BACKGROUND: THE OPTIMAL ANTITHROMBOTIC THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH NONST-SEGMENT ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION UNDERGOING PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION IS NOT WELL DEFINED. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF BIVALIRUDIN VERSUS HEPARIN PLUS A GLYCOPROTEIN IIB/IIIA INHIBITOR (GPI) IN PATIENTS WITH NONST-SEGMENT ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION UNDERGOING PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION AFTER CLOPIDOGREL PRETREATMENT.METHODS ...

AIMS: Isoflurane has been demonstrated to produce late preconditioning against myocardial stunning. We tested the hypothesis that this effect is dependent upon an increased production of nitric oxide. MAIN METHODS: Studies were performed in 18 conscious dogs, chronically instrumented to measure coronary blood flow and myocardial wall thickening (WT). In ...

BACKGROUND: Cellular replacement strategies using embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (ESC-CMs) have been shown to improve left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) and prevent LV remodelling post-myocardial infarction (MI). Nonetheless the immature electrical phenotypes of ESC-CMs may increase the risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VT) and sudden death. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated ...

The goal of this study was to compare the outcomes of patients treated with everolimus-eluting stents (EES) with outcomes of patients treated with first-generation paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) for unprotected left main disease (ULMD). No data exist about the comparison of these 2 types of stents in ULMD. The primary endpoint ...

BACKGROUND: Ganglionated plexi (GP) ablation has been shown to play an important role in atrial fibrillation (AF) initiation and maintenance. Also, GP ablation increases chances for prevention of AF recurrence. This study investigated the effects of GP ablation on ventricular electrophysiological properties in normal dog hearts and after acute myocardial ...

The impact of home monitoring system in the early detection of ventricular arrhythmia and inappropriate shock in daily work is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of home monitoring system on the early detection of ventricular arrhythmia and inappropriate shock in daily clinical practice. ...

We investigated whether the mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with the extent and complexity of coronary artery disease in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We prospectively included 912 STEMI patients (663 male and 249 female; mean age 58.7 ± 12.4 years) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. ...

This study explored whether the transplantation of modified marrow stromal cells (MSCs) has angiogenic effects in a left middle cerebral artery occlusion infarction/reperfusion (MCAO I/R) rat model and preliminarily examined the mechanism of angiogenesis following cerebral infarction. MSCs were isolated by using a direct adherent method and cultured. Vascular endothelial ...

This study evaluated the effects of early treatment with β-adrenergic blocker metoprolol on ventricular remodeling and function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by using high frequency ultrasound. The relationship between the efficacy and the expression level of cardiac myocardial inflammatory cytokine was examined in rats. The rat model of AMI ...

In-stent restenosis (ISR), especially focal ISR, after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains one of the major clinical problems in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era. Several reports have revealed that excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) is useful for ISR; however, detailed findings after ELCA are unknown. Therefore, we investigated the condition ...

In post-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients undergoing drug-eluting stent implantation of either the saphenous vein graft (SVG) versus the native coronary artery supplying the same myocardial perfusion territory, which option confers better clinical outcomes when both lesions are technically feasible? From 2005 to 2008 at a single medical center, ...

Since permanent polymer is implicated in adverse events associated with delayed vessel healing after drug eluting stents (DES) implantation, great efforts have been made to develop more biocompatible DES with biodegradable polymer or without polymer. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of polymer free paclitaxel-eluting stents ...

The JAK2/STAT3 signal pathway is an important component of survivor activating factor enhancement (SAFE) pathway. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway participates in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) postconditioning, protecting isolated rat hearts from ischemic-reperfusion injury. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (230-270 g) were divided into ...

OBJECTIVESHypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a complex and relatively common genetic cardiac disease and has been the subject of intensive scrutiny and investigation for over 40 years. The aim of this non-randomized cohort study was to compare subjective and objective outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients undergoing drug therapy, surgical myotomy-myectomy, dual-chamber pacing ...

Although atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is widely used in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), little is known about its effect on epicardial coronary arteries. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables precise measurement of coronary vasodilation and flow velocity. In this study, we examined the changes in epicardial coronary artery size ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine if salivary biomarkers demonstrate utility for identifying aspects of myocardial necrosis. METHODS: Twenty-one patients undergoing alcohol septal ablation (ASA) for treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy provided serum and unstimulated whole saliva at baseline and incremental time points post-ASA. Samples were analyzed for seven biomarkers related to myocardial damage, ...

BACKGROUND: NOS inhibitors are a potential treatment for patients with cardiogenic shock during acute myocardial infarction. Despite hemodynamic efficacy, their effects on the extent of myocardial infarction (MI) and the no-reflow phenomenon (NRP) have not been clarified. METHODS: Sixteen pigs underwent occlusion of the mid left anterior descending coronary artery ...

Because oxygen plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of myocardial injury during subsequent reperfusion, as well as ischemia, the accurate measurement of myocardial oxygen tension is crucial for the assessment of myocardial viability by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Therefore, we utilized a sol-gel derived electrochemical oxygen microsensor to monitor changes ...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that short duration ventricular fibrillation (SDVF) and long duration ventricular fibrillation (LDVF) are maintained by different mechanisms. The objective of this study is to evaluate how the defibrillation threshold (DFT) varies over the duration of fibrillation since the mechanism of VF maintenance changes as VF ...

Abstract Introduction. Numerous studies suggest that total cholesterol content of erythrocyte membranes (CEM) might play a critical role in atherosclerotic plaque progression and instability. However, the exact role of CEM in atherosclerosis remains obscure. Our study was designed to investigate the association between CEM and the severity of coronary artery ...

The long-term maintenance of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt function depends on the correct placement of the catheter tip in the lateral ventricle. The relationship between the location of the ventricular catheter tip and VP shunt function was analyzed in 52 patients. The location of the ventricular catheter tip was classified into ...

Aim: Inflammation is a critical participant in mediating all stages of cardiovascular disease. Studies related with chitotriosidase that was recently found to be relevant to arterial inflammation. In this study we evaluated activity of serum chitotriosidase in acute coronary syndrome patients and its relationship with cardiovascular events, cardiac enzymes and ...

BACKGROUND: /st>The aim of this randomized and controlled trial was to investigate the effect of a glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) solution on myocardial protection in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients undergoing urgent multivessel off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. METHODS: /st>Sixty-six patients were randomly allocated either to receive 0.3 ml kg(-1) h(-2) ...

Single small subcortical infarction (SSSI), also called lacunar infarction, has been regarded as a different entity with distinct pathogenesis, either lipohyalinosis and fibrinoid degeneration or atherosclerosis. The aim of our study is to identify the heterogeneity of SSSI by comparing the characteristics and imaging features according to lesion location. We ...

BACKGROUND: -Arginine vasopressin (AVP), which promotes the reabsorption of renal water is increased in chronic heart failure. Here, we compared the effects of tolvaptan, a newly developed non-peptide V(2) receptor antagonist, with those of furosemide, a loop diuretic, and a combination of these 2 agents in rats with left ventricular ...

Objectives: In this prospective, randomized trial in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) admitted for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), loaded with 600 mg clopidogrel, we hypothesized that eptifibatide administered downstream of the coronary occlusion leads to a lower degree of microvascular obstruction compared with no additional eptifibatide. Methods: Fifty ...

The objective of this study was to explore the long-term effect of cilostazol-optimized antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). One hundred forty-six patients with ACS who underwent PCI were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups based on clot rate (CR), ...

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of spironolactone on left ventricular (LV) remodeling in patients with preserved LV function following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Successfully revascularized patients (n=186) with acute ST elevation MI (STEMI) were included in the study. Patients were randomly ...

The importance of complete revascularization remains unclear and contradictory. This current investigation compares the effect of complete revascularization on 10-year survival of patients with stable multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) who were randomly assigned to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). This is a post hoc ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) may contribute to the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study, we explored gender disparities in EAT volume (EATV) and its impact on coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: The study population consisted of 90 consecutive subjects (age: 63 +/- 12 ...

Objective We aimed to compare cardioprotection induced by various hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) and ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protocols.Methods Isolated rat hearts were randomly divided into 7 groups (n = 7 per group) and received 3 or 5 cycles of 3-minute ischemia or hypoxia followed by 3-minute reperfusion (IPC33 or HPC33 or ...

Ghrelin has a protective role in rat model of myocardial infarction (MI), but the underlying mechanism is not clear. Here, we investigated the effects of ghrelin treatment on angiogenesis in an experimental rat MI model. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to MI by ligating the anterior descending coronary artery. ...

Abstract Objective: One aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture on cerebral function of patients with acute cerebral infarction. Another goal was to evaluate the relationship between acupuncture treatment and motor recovery patients with stroke and to provide a foundation for using acupuncture therapy for such ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether transmyocardial jet revascularization (TMJR) with chitosan scaffolds retains channel patency and enhances angiogenesis after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a canine model. A total of 32 canines were randomly divided into four groups: myocardial infarction (MI), normal saline (NS), chitosan hydrogel ...

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) are elevated in patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-four patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease (group A) and 90 patients with no coronary plaques (group B) were enrolled. ...

Atherosclerosis presents a serial of highly specific cellular and molecular responses, and could be described as inflammatory diseases. Accordingly, for development of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), structure and vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaque are more important than the extent of stenosis of infarct-related artery. Consequently, inflammation and atherosclerosis and its complications ...

No randomized trial has been conducted to compare different vasodilators for treating no-reflow during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. The prospective, randomized, 2-center trial was designed to compare the effect of 3 different vasodilators on coronary no-reflow. A total of 102 patients with no-reflow ...

OBJECTIVES: Ventricular constraint devices made of polyester and nitinol have been used to treat heart failure patients. Long-term follow-up has not demonstrated significant benefits, probably due to the lack of effects on myocardial tissue and to the risk of diastolic dysfunction. The goal of this experimental study is to improve ...

BACKGROUND: Everolimus-eluting stent (EES) reduces the risk of restenosis in elective percutaneous coronary intervention. However, the use of drug-eluting stent in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is still controversial. Data regarding the performance of second-generation EES in this setting are scarce. We report the 1-year result of the ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether myocardial systolic dysfunction and perfusion impairment occur in diabetic rats, and to assess their relationship using velocity vector imaging (VVI) and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE). Forty-six rats were randomly divided into either control or the diabetes mellitus (DM) groups. DM was ...

OBJECTIVES: Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), a new serum biomarker of myocardial ischemia, has been introduced in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. However, few studies have been carried out in patients with stable coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CHD). We aimed to evaluate the value of IMA in the diagnosis of stable ...

OBJECTIVE: Patients referred for implantable continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (cfLVAD) frequently have preoperative right heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation (TR). The objective of this report is to examine early clinical benefits of concomitant tricuspid surgery for these patients. METHODS: Sixty-one of 200 consecutive cfLVAD patients at our institution displayed ...

AIMS: To explore the expression of matrix metalloproteinase and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase of atrial myocardial structure of rheumatic and coronary heart disease. METHODS: Fifty patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) undergoing artificial mitral valve replacement surgery were selected: 20 with sinus rhythm and 30 with atrial fibrillation. Another 40 ...

In current international guidelines, intraaortic balloon counterpulsation is considered to be a class I treatment for cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction. However, evidence is based mainly on registry data, and there is a paucity of randomized clinical trials. In this randomized, prospective, open-label, multicenter trial, we randomly assigned 600 ...

The effect of intensified platelet inhibition for patients with unstable angina or myocardial infarction without ST-segment elevation who do not undergo revascularization has not been delineated. In this double-blind, randomized trial, in a primary analysis involving 7243 patients under the age of 75 years receiving aspirin, we evaluated up to ...

BACKGROUND: Ventricle retraining with abrupt systolic overload can cause myocardial edema and necrosis, followed by late ventricular failure. Intermittent systolic overload could minimize the inadequacy of conventional pulmonary artery banding. The present study compared ventricle function under dobutamine stress in 2 protocols of systolic overload in young goats. METHODS: Nineteen ...

Assessment of Ventricular Electrophysiological Characteristics.  Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of ventricular electrophysiology following stellate ganglion block (SGB) at periinfarct zone in rabbits with myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and Results: Sixty-four rabbits were randomly assigned to 2 groups: MI (n = 32), ligation of ...

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is released from ventricular myocites due to their stretching and volume overload. In heart failure there is BNP release. Aim of this study was to observe BNP release in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We measured BNP in 75 patients with AMI. Control group (n=61) was similar ...

To investigate whether the elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is associated with an adverse prognosis in the patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It included 140 consecutive patients undergoing primary PCI for acute STEMI, 12 hours after symptom beginning and 50 healthy age ...

Objective To investigate the prognostic value of ultra-sensitive pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) level in the early phase of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) attack. Methods Patients diagnosed as ACS were enrolled and the level of circulatory PAPP-A was measured within 12 hours after ACS attack. The patients were followed at ...