Arterial Elastance

BACKGROUND: Postprandial metabolic impairments in diabetes have been shown to play an important role in vascular complications. Dietary polyphenols and other bioactive compounds in berries have been shown to improve postprandial hyperglycemia and related metabolic impairments, but few clinical studies have been reported in diabetes. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of daily dietary raspberries on postprandial and 4-week fasting glucose, lipids and biomarkers of inflammation in obese adults with type 2 diabetes...

BACKGROUND: Crystalloids are first line in fluid resuscitation therapy, however there is a lack of evidence-based recommendations on the volume to be administered. Therefore, we aimed at comparing the systemic hemodynamic and respiratory effects of volume replacement therapy with a 1:1 ratio to the historical 1:3 ratio. METHODS: Anesthetized, ventilated rats randomly included in 3 groups: blood withdrawal and replacement with crystalloid in 1:1 ratio (Group 1, n = 11), traditional 1:3 ratio (Group 3, n = 12) and a control group with no interventions (Group C, n = 9)...

Aims: To characterize heart failure (HF) with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF), combining cardiopulmonary exercise test, and exercise stress echocardiography. Methods and results: We studied 169 consecutive subjects (age 62.3 ± 11 years; 74% male): 30 healthy controls, 45 patients with HF and preserved EF (HFpEF), 40 HFmrEF, and 54 with HF and reduced EF (HFrEF). Left ventricular (LV) stroke volume (SV), EF, elastance, global longitudinal strain, E/E', oxygen consumption (VO2), and arterial-venous oxygen content difference (AVO2diff) were measured in all exercise stages...

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may have considerable cardiovascular risk. Physical activity has a paramount role in COPD treatment. Our aim was to evaluate the applicability of arteriograph in COPD and measure the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation on endothelial function. Methods: A total of 40 patients with COPD (FEV1 : 45.43±20.20%pred, BMI: 27.99±6.98 kg/m2 , male: female was 21:19, age: 65.47±7.39 years) participated in a 4-week rehabilitation program...

BACKGROUND: The Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference and Waist by Hip ratio have linear relation with increase in blood pressure. This study will correlate blood pressure with these anthropometric measures in normal subjects to find out the subtle increase in which of these measure would linearly increase blood pressure. The aim is to find the better anthropometric measure to relate with blood pressure changes. METHODS: One hundred and seventy five healthy medical students were enrolled for the study in Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara after getting ethical clearance...

Objective: To investigate the application of high frequency color Doppler ultrasound (HFCDU) combined with wide-field imaging in the preoperative navigation of anterolateral thigh perforator flap graft. Methods: Between January 2017 and March 2018, 28 patients with skin and soft tissue defects were treated, including 22 males and 6 females, with an average age of 33.5 years (range, 17-66 years). The causes of injury included 2 cases of scald scar, 7 cases of heavy object crushing injury, 12 cases of traffic accident injury, 4 cases of fall injury, 2 cases of machine injury, and 1 case of infection ulcer...

Objective: To explore the osteogenesis effect of advanced-platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) composite. Methods: Thirty-two healthy female New Zealand rabbits were randomly selected. A-PRF was prepared by collecting blood from middle auricular artery. Rabbits were randomly divided into 6 groups: groups A, B, C, D, and E (6 rabbits in each group) and group F (2 rabbits). Bone defects (6 mm in diameter, 8 mm in depth) were drilled into femur condyle of each rabbit's both back legs...

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists about the pathophysiology of different hemodynamic subgroups of AS. In particular, the mechanism of the paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient (PLFLG) AS with preserved ejection fraction (EF) is unclear. METHODS: A total of 41 patients with severe, symptomatic AS were divided into the following 4 subgroups based on the echocardiographically determined hemodynamics: (1) normal-flow, high-gradient (NFHG) AS; (2) low-flow, high-gradient AS; (3) paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient (PLFLG) AS with preserved EF and (4) low-flow, low-gradient (LFLG) AS with reduced EF...

Introduction: Thin-cap fibro atheroma (TCFA), unstable lesions in coronary artery disease (CAD), that prones to rupture resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, their small size and complex morphological/biological features make early detection and risk assessment difficult. To overcome this limitation, we tested our newly developed catheter-based Circumferential-Intravascular-Radioluminescence-Photoacoustic-Imaging (CIRPI) system in vivo rabbit abdominal aorta to detect and characterize TCFA...

Arterial walls can be regarded as composite materials consisting of collagen fibers embedded in an elastic matrix and smooth muscle cells. Remodeling of the structural proteins has been shown to play a significant role in the mechanical behavior of walls during pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). In this study, we systematically studied the change in the microstructure, histology and mechanics to link them to AAA disease progression. We performed biaxial extension tests, second-harmonic generation imaging and histology on 15 samples from the anterior part of AAA walls harvested during open aneurysm surgery...

Progressive dilatation of the pulmonary autograft is one of the greatest concerns after the Ross procedure. Increased stress in the arterial wall may cause changes in the elastic properties of the pulmonary autograft, and thus lead to pathological dilatation. The present study aimed to investigate the changes in the autograft diameter and stiffness during follow-up after the Ross procedure. A total of ten patients underwent the Ross procedure at our institution between 2003 and 2011. Echocardiography was used to measure the diameters of the pulmonary autograft at the level of the annulus, sinus of Valsalva, and sinotubular junction...

Neurofibromatosis type 1, also called von Recklinghausen's disease, is a hereditary congenital disorder that affects tissues of neuroectodermal or mesodermal origin. This disease has various manifestations, including pigmented skin lesions, cutaneous neurofibromas, skeletal abnormalities, and tumors of the central/peripheral nervous and gastrointestinal systems, and vascular abnormalities. Because of vasculopathy, part of the vessel wall may be replaced by neurofibromatosis tissue. Involvement of the internal thoracic artery is, however, extremely rare...

KEY POINTS SUMMARY: Age-related arterial dysfunction, characterized by oxidative stress- and inflammation-mediated endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffening, is the primary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). To investigate whether age-related changes in the gut microbiome may mediate arterial dysfunction, we suppressed gut microbiota in young and old mice with a cocktail of broad-spectrum, poorly-absorbed antibiotics in drinking water for 3-4 weeks. In old mice, antibiotic treatment reversed endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffening and attenuated vascular oxidative stress and inflammation...

AIM: To study the effectiveness of a fixed combination of perindopril and amlodipine, with the subsequent addition of indapamide-retard in male patients with arterial hypertension (AH), obesity and severe sleep apnea (OSAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 43 male patients in whom antihypertensive therapy titration was performed to achieve target blood pressure values with a fixed combination of calcium antagonist amlodipine (10 mg) and an angiotensin-converting inhibitor perindopril (5-10 mg) and indapamide-retard...

INTRODUCTION: 18F-Sodium Fluoride Positron Emission Tomography (18F-NaF PET) is a novel molecular imaging modality with promise for use as a risk stratification tool in cardiovascular disease. There are limitations in the analysis of small and rapidly moving coronary arteries using traditional PET technology. We aimed to validate the use of a motion correction algorithm (eMoco) on coronary 18F-NaF PET outcome parameters. METHODS: Patients admitted with an acute coronary syndrome underwent 18F-NaF PET and computed tomography coronary angiography...

Some studies have reported a positive association between plasma fibrinogen levels, erythrocyte aggregation and essential arterial hypertension (EAH). The aim of this study was to understand how the interaction between fibrinogen and its erythrocyte membrane receptor is altered in EAH. EAH patients (n = 31) and healthy blood donors (n = 65) were enrolled in the study. EAH patients were therapeutically controlled for the disease, presenting a systolic blood pressure between 108 and 180 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure between 66 and 123 mmHg...

AIMS: The Fontan operation is associated with significant long-term morbidity and mortality, posing challenges in management. No haemodynamic classification has been established to aid management and prognostication of patients with Fontan palliation. Our aim was to assess haemodynamic profiles for Fontan patients and evaluate their relationships to prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-four adult Fontan patients without obstruction or significant valve disease undergoing cardiac catheterization for Fontan-related co-morbidities were divided into four different haemodynamic profiles based on normal/high Fontan pressures (FP) (< 15 or ≥ 15 mmHg) and low/normal cardiac index (CI) (< 2...

OBJECTIVES: First, to validate bedside estimates of effective arterial elastance = end-systolic pressure/stroke volume in critically ill patients. Second, to document the added value of effective arterial elastance, which is increasingly used as an index of left ventricular afterload. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Medical ICU. PATIENTS: Fifty hemodynamically stable and spontaneously breathing patients equipped with a femoral (n = 21) or radial (n = 29) catheter were entered in a "comparison" study...

This study determined the circulating levels of TGF-β1 and its association with aortic dilation and elastic properties in congenital heart patients. Forty-six patients after tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) repair, 21 patients post arterial switch and 15 patients post atrial switch for transposition of the great arteries (TGA), 27 patients post Fontan procedure, and 36 controls were studied. Aortic dimensions and elastic properties and ventricular function were assessed by echocardiography. Serum TGF-β1, metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 levels were quantified...

Objective: To investigate whether desferrioxamine (DFO) can enhance the homing of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and improve neovascularization in random flaps of rats. Methods: BMSCs and fibroblasts (FB) of luciferase transgenic Lewis rats were isolated and cultured. Forty 4-week-old Lewis male rats were used to form a 10 cm×3 cm rectangular flap on their back. The experimental animals were randomly divided into 4 groups with 10 rats in each group: in group A, 200 μL PBS were injected through retrobulbar venous plexus; in group B, 200 μL FB with a concentration of 1×10 6 cells/mL were injected; in group C, 200 μL BMSCs with a concentration of 1×10 6 cells/mL were injected; in group D, cells transplantation was the same as that in group C, after cells transplantation, DFO [100 mg/(kg·d)] were injected intraperitoneally for 7 days...