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Article
Open AccessRegulation of Cardiac Mast Cell Maturation and Function by the Neurokinin-1 Receptor in the Fibrotic Heart
Cardiac fibrosis is an underlying cause of diastolic dysfunction, contributing to heart failure. Substance P (SP) activation of the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) contributes to cardiac fibrosis in hypertension...
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Article
Inhibitory role of reactive oxygen species in the differentiation of multipotent vascular stem cells into vascular smooth muscle cells in rats: a novel aspect of traditional culture of rat aortic smooth muscle cells
Proliferative or synthetic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are widely accepted to be mainly derived from the dedifferentiation or phenotypic modulation of mature contractile VSMCs, i.e., a phenotype switc...
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Article
Sparstolonin B Attenuates Hypoxia-Induced Apoptosis, Necrosis and Inflammation in Cultured Rat Left Ventricular Tissue Slices
Ischemia/reperfusion results in tissue damage, a rapid increase in cytokines and chemokines and inflammatory cell infiltration. Herein we investigated the ability of a selective TLR2/4 antagonist, Sparstolonin...
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Article
Gender differences in non-ischemic myocardial remodeling: are they due to estrogen modulation of cardiac mast cells and/or membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase
This review is focused on gender differences in cardiac remodeling secondary to sustained increases in cardiac volume (VO) and generated pressure (PO). Estrogen has been shown to favorably alter the course of ...
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Article
Tryptase activates isolated adult cardiac fibroblasts via protease activated receptor-2 (PAR-2)
Protease activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) derived cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) was recently implicated in a cardiac mast cell and fibroblast cross-talk signaling cascade mediating myocardial remodeling secondary to mec...
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Chapter
The Role of Gas Analysis and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
Apart from the measurement of the vital signs, evaluation of exercise performance constitutes one of the most crucial parameters in the clinical assessment of a \nobreak patient. Many different methods are cur...
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Chapter
Cardiac Mast Cells as Mediators of Ventricular Remodeling
Mast cells are known to store and release a variety of biologically active mediators including TNF-α, and proteases such as tryptase and chymase. With cardiac chamber distension there is a release of atrial natri...
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Article
Expression of matrix metalloproteinase activity in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: A marker of cardiac dilatation
Background: Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), ventricular systolic dysfunction and chamber dilatation are accompanied by architectural remodeling, wall thinning and cardiac myocyte slippage. Recent work h...
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Article
The Dynamic Interaction Between Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity and Adverse Myocardial Remodeling
The process of cardiac remodeling in response to cardiac injury and/or persistent elevations in wall stress generally relates to the progressive changes that occur in ventricular chamber dimensions and the var...
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Article
Gender mediated cardiac protection from adverse ventricular remodeling is abolished by ovariectomy
Gender differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease have been observed both clinically and experimentally. These cardioprotective effects have frequently been attributed to female hormones, however,...
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Chapter
Gender mediated cardiac protection from adverse ventricular remodeling is abolished by ovariectomy
Gender differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease have been observed both clinically and experimentally. These cardioprotective effects have frequently been attributed to female hormones, however,...
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Chapter
Characteristics and Mechanisms of Angiotensin II-Related Myocardial Damage
Chronic, pathophysiological elevations of angiotensin (Ang) II cause myocyte necrosis and coronary vascular damage. These adverse effects are mediated by the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor and are, therefor...
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Chapter
Introduction
To meet the metabolic requirements of the body over a wide range of physical activity, the heart must be capable of increasing its cardiac output seven-to eightfold. This is accomplished by acute increases in ...
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Chapter
Myocardial Interstitial Collagen Matrix Remodeling in Response to a Chronic Elevation in Ventricular Preload or Afterload
Fibrillar collagen is an essential component of the extracellular matrix of the heart that surrounds and interconnects the coronary microcirculation, individual myocytes, groups of cardiac myofibrils, muscle f...
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Chapter
Ventricular Remodeling in Heart Failure: The Role of Myocardial Collagen
Collagen which is present in the myocardium in relatively small amounts is the most abundant structural protein of the connective tissue network. Its structural organization consists of a complex weave of coll...
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Chapter
Progressive Ventricular Dilatation in Heart Failure: The Role of Myocardial Collagenase
Fibrillar collagen is an integral component of the extracellular matrix of the heart, linking the numerous myocardial components and ensuring an efficient functioning organ. Specifically it provides for muscle...
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Chapter
Structural and Functional Consequences of Myocardial Collagen Remodeling
Myocardial fibrillar collagens provide for muscle fiber and cardiac myocyte alignment and impart a tensile strength to the myocardium that maintains ventricular shape and size, and governs tissue stiffness. Th...
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Chapter
Myocardial Fibrosis: Structural Basis for Diastolic Dysfunction
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is the single most important prognostic factor associated with adverse cardiovascular events, including heart failure and sudden death, attributable to cardiovascular disease...
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Chapter
Myocardial Collagen and Its Functional Role
Even though normally present in relatively small amounts, myocardial collagen strongly influences ventricular diastolic function. Removal of less than half of the normal amount results in a dilated ventricle w...
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Article
Newer Positive Inotropic Agents in the Treatment of Chronic Cardiac Failure
Heart failure is a serious worldwide health problem of major proportions. For many physicians, digitalis (an inotropic agent of limited proportions) and diuretics have proven the standard of treatment for hear...
