Elevated Blood Pressure Occurs without Endothelial Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Pulmonary Emphysema.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory lung disease involving airway closure and parenchyma destruction (emphysema). Cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of morbi-mortality in COPD and, in particular, hypertension and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, no mechanistic link has currently been established between the onset of COPD, elevated blood pressure (BP) and systemic vascular impairment (endothelial dysfunction). Thus, we aimed to characterize BP and vascular function and remodeling in a rat model of exacerbated emphysema focusing on the role of sympathetic hyperactivity. Emphysema was induced in male Wistar rats by four weekly pulmonary instillations of elastase (4UI) and exacerbation by a single dose of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Five weeks following the last instillation, in vivo and ex vivo cardiac and vascular functions were investigated. Exacerbated emphysema induced cardiac dysfunction (HFpEF) and a BP increase in this COPD model. We observed vasomotor changes and hypotrophic remodeling of the aorta without endothelial dysfunction. Indeed, changes in contractile and vasorelaxant properties, though endothelium-dependent, were pro-relaxant and NO-independent. A ß1-receptor antagonist (bisoprolol) prevented HFpEF and vascular adaptations, while the effect on BP increase was partial. Endothelial dysfunction would not trigger hypertension and HFpEF in COPD. Vascular changes appeared as an adaptation to the increased BP. The preventing effect of bisoprolol revealed a pivotal role of sympathetic hyperactivation in BP elevation. The mechanistic link between HFpEF, cardiac sympathetic activation and BP deserves further studies in this exacerbated-emphysema model, as well as in COPD patients.

Natural Extracts Mitigate the Deleterious Effects of Prolonged Intense Physical Exercise on the Cardiovascular and Muscular Systems.

Muscle fatigue is a common symptom induced by exercise. A reversible loss of muscle force is observed with variable rates of recovery depending on the causes or underlying mechanisms. It can not only affect locomotion muscles, but can also affect the heart, in particular after intense prolonged exercise such as marathons and ultra-triathlons. The goal of our study was to explore the effect of four different natural extracts with recognized antioxidant properties on the contractile function of skeletal (locomotion) and cardiac muscles after a prolonged exhausting exercise. Male Wistar rats performed a bout of exhausting exercise on a treadmill for about 2.5 h and were compared to sedentary animals. Some rats received oral treatment of a natural extract (rosemary, buckwheat, Powergrape®, or rapeseed) or the placebo 24 h and 1 h before exercise. Experiments were performed 30 min after the race and after 7 days of recovery. All natural extracts had protective effects both in cardiac and skeletal muscles. The extent of protection was different depending on muscle type and the duration post-exercise (just after and after one-week recovery), including antiarrhythmic effect and anti-diastolic dysfunction for the heart, and faster recovery of contractility for the skeletal muscles. Moreover, the muscular protective effect varied between natural extracts. Our study shows that an acute antioxidant supplementation can protect against acute abnormal endogenous ROS toxicity, induced here by prolonged exhausting exercise.

Diastolic Cardiomyopathy Secondary to Experimentally Induced Exacerbated Emphysema.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a clinical entity of increasing significance. COPD involves abnormalities of the airways and, in emphysema, parenchymal pulmonary destruction. Cardiovascular disease has emerged as a significant comorbidity to COPD. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) appears to be particularly associated with COPD-emphysema. Traditional treatments have shown limited efficacy in improving COPD-associated HFpEF. This lack of therapeutic efficacy highlights the need to identify potential mechanisms that link COPD-emphysema to HFpEF. Therefore, we aimed to study the delayed cardiac physiological impacts in a rat model with acute exacerbated emphysema. Emphysema was induced by four weekly 4 units elastase (ELA) intratracheal pulmonary instillations and exacerbation by one final additional lipolysaccharide (LPS) instillation in male Wistar rats. At 5 weeks after the ELA and LPS exposure, in vivo and ex vivo pulmonary and cardiac measurements were performed. Experimental exacerbated emphysema resulted in decreased pulmonary function and exercise intolerance. Histological analysis revealed parenchymal pulmonary destruction without signs of inflammation or cardiac fibrosis. In vivo cardiac functional analysis revealed diastolic dysfunction and tachycardia. Ex vivo analysis revealed a cellular cardiomyopathy with decreased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, cross-bridge cycling kinetics, and increased adrenergic PKA (protein kinase A)-dependent phosphorylation of troponin-I. Experimental exacerbated emphysema was associated with exercise intolerance that appeared to be secondary to increased ß-adrenergic tone and subsequent cardiac myofilament dysfunction. A ß1-receptor antagonist treatment (bisoprolol) started 24 hours after ELA-LPS instillation prevented in vivo and ex vivo diastolic dysfunction. These results suggest that novel treatment strategies targeted to the cardiac myofilament may be beneficial to combat exacerbated emphysema-associated HFpEF.

Drug-Induced Urinary Stone of Atazanavir Incidentally Found in an Asymptomatic Patient: A Case Report.

A HIV-infected female treated with a combination of emtricitabine/elvitegravir/tenofovir since 2017 presented an acute renal failure during her hospitalization for a SARS-CoV2 pneumonia. A computed tomography demonstrated left ureterohydronephrosis and ureteral stone. Fragments extracted by ureteroscopy showed a calculus composed of atazanavir and calcium oxalate. The patient's medical history showed atazanavir intake during ten years and then discontinued in 2017. This case report emphasizes that drug-induced urolithiasis should be considered when renal function declines, even far from discontinuation of atazanavir and without clinical signs of renal colitis. Moreover, identification of risk factors should alert to the possibility of drug-induced nephrolithiasis.

Biomarkers of Redox Balance Adjusted to Exercise Intensity as a Useful Tool to Identify Patients at Risk of Muscle Disease through Exercise Test.

The screening of skeletal muscle diseases constitutes an unresolved challenge. Currently, exercise tests or plasmatic tests alone have shown limited performance in the screening of subjects with an increased risk of muscle oxidative metabolism impairment. Intensity-adjusted energy substrate levels of lactate (La), pyruvate (Pyr), ß-hydroxybutyrate (BOH) and acetoacetate (AA) during a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) could constitute alternative valid biomarkers to select "at-risk" patients, requiring the gold-standard diagnosis procedure through muscle biopsy. Thus, we aimed to test: (1) the validity of the V'O2-adjusted La, Pyr, BOH and AA during a CPET for the assessment of the muscle oxidative metabolism (exercise and mitochondrial respiration parameters); and (2) the discriminative value of the V'O2-adjusted energy and redox markers, as well as five other V'O2-adjusted TCA cycle-related metabolites, between healthy subjects, subjects with muscle complaints and muscle disease patients. Two hundred and thirty subjects with muscle complaints without diagnosis, nine patients with a diagnosed muscle disease and ten healthy subjects performed a CPET with blood assessments at rest, at the estimated 1st ventilatory threshold and at the maximal intensity. Twelve subjects with muscle complaints presenting a severe alteration of their profile underwent a muscle biopsy. The V'O2-adjusted plasma levels of La, Pyr, BOH and AA, and their respective ratios showed significant correlations with functional and muscle fiber mitochondrial respiration parameters. Differences in exercise V'O2-adjusted La/Pyr, BOH, AA and BOH/AA were observed between healthy subjects, subjects with muscle complaints without diagnosis and muscle disease patients. The energy substrate and redox blood profile of complaining subjects with severe exercise intolerance matched the blood profile of muscle disease patients. Adding five tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates did not improve the discriminative value of the intensity-adjusted energy and redox markers. The V'O2-adjusted La, Pyr, BOH, AA and their respective ratios constitute valid muscle biomarkers that reveal similar blunted adaptations in muscle disease patients and in subjects with muscle complaints and severe exercise intolerance. A targeted metabolomic approach to improve the screening of "at-risk" patients is discussed.

Glycopyrrolate and formoterol fumarate for the treatment of COPD.

INTRODUCTION: Long acting bronchodilators are nowadays the central treatment for management of stable COPD. Several combinations exist within the market with different formulation devices. This article reviews a recent dual combination of glycopyrronium and formoterol fumarate in an innovative pMDI-fixed dual combination, Bevespi® Aerosphere. AREAS COVERED: This article explored the literature to understand the place of this novel combination and unique delivery drug device in today's therapeutic arsenal. Clinical efficacy and safety have been evaluated through the different clinical trials published in public databases. EXPERT OPINION: Within the fixed-dose combinations, Glycopyrrolate and formoterol fumarate offer a credible unique pMDI option to be given twice a day. LABA-LAMA offers an ICS-free alternative in COPD pharmacology which represents an important treatment option given the current debate over whether or not, maintenance triple therapy combined with ICS are benefic in the long term.

Sinapine, but not sinapic acid, counteracts mitochondrial oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes.

INTRODUCTION: When confronted to stress or pathological conditions, the mitochondria overproduce reactive species that participate in the cellular dysfunction. These organelles are however difficult to target with antioxidants. A feature of mitochondria that can be used for this is the negatively charged compartments they form. Most of mitochondrion-targeting antioxidants are therefore cationic synthetic molecules. Our hypothesis is that such mitochondriotropic traits might also exists in natural molecules. AIM: We tested here whether sinapine, a natural phenolic antioxidant-bearing a permanent positive charge, can target mitochondria to modulate mitochondrial oxidative stress. METHODS: Experiments were performed in-vitro, in-cellulo, ex-vivo, and in-vivo, using cardiac tissue. The sinapic acid -lacking the positively-charged-choline-moiety present in sinapine-was used as a control. Sinapine entry into mitochondria was investigated in-vivo and in cardiomyocytes. We used fluorescent probes to detect cytosolic (H2DCFDA) and mitochondrial (DHR123) oxidative stress on cardiomyocytes induced with either hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or antimycin A, respectively. Finally, ROS production was measured with DHE 10 min after ischemia-reperfusion (IR) on isolated heart, treated or not with sinapine, sinapic acid or with a known synthetic mitochondrion-targeted antioxidant (mitoTempo). RESULTS: We detected the presence of sinapine within mitochondria in-vitro, after incubation of isolated cardiomyocytes, and in-vivo, after oral treatment. The presence of sinapic acid was not detected in the mitochondria. Both the sinapine and the sinapic acid limited cytosolic oxidative stress in response to H2O2. Only sinapine was able to blunt oxidative stress resulting from antimycin A-induced mtROS. Both mitoTempo and sinapine improved cardiac functional recovery following IR. This was associated with lower ROS production within the cardiac tissue. CONCLUSION: Sinapine, a natural cationic hydrophilic phenol, commonly and substantially found in rapeseed species, effectively (i) enters within the mitochondria, (ii) selectively decreases the level of mitochondrial oxidative stress and, (iii) efficiently limits ROS production during cardiac ischemia-reperfusion.