Despite efforts to elucidate its pathophysiology, ischemia-reperfusion injury lacks an effective preventative intervention. Because transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 4 (TRPM4) is functionally expressed by many cell types in the cardiovascular system and is involved in the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases, we decided to assess its suitability as a targ...

The present study was aimed at investigating the cardioprotective activity of thymoquinone (TMQ), an active principle of the herb, Nigella sativa, which is used for the management of various diseases. The present study examined the cardioprotective effect of TMQ in isoproterenol- (ISP-) induced myocardial infarction in rats. Myocardial infarction was induced by two subcutaneous injections of IS...

The major objective of this study was to determine whether urocortin, a member of the corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) family, protects adult rat cardiomyocytes from ischemia that has been simulated by glucose deprivation and acidosis. When it was present during simulated ischemia, urocortin (0.1 microM) markedly attenuated the cellular injury, which was assessed by increases in creatine k...

BACKGROUND The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of the 4-anilinoquinazoline derivative PD153035 on cardiac ischemia/reperfusion and mitochondrial function. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Perfused rat hearts and cardiac HL-1 cells were used to determine cardioprotective effects of PD153035. Isolated rat heart mitochondria were studied to uncover mechanisms of car...

The oxygenation process is essential for life and cellular activity, and therefore for physical exercise. During physical exercise an oxidative stress situation is produced, which can result in cellular oxidation and alterations in the immune system, causing cells to age prematurely. To prevent this, it is recommended to use high concentrations of antioxidants to minimize this process. The phen...

Despite great advances in therapies observed during the last decades, heart failure (HF) remained a major health problem in western countries. In order to further improve symptoms and survival in patients with heart failure, novel therapeutic strategies are needed. In some animal models of HF resveratrol (RES), it was able to prevent cardiac hypertrophy, contractile dysfunction, and remodeling....

A curvilinear relationship between alcohol consumption and heart disease risk has often been demonstrated. A similar relationship was found between vital exhaustion (VE) and alcohol intake in 62 Japanese and 53 British healthy males. Vital exhaustion is a prodromal state for cardiac events. A possible connection between moderate social drinking, VE and heart disease is suggested.

Isoflurane mimics the cardioprotective effect of acute ischemic preconditioning with an acute memory phase. We determined whether isoflurane can induce delayed cardioprotection, the involvement of ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels, and cellular location of the channels. Neonatal New Zealand White rabbits at 7-10 days of age (n = 5-16/group) were exposed to 1% isoflurane-100% oxygen for ...

It has been previously shown that hyperlipidemia interferes with cardioprotective mechanisms. Here, we investigated the interaction of hyperlipidemia with cardioprotection induced by pharmacological activators of ATP-sensitive K(+) (KATP) channels. Hearts isolated from rats fed a 2% cholesterol-enriched diet or normal diet for 8 wk were subjected to 30 min of global ischemia and 120 min of repe...