a bone mineral density (BMD)-independent risk factor for fracture. TBS is reportedly insensitive to degenerative changes, and it is uncertain whether the same rules for excluding lumbar vertebral levels from BMD measurement should be applied to TBS. The current analysis was performed to explore inter-vertebral variation in TBS measurements from L1 to L4, how this relates to clinically identified structural artifact resulting in vertebral level exclusion from BMD reporting, and area under the curve (AUC) for incident fracture.

Management of Coronary Artery Disease in CADASIL Patients: Review of Current Literature.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is the most common heritable form of vascular dementia in adults. It is well-established that CADASIL results in neurocognitive dysfunction and mood disturbance. There is also cumulative evidence that CADASIL patients are more susceptible to ischemic heart disease.

Angiographic Features and Clinical Outcomes of Balloon Uncrossable Lesions during Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Balloon uncrossable lesions are defined as lesions that cannot be crossed with a balloon after successful guidewire crossing. We analyzed the association between balloon uncrossable lesions and procedural outcomes of 8671 chronic total occlusions (CTOs) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) performed between 2012 and 2022 at 41 centers. The prevalence of balloon uncrossable lesions was 9.

Biomarkers for Early Detection of Cancer: Molecular Aspects.

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, representing almost 10 million deaths in 2020 [...

Optimal endoscopic localization of colorectal neoplasms: a comparison of rural versus urban documentation practices.

Background: Colonoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosing colorectal neoplasms. However, colonoscopy is often repeated preoperatively due to non-standard documentation and inconsistent practices by index endoscopists. Repeat endoscopies result in treatment delays and can increase risks of complications.

Imaging the delayed complications of childhood Kawasaki disease.

This review will discuss the long-term complications of Kawasaki disease with a particular focus on imaging surveillance of the coronary arteries in adolescence and adult life. The relative advantages and disadvantages of each modality will be illustrated with practical examples, demonstrating that, in many cases, a multimodality imaging strategy may be required.

Air-Frying Is a Better Thermal Processing Choice for Improving Antioxidant Properties of Vegetables.

vegetables have demonstrated many health benefits over the years due to their composition of phenolic, flavonoid, and glucosinolate contents. However, these bioactive molecules can be easily depleted during gastronomic operations. Therefore, a sustainable method that improves their phenolic content and antioxidant activity is required for both the processors and consumers.

Lipidomic Predictors of Coronary No-Reflow.

The ‘no-reflow’ phenomenon (NRP) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a serious complication among acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Herein, a comprehensive lipidomics approach was used to quantify over 300 distinct molecular species in circulating plasma from 126 patients with STEMI before and after primary PCI. Our analysis showed that three lipid classes: phosphatidylcholine (PC), alkylphosphatidylcholine (PC(O)), and sphingomyelin (SM), were significantly elevated (p < 0.

Optimization of Canolol Production from Canola Meal Using Microwave Digestion as a Pre-Treatment Method.

Canola meal, the by-product of canola oil refining, is a rich source of phenolic compounds and protein. The meal, however, is primarily utilized as animal feed but represents an invaluable source of nutraceuticals. Of particular interest are the sinapates, sinapine and sinapic acid, with the decarboxylation of the latter to form canolol.

Thrombin-Mediated Formation of Globular Adiponectin Promotes an Increase in Adipose Tissue Mass.

A decrease in the circulating levels of adiponectin in obesity increases the risk of metabolic complications, but the role of globular adiponectin, a truncated form produced by proteolytic cleavage, has not been defined. The objective of this investigation was to determine how globular adiponectin is generated and to determine whether this process impacts obesity. The cleavage of recombinant full-length adiponectin into globular adiponectin by plasma in vitro was used to identify Gly-93 as the N-terminal residue after proteolytic processing.

Distinct effects of α-linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid on the expression of genes related to cholesterol metabolism and the response to infection in THP-1 monocytes and immune cells of obese humans.

Background: Monocytes play a large role in chronic inflammatory conditions such as obesity, atherosclerosis and infection. Marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) beneficially alter immune function and attenuate chronic inflammation in part by modifying gene expression. Comparisons with plant-derived omega-3 α-linolenic acid (ALA) on immune cell gene expression and function are limited.