α7 nicotinic receptors play a role in regulation of cardiac hemodynamics.

The α7 nicotinic receptors (NR) have been confirmed in the heart but their role in cardiac functions has been contradictory. To address these contradictory findings, we analyzed cardiac functions in α7 NR knockout mice (α7-/-) in vivo and ex vivo in isolated hearts. A standard limb leads electrocardiogram was used, and the pressure curves were recorded in vivo, in Arteria carotis and in the left ventricle, or ex vivo, in the left ventricle of the spontaneously beating isolated hearts perfused following Langedorff's method. Experiments were performed under basic conditions, hypercholinergic conditions, and adrenergic stress. The relative expression levels of α and ß NR subunits, muscarinic receptors, ß1 adrenergic receptors, and acetylcholine life cycle markers were determined using RT-qPCR. Our results revealed a prolonged QT interval in α7-/- mice. All in vivo hemodynamic parameters were preserved under all studied conditions. The only difference in ex vivo heart rate between genotypes was the loss of bradycardia in prolonged incubation of isoproterenol-pretreated hearts with high doses of acetylcholine. In contrast, left ventricular systolic pressure was lower under basal conditions and showed a significantly higher increase during adrenergic stimulation. No changes in mRNA expression were observed. In conclusion, α7 NR has no major effect on heart rate, except when stressed hearts are exposed to a prolonged hypercholinergic state, suggesting a role in acetylcholine spillover control. In the absence of extracardiac regulatory mechanisms, left ventricular systolic impairment is revealed.

Rapid changes of mRNA expressions of cardiac ion channels affected by Torsadogenic drugs influence susceptibility of rat hearts to arrhythmias induced by Beta-Adrenergic stimulation.

Drug-induced long QT syndrome (LQTS) and Torsades de Pointes (TdP) are serious concerns in drug development. Although rats are a useful scientific tool, their hearts, unlike larger species, usually do not respond to torsadogenic drugs. Consequently, their resistance to drug-induced arrhythmias is poorly understood. Here, we challenged rats with rapid delayed rectifier current (Ikr)-inhibiting antibiotic clarithromycin (CLA), loop diuretic furosemide (FUR) or their combination (CLA + FUR), and examined functional and molecular abnormalities after stimulation with isoproterenol. Clarithromycin and furosemide were administered orally at 12-h intervals for 7 days. To evaluate electrical instability, electrocardiography (ECG) was recorded either in vivo or ex vivo using the Langendorff-perfused heart method under basal conditions and subsequently under beta-adrenergic stimulation. Gene expression was measured using real-time quantitative PCR in left ventricular tissue. Indeed, FUR and CLA + FUR rats exhibited hypokalemia. CLA and CLA + FUR treatment resulted in drug-induced LQTS and even an episode of TdP in one CLA + FUR rat. The combined treatment dysregulated gene expression of several ion channels subunits, including KCNQ1, calcium channels and Na+/K + -ATPase subunits, while both monotherapies had no impact. The rat with recorded TdP exhibited differences in the expression of ion channel genes compared to the rest of rats within the CLA + FUR group. The ECG changes were not detected in isolated perfused hearts. Hence, we report rapid orchestration of ion channel reprogramming of hearts with QT prolongation induced by simultaneous administration of clarithromycin and furosemide in rats, which may account for their ability to avoid arrhythmias triggered by beta-adrenergic stimulation.

Morphological and functional characteristics of models of experimental myocardial injury induced by isoproterenol.

The animal models of myocardial injury induced by systemic ß-adrenergic receptor agonist administration represent an experimental approach of persisting interest. These models were found useful especially for studies of structural and functional adaptation of myocardium during the progression of cardiac adaptive response towards maladaptive hypertrophy and insufficiency. The pathological alterations induced by isoproterenol (ISO) do not develop evenly. The ISO models may contribute effectively to understanding of pathologies in signal transduction, energetics, excitability and contractility that may contribute concomitantly to cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. In this minireview we focused on the alterations in general characteristics and heart function as well as on the morphological changes of cardiomyocytes developed during ISO administration. The morphological alterations within the cellular macro- and microdomains correspond to the electrical remodelling and contractile dysfunction of ventricular myocardium that could be used to identify pathological changes ranging from hypertrophy to failing heart.

Olanzapine-mediated cardiotoxicity is associated with altered energy metabolism in isolated rat hearts.

Olanzapine is an antipsychotic drug routinely used for the treatment of schizophrenia. Although the olanzapine treatment is associated with disturbed electrical heart activity, the exact mechanism underlying this severe adverse effect remains unclear. Recently, olanzapine administration was demonstrated to be associated with elevation of blood glucose and lower levels of free fatty acids. Therefore, we investigated the effect of acute olanzapine administration on pathways regulating the cardiac energy metabolism in an isolated heart. Electrical activity and contractile parameters were recorded in isolated, spontaneously beating, adult male rat hearts, perfused with either olanzapine (100 nmol/l) or the vehicle for 10 min. Regulation of key signalling molecules was evaluated by immunoblotting and ATP levels were measured spectrophotometrically. Olanzapine prolonged the QTc intervals and induced a higher number of premature ventricular beats. Furthermore, olanzapine significantly decreased the coronary flow, the rate-pressure product and the contractility (+dP/dt and -dP/dt). These changes were associated with an increased acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphorylation and tissue ATP levels. We also found a trend for lower phosphorylation levels of Akt and its downstream products AS160, a key regulator of GLUT4 trafficking and glycogen synthase kinase­3ß in olanzapine­treated hearts when compared to vehicle-treated controls. These data should contribute to the elucidation of mechanisms that underlie the adverse cardiac effects of olanzapine.

Structural variability of dyads relates to calcium release in rat ventricular myocytes.

Cardiac excitation-contraction coupling relies on dyads, the intracellular calcium synapses of cardiac myocytes, where the plasma membrane contacts sarcoplasmic reticulum and where electrical excitation triggers calcium release. The morphology of dyads and dynamics of local calcium release vary substantially. To better understand the correspondence between the structure and the functionality of dyads, we estimated incidences of structurally different dyads and of kinetically different calcium release sites and tested their responsiveness to experimental myocardial injury in left ventricular myocytes of rats. According to the structure of dyads estimated in random electron microscopic images of myocardial tissue, the dyads were sorted into 'compact' or 'loose' types. The calcium release fluxes, triggered at local calcium release sites in patch-clamped ventricular myocytes and recorded by laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy, were decomposed into 'early' and 'late' components. ANOVA tests revealed very high correlation between the relative amplitudes of early and late calcium release flux components and the relative occurrences of compact and loose dyads in the control and in the injured myocardium. This finding ascertained the relationship between the structure of dyads and the functionality of calcium release sites and the responsiveness of calcium release sites to physical load in cardiac myocytes.

Myocardial remodelling induced by repeated low doses of isoproterenol.

In the present work, the effect of isoproterenol on the electrical properties of the rat heart and on the cytoarchitecture of the surviving cardiomyocytes was studied. Myocardial remodelling was induced by the daily administration of 5 mg/kg isoproterenol (Iso) for 7 days. Administration resulted in a significant increase (52%) in the ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight. ECG voltage criteria confirmed the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy. QT interval prolongation by 23% and 58% was found in Iso rats and in the corresponding isolated hearts, respectively. Spontaneously beating Iso hearts had a higher incidence of dysrhythmias. The surviving cardiomyocytes showed an irregular shape with cytoplasmic processes rich in ribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum. In these regions, myofibril disorganization and mitochondrial fission were observed. A greatly increased incidence of caveolae was seen in the plasma membrane and in the mouth of t-tubules. The membranes of t-tubules showed vesiculation, especially near the dyads. Repeated administration of isoproterenol led to hypertrophy, characterized by the existence of myocytes with simultaneous signs of both mature and postnatally developing cardiomyocytes. Structural microheterogeneities at the level of individual cells may represent one of the factors leading to electrical imbalance in the myocardial tissue remodelled by isoproterenol.

The effect of venlafaxine on blood pressure and ECG in rats fed with high-fat-fructose diet.

Metabolic syndrome represents one of the major health, social and economic issues nowadays, and affects more than 25% people worldwide. Being a multifactorial health problem, metabolic syndrome clusters various features, such as obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and hypertension. Each of these disturbances represents a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. Moreover, patients with metabolic syndrome are more likely to suffer from depression, thus treatment with antidepressants (e.g. venlafaxine) is often neccessary. However, many of the antidepressants themselves may contribute to worsening or even development of the metabolic syndrome, thus creating a "vicious circle". The aim of this work was to investigate on the animal model of metabolic syndrome, i.e. on hypertriacylglycerolemic rats fed high-fat-fructose diet (HFFD): 1) the effect of a change in diet from HFFD to a standard diet (SD) and the effect of venlafaxine treatment, 2) during HFFD, 3) as well as during a changed diet to SD. We focused on biometric parameters, blood pressure and selected ECG parameters. We observed the reversibility of the present metabolic and cardiovascular changes by switching the HFFD to SD in the last 3 weeks of the experiment. Switch to the standard diet led to decrease of body weight, even in the presence of venlafaxine. Administration of venlafaxine caused the decrease of heart weight/body weight index in rats fed with HFFD compared to the untreated group fed with HFFD for 8 weeks. Blood pressure, which was increased in the HFFD group showed a tendency to decrease to control values after switching to the standard diet . Administration of venlafaxine led to significant increase in all parameters of blood pressure when rats were fed with HFFD throughout the whole experiment. In untreated rats fed with HFFD for 8 weeks, we observed a shorter PQ interval and prolonged QRS complex as well as QTc interval compared to untreated rats with diet switched to SD. This effect was potentiated by venlafaxine administered not only during HFFD but even after switch to SD. Our results point to the fact that metabolic syndrome is clearly affecting the function of the cardiovascular system by modifying blood pressure and electrical activity of the heart. Moreover, administration of venlafaxine may lead to worsening of the observed changes, especially in the presence of high-fat-fructose diet.

Prolonged QT interval is associated with blood pressure rather than left ventricular mass in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

QT interval is prolonged in hypertensive individuals, although the factors responsible for this increase are not completely understood. We questioned whether enhanced left ventricular mass (LVM) or increased systemic blood pressure represents the principal factor determining QT prolongation in the period of development of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In 12-and 20-week-old SHR (SHR12 and SHR20) and age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY12 and WKY20), arterial systolic blood pressure (sBP) was measured using tail-cuff technique. Orthogonal Frank ECG was registered in anaesthetized animals in vivo, and bipolar ECG was measured in spontaneously beating isolated hearts in vitro. Progressive increase of sBP and LVM resulted in significant QT prolongation in SHR20 as compared to WKY12, WKY20, and also to SHR12 in vivo (WKY12: 82 +/- 9 ms, WKY20: 81 +/- 9 ms, SHR12: 88 +/- 15 and SHR20: 100 +/- 10, respectively; p < 0.05) but not in isolated hearts (WKY20: 196 +/- 39 ms and SHR20: 220 +/- 55, respectively; NS). In whole animals, QT duration was positively related to sBP (r = 0.6842; p < 0.001) but not to LVM (r = 0.1632, NS) in SHR20. The results suggest that QT prolongation in SHR developing hypertension and LVH depends on blood pressure rather than increase in LVM. In this period, myocardial hypertrophy is probably the predisposition for QT prolongation, but the significant change manifests only in the presence of elevated systemic factors.

Pharmacological Evaluation of the Effects of Phenylcarbamic Acid Derivatives on Cardiovascular Functions in Rats.

Four phenylcarbamic acid derivatives, (1-(4-fluorophenyl)- 4-[3-(4-methoxyphenylcarbamoyloxy)-2-hydroxypropyl]piperazinium chloride (1), (1-(2-methylphenyl)-4-[3-(4-methoxyphenylcarbamoyloxy)- 2-hydroxypropyl]piperazinium chloride) (2), (1-(2-methylphenyl)-4-[3-(4-ethoxyphenylcarbamoyloxy)- 2-hydroxypropyl]piperazinium chloride) (3) and (1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-4-[3-(4-methoxyphenylcarbamoyloxy)- 2-hydroxypropyl]piperazinium chloride) (4) were investigated for their ability to affect various cardiovascular functions and to establish their chemical structure-biological activity relationship. The compounds were evaluated for their antiarrhythmic efficacy using ouabain-induced rhythm disturbances and the ability to inhibit the positive chronotropic effect of isoproterenol in isolated atria of Wistar rats. Electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters in isolated hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) perfused according to the Langendorff method and ability to decrease phenylephrine- -induced contraction of the aortic strips after repeated administration of the compounds were also analyzed. Only compound 3 delayed significantly the evaluated parameter of arrhythmogenicity and was able to antagonize the isoproterenol- induced positive chronotropic effect in normotensive rats' atria. Similarly, in SHR rats, only compound 3 was able to decrease heart frequency significantly without influencing the duration of QT (time between the start of the Q wave and the end of the T wave) and QTc (frequency corrected QT) intervals. The evaluated endothelial function was improved after administration of compound 2. Fluorine-containing structures (1 and 4) were less effective compared to 2´-methylphenylpiperazine derivatives (2 and 3). The latter two compounds showed suitable efficacy, which supported their use for futher pharmacological research.

High-dose vs. Low-dose Proton Pump Inhibitors post-endoscopic hemostasis in patients with bleeding peptic ulcer. A meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Present meta-analysis aims to evaluate studies of low- versus high-dose proton pump Inhibitors (PPI) post-endoscopic hemostasis, including the newly published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to conclude whether low-dose PPI can generate the comparable results as high-dose PPI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To identify suitable trials, the electronic databases PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, and the Embase were used. All RCTs concerning low- versus high-dose PPI administration post-endoscopic hemostasis published until December 2016 were identified. Primary outcomes were rebleeding rates, need for surgical intervention, and mortality. RESULTS: Studies included a total of 1.651 participants. There were significantly less cases of rebleeding in the low-dose PPI treatment arm (p=0.003). All but one study provided data concerning need for Surgical Intervention and Mortality. The respective effect sizes were [odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.35, 0.72-2.53] and [OR, 95% CI: 1.20, 0.70-2.05]. Both treatment arms were comparable considering the aforementioned outcomes (p=0.35 and p=0.51, respectively). Meta-regression analysis likewise unveiled comparable outcomes between studies using pantoprazole versus lansoprazole concerning all three outcomes [rebleeding (p=0.944), surgical intervention (p=0.884), and mortality (p=0.961)]. CONCLUSION: A low-dose PPI treatment is equally effective as a high-dose PPI treatment following endoscopic arresting of bleeding. However, we anticipate the completion of more high-quality RCTs that will embrace distinct ethnicities, standardized endoscopic diagnosis and management, double-blind strategies, and appraisal of results working specific standards over clear-cut follow-up periods.

Monotherapy of experimental metabolic syndrome: II. Study of cardiovascular effects.

Metabolic syndrome belongs to the most important risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in cardiovascular system induced by high cholesterol and high fat diet (HCHF) in HTG rats and their influence by a pyridoindole antioxidant - SMe1EC2 (S). The effects of S were compared with those of atorvastatin (A). Male HTG rats were fed HCHF (1% cholesterol + 7.5% lard) for 4 weeks. S and A were administered p.o., 50 mg/kg b.w. Following experimental groups were used: Wistar rats (W), hypertriglyceridemic rats (HTG), HTG rats fed HCHF (CHOL), HTG+S (S-HTG), CHOL+S (S-CHOL), and CHOL+A (A-CHOL). Values of blood pressure (BP) and selected ECG parameters were monitored in conscious animals, functions of the isolated heart and aorta were analyzed ex vivo. At the end of the experiment, systolic (sBP) and diastolic (dBP) blood pressure was increased in HTG and CHOL. S and A decreased BP in all treated groups. Accordingly with BP changes, the aortic endothelial function of CHOL was damaged. Both S and A administration ameliorated the endothelium-dependent relaxation to values of W. PQ and QTc intervals were prolonged in CHOL, while the treatment with S or A improved ECG findings. Prodysrhythmogenic threshold was decreased significantly in CHOL and both treatments returned it to the control values. In conclusion, HCHF increased BP, impaired endothelial relaxation of the aorta and potentiated susceptibility of myocardium to dysrhythmias. The effect of S on the changes induced by HCHF diet was more pronounced than that of A.

Pycnogenol® and its fractions influence the function of isolated heart in rats with experimental diabetes mellitus.

The aim of this study was to test the effect of Pycnogenol(®) (PYC) mixture and its three fractions (buthanolic, water, ethyl acetate) on heart function in rats with experimental diabetes mellitus (DM) and compare their effects to the diabetic group. Their antioxidant activity "in vitro" was also determined. DM rats (streptozotocin over 3 consecutive days at a dose of 25 mg/kg of body weight) had increased systolic blood pressure, thicker left ventriculi wall (LV) and weaker myocardial contraction, prolonged QT interval in comparison to controls rats. In comparison to the diabetic group, PYC (20 mg/kg b.w./day) suppressed the influence of DM on the LV, improved contraction, increased coronary flow and displayed negative effect on electrical activity of hearts. The most effective of PYC's fractions was the water fraction. It improved biometric parameters and hemodynamic function of the DM hearts, enhanced shortening the QT interval, reduced the amount of dysrhythmias of the DM hearts and had the strongest antioxidant activity. In conclusion, DM damaged isolated rat heart function. Only the water fraction improved the function of the diabetic heart. The different results of three fractions and PYC on myocardial function may be caused by a various lipo- and hydro-philic action of the PYC components.