987 results match your criteria: "National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute.[Affiliation]"

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) benefits patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) but can increase left ventricular afterload and exacerbate pulmonary edema. Adding a percutaneous left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to VA-ECMO can optimize the hemodynamics. Because managing VA-ECMO and LVAD simultaneously is complex and labor-intensive, we developed a closed-loop automated control system for VA-ECMO and LVAD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rhythmic forces shaping the zebrafish cardiac system.

Trends Cell Biol

December 2024

Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK. Electronic address:

The structural development of the heart depends heavily on mechanical forces, and rhythmic contractions generate essential physical stimuli during morphogenesis. Cardiac cells play a critical role in coordinating this process by sensing and responding to these mechanical forces. In vivo, cells experience rhythmic spatial and temporal variations in deformation-related stresses throughout heart development.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Adipogenesis of bioabsorbable implants under irradiation in a rodent model.

Regen Ther

June 2024

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Partial mastectomy is an alternative to mastectomy in early-stage breast cancer to restore a poor quality of life (QOL). However, the aesthetic satisfaction with this procedure is inadequate.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a serious condition that affects large blood vessels, leading to issues like blockages and aneurysms; it's primarily treated with glucocorticoids, but new biological drugs like tocilizumab are proving effective.
  • - Patients on tocilizumab may face higher surgical complications, such as infection or delayed healing, and typically do not show increased inflammatory markers during infections, making management challenging.
  • - There is a lack of guidelines for the best perioperative care for TAK patients needing cardiovascular surgery, but this article proposes a protocol based on recent evidence to help reduce complications in these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

BMP3b regulates bone mass by inhibiting BMP signaling.

Bone

January 2025

Division of Molecular Signaling and Biochemistry, Department of Health Improvement, Kyushu Dental University, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 803-8580, Japan. Electronic address:

Bone morphogenetic protein 3b (BMP3b), also known as growth differentiation factor 10 (GDF10), is a non-osteogenic BMP highly expressed in the skeleton. Although in vitro studies have shown that BMP3b suppresses osteoblast differentiation, the physiological role of BMP3b in regulating bone mass in vivo remains unknown. Here, we show that BMP3b deletion in mice leads to a high bone mass phenotype via an unexpected novel mechanism involving de-repression of canonical BMP/Smad signaling.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays an important role in energy metabolism because it uses fatty acids for thermogenesis during cold exposure. Preclinical studies found that boysenberry anthocyanins (BoyACs) activate BAT. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate how BoyAC intake affects BAT in humans.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - In 1935, Shiro Akabori focused on purifying taka-amylase A for chemical analysis, aiming to understand its enzyme properties.
  • - He developed an efficient method to crystallize taka-amylase A from the fungus Aspergillus oryzae, leading to extensive studies on its amino acid make-up, sugar chain structure, and 3D configuration.
  • - Akabori's research unveiled the molecular structure and catalytic process of taka-amylase A, making it the first amylase worldwide with both chemical and crystallographic structures clearly defined, thus boosting Japan's protein research capabilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cells functioning at a specific zone by clustering according to gene expression are recognized as zonated cells. Here, we demonstrate anatomical and functional zones in the zebrafish heart. The cardiomyocytes (CMs) at the atrioventricular canal between the atrium and ventricle could be grouped into three zones according to the localization of signal-activated CMs: Wnt/β-catenin signal, Bmp signal, and Tbx2b zones.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Characterization of long-term interleukin-33 administration as an animal model of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun

November 2024

Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan. Electronic address:

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by the severe obstruction of the small pulmonary arteries and concomitant high pulmonary arterial pressure, resulting in progressive right ventricular failure. Previously, we demonstrated that long-term interleukin (IL)-33 administration in mice induces severe occlusive medial hypertrophy of pulmonary arteries (PA) in the lungs, which is mediated by group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s). In response to IL-33, ILC2s accumulate around the blood vessels and produce IL-5, leading to perivascular eosinophil recruitment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study focused on understanding the clinical features and treatment outcomes of Japanese patients newly diagnosed with Takayasu arteritis (TAK) during the initial two years of their treatment.
  • A total of 129 patients were analyzed, with a majority being women, and common clinical symptoms related to large-vessel lesions, particularly in areas like the carotid and subclavian arteries.
  • The results highlighted that 82.9% of patients achieved clinical remission at 24 weeks, but only 39.5% maintained it at 52 weeks, with large-vessel symptoms linked to poorer outcomes for sustained remission.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The process underlying Fontan pathophysiology is multifactorial and may include gut dysbiosis (GD). We investigated the presence of GD and elucidated its correlation with Fontan pathophysiology.

Methods And Results: Gut microbiomes of 155 consecutive patients with Fontan pathophysiology and 44 healthy individuals were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing of bacterial DNA extracted from fecal samples.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate a novel technique for cell tracking by visualising the activity of the human sodium/iodide symporter (hNIS) after transplantation of hNIS-expressing multilayered cell sheets in a rat model of chronic myocardial infarction.

Methods: Triple-layered cell sheets were generated from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from mice overexpressing hNIS (hNIS-Tg). Myocardial infarction was induced by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in F344 athymic rats, and a triple-layered MEFs sheets were transplanted to the infarcted area two weeks after surgery.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH, previously termed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)), is a major complication of obesity that promotes fatty liver disease. MASH is characterized by progressive tissue fibrosis and sterile liver inflammation that can lead to liver cirrhosis, cancer, and death. The molecular mechanisms of fibrosis in MASH and its systemic control remain poorly understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bilateral communication between bones and muscles is essential for healing composite bone-muscle injuries from orthopedic surgeries and trauma. However, these injuries are often characterized by exaggerated inflammation, which can disrupt bone-muscle crosstalk, thereby seriously delaying the healing of either tissue. Existing approaches are largely effective at healing single tissues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Endothelial cells (ECs) are highly plastic, capable of differentiating into various cell types. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is crucial during embryonic development and contributes substantially to vascular dysfunction in many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). While targeting EndMT holds therapeutic promise, understanding its mechanisms and modulating its pathways remain challenging.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: This study aimed to understand the status quo of medical treatments of the primary disease and pregnancy outcomes in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and children's birth outcomes.

Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled patients with TAK who conceived after the disease onset and were managed at medical facilities participating in the Japan Research Committee of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare for Intractable Vasculitis.

Results: This study enrolled 51 cases and 68 pregnancies 2019-2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, MA, USA) is a percutaneous ventricular assist device commonly used in cardiogenic shock, providing robust hemodynamic support, improving the systemic circulation, and relieving pulmonary congestion. Maintaining adequate left ventricular (LV) filling is essential for optimal hemodynamic support by Impella. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and right ventricular (RV) function on Impella-supported hemodynamics in severe biventricular failure using cardiovascular simulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Ring finger protein 213 is linked to moyamoya disease and other vascular issues, prompting research into its role in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).
  • Among 112 CTEPH patients studied, 8 (7.1%) carried a heterozygous variant, while a significant 50% of the 10 patients with peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis (PPS) had a homozygous variant.
  • Clinical characteristics of heterozygous variant carriers with CTEPH were similar to noncarriers, but both groups exhibited tortuous blood vessels, contrasting with unique patterns observed in homozygous carriers with PPS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The atherogenic characteristics of heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) increase the risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease including not only coronary artery disease but ischemic stroke. Asymptomatic intracranial artery stenosis/occlusion (IASO) is a major cause of ischemic stroke, but it has not yet been fully characterized in patients with HeFH.

Methods And Results: This study analyzed 147 clinically diagnosed subjects with HeFH who underwent magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance angiography imaging for evaluation of IASO (≥50% diameter stenosis).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is beneficial for patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD) with pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, the clinical benefit of BPA for the patients with CTEPD without PH remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and long-term outcomes of BPA in patients with CTEPD without PH.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Circulating profile of the appetite-regulating hormone ghrelin during moult-fast and chick provisioning in southern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome).

Horm Behav

August 2024

Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1A, 1160 Vienna, Austria; Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria. Electronic address:

A multitude of animal species undergo prolonged fasting events at regularly occurring life history stages. During such periods of food deprivation, individuals need to suppress their appetite. The satiety signalling gut hormone ghrelin has received much attention in this context in studies looking at mammalian systems.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neuromedin U (NMU) activates two types of receptors (NMUR1 and NMUR2), and the former is mainly expressed in the peripheral tissues, including the intestinal tract and lung tissues. Since NMUR1 contributes to the promotion of type 2 inflammation in these tissues, it is a potential target to suppress inflammatory responses. However, promising antagonist candidates for human NMUR1 have not yet been developed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Clinical outcomes of upfront combination therapy for portopulmonary hypertension.

Int J Cardiol Cardiovasc Risk Prev

September 2024

Division of Pulmonary Circulation, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Japan.

Background: Limited data exists on upfront combination therapy for portopulmonary hypertension. We evaluated the clinical efficacy, long-term outcomes, and safety of upfront combination therapy in patients with portopulmonary hypertension.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, single-center cohort study involving a final analysis of 33 consecutive patients diagnosed with portopulmonary hypertension who were taking pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific medication.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF