Glycosylation in cardenolide biosynthesis

The glycosylation and deglycosylation of cardiac glycosides was investigated using cell suspension cultures and shoot cultures, both established from Digitalis lanata EHRH. plants, as well as isolated enzymes. Shoots were capable of glucosylating digitoxigenin, evatromonoside, digiproside, glucodigitoxigenin and digitoxin. Suspension cultured Digitalis cells glucosylated all the substrates mentioned but digiproside, whereas the UDP-glucosedependent cardinolide glucosyltransferase isolated from that source did not accept digitoxigenin and digiproside as substrates. It is concluded that at least three different glucosyltransferases are involved in cardiac glycoside formation in Digitalis. Similar experiments carried out with glucosylated cardenolides which were administered to cultured cells, shoots and a cardenolide -glucosidase isolated from young leaves revealed that at least two different glucosidases occur in Digitalis lanata, albeit in different tissues or during different phases of development. The biotransformation of glucoevatromonoside was investigated using unlabelled compound and [¹⁴C-glucose]-glucoevatromonoside synthesized enzymatically. After 7 d of incubation almost no radioactivity could be recovered from the cardenolide fraction, indicating that the terminal glucose of glucoevatromonoside was now incorporated into volatile, hydrophilic and insoluble compounds. Since, on the other hand, large amounts of cardenolides were found in the experiments with unlabelled glucoevatromonoside it is assumed that steady state or pool size regulation is achieved by the coordinated action of a cardenolide glucosidase and a glucosyltransferase.Abbreviations Acdox D-acetyldigitoxose - dgen digoxigenin - dox D-digitoxose - dten digitoxigenin - dtl D-digitalose - fuc D-fucose - gten gitoxigenin - qun D-quinovose - CGH cardenolide 16-O-glucohydrolase - DFT UDP-fucose:digitoxigenin 3-O-fucosyltransferase - DGT UDP-glucose:Digitoxin 16-O-glucosyltransferase - DQT UDP-quinovose:digitoxigenin 3-O-quinovosyltransferase     

大鼠心脏血压超负荷诱导左心室HSP70基因表达

本工作应用热休克蛋白７０（ＨＳＰ７０）核酸分子杂交方法,测定了大鼠腹主动脉缩窄后左心室ＨＳＰ７０ｍＲＮＡ的水平。结果表明：大鼠腹主动脉缩窄后４ｈ,动脉血压已明显升高,并持续在高水平上;大鼠左心室重／体重比在第三天开始增加,然后持续升高,第４周时比对照组增加５９％;左心室ＨＳＰ７０ｍＲＮＡ在腹主动脉缩窄后４ｈ已明显升高,１ｄ,２ｄ,１ｗ均维持在高水平,１ｗ后逐渐消失。实验结果提示：大鼠心肌负荷增加早期,左心室ＨＳＰ７０ｍＲＮＡ表达明显增加。     

Submaximal,aerobic exercise training exacerbates the cardiomyopathy of postweanling Cu-depleted rats

To determine the dual effect of exercise training and copper depletion on myocardial function and ultrastructure, postweanling rats were either trained or sedentary while fed copper-adequate or copper-deficient diets for 8 wk. Rats developed characteristic myocardial subcellular degeneration and increased cardiac mitochondrial volume density when copper depleted, despite lack of overt cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension, or anemia. Training combined with copper depletion induced mild left ventricular hypertrophy. Basal laminae appeared fractionated in areas at capillary-myocyte interface, with focal pericapillary and interstitial collagen accumulation, where-as overt fibrosis was absent or minimal. Electrocardiograms revealed increased QRS wave and QT duration and notching of QRS complex with copper depletion, consistent with intraventricular conductance disturbances. The oxidative capacity of soleus muscle increased with training in copper-adequate rats, but was reduced with progressive copper depletion. These data suggest that copper depletion and training are synergistic in effecting focal accumulation of collagen, with deleterious effect on exercise capacity.     

慢性缺氧对大鼠左右心室功能、心肌肌原纤维Ca~（2＋），Mg~（2＋）－ATP

模拟５０００ｍ中度缺氧时,大鼠右室功能显著加强,而左室功能加强不显著;左右心室肌原纤维Ｃａ２＋,Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰ酶活性下降,肌球蛋白同功酶Ｖ２和Ｖ３百分含量增加,Ｖ１百分含量减少。８０００ｍ重度缺氧时,右室功能减弱,但无统计学意义,左室功能减弱有显著性;ＡＴＰ酶活性和同功酶的变化超过５０００ｍ组。此外,右室ＡＴＰ酶活性与ＰＡＰ呈反比且有显著性,左室ＡＴＰ酶活性与ＣＡＳＰ虽也呈反比但无显著性;右室同功酶Ｖ３百分含量与ＰＡＰ呈正比,左室同功酶Ｖ３百分含量与ＣＡＳＰ不呈比例。上述结果表明,因短期突发严重缺氧引起的心肌供氧不足对左心室心肌的直接损伤作用大于右心室心肌。     

Contact allergy to a subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillator – A rare problem with a golden solution

Contact allergy to implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD) is an uncommon and underdiagnosed complication. We report a case of a 20-years-old man patient that was resuscitated from sudden cardiac death. Workup imaging study was unremarkable, but genetic testing identified a mutation in the KCNH2 gene of uncertain significance. The patient underwent a subcutaneous implantable cardiac defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation, with no complications. The patient suffered two hospital re-admissions due to a device-related inflammatory reaction, leading to two device re-implantations. At the first time, it was considered a bacterial infection and the S-ICD was replaced by an endovascular device. At the second time, a tissue-device interaction, with hypersensitivity reaction and device rejection was suspected. The skin patch-tests were inconclusive, but it was decided to implant a custom-made gold-coated endovascular ICD. Indeed, the tendency is an initial misdiagnosis as an infection and a high clinical suspicion is essential to an early diagnosis.     

Prevalence of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis in elderly patients diagnosed with heart failure

ObjectiveThere is increased interest in studying ATTR-CA, a pathology that primarily affects patients of geriatric age and is frequently underdiagnosed. We aim to establish the prevalence of ATTR-CA in a cohort of patients with a history of HFpEF and to describe its characteristics.MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational study. Patients ≥75 years, clinical history of HFpEF, atrial dilation ≥34 ml/m² and left ventricular wall thickening >13 mm, were included. Demographic and analytical parameters were collected, and a comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed, along with a transthoracic echocardiogram and cardiac scintigraphy. Finally, telephone follow-up was carried out at 6 and 12 months.Results50 patients were recruited, mean age 86 ± 6 years, 54% women. Age and functional class (I–II vs. III–IV) were factors associated with presenting with ATTR-CA. Patients with positive scintigraphy had a median time to admission of 5.2 months (confidence interval [CI] 95% 0–10.9), while in those with negative scintigraphy, it was 12.2 months (95% CI 11.7–12.8); log-rank: p = 0.064. Patients with positive scintigraphy had a median time to the combined endpoint (death and readmission) of 1.9 months (95% CI 0–6.1), and patients with negative scintigraphy of 11.9 months (95% CI 11.7–12); log-rank: p = 0.027.ConclusionsATTR-CA appears to be a prevalent etiology in elderly patients within the spectrum of HFpEF. Patients with a diagnosis of ATTR-CA had a shorter time to admission for HF and the combined event of death and admission than patients with a negative result on scintigraphy.     

血清GDF-15、hs-cTnT对冠状动脉旁路移植术后新发房颤及近期主要心血管事件的预测效能研究

摘要 目的：分析血清生长分化因子15（GDF-15）、高敏心肌肌钙蛋白T（hs-cTnT）对冠状动脉旁路移植术后新发心房颤动（房颤）及近期主要心血管事件的预测效能。方法：选择自2020年1月至2022年1月在我院行冠状动脉旁路移植术的140例冠心病患者作为研究对象,根据术后是否新发房颤,分为房颤组（46例）和非房颤组（94例）。检测两组术前血清GDF-15、hs-cTnT水平,使用多因素Logistic回归分析血清GDF-15、hs-cTnT与术后新发房颤的关系;随访6个月,观察主要心血管事件发生情况,通过受试者工作特征曲线下面积（AUC）评价血清GDF-15、hs-cTnT对术后新发房颤及近期主要心血管事件的预测效能。结果：两组患者年龄、性别、体重指数等一般资料比较无差异（P＞0.05）;房颤组SYNTAX积分高于非房颤组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);房颤组血清GDF-15、hs-cTnT水平均高于非房颤组（P＜0.05）;经多因素Logistic回归分析,SYNTAX积分、血清GDF-15、hs-cTnT均是冠状动脉旁路移植术后新发房颤的独立预测因素（P＜0.05）;经ROC曲线分析,血清GDF-15联合hs-cTnT预测冠状动脉旁路移植术后新发房颤的AUC为0.933,大于SYNTAX积分的0.790,预测近期主要心血管事件的AUC为0.925,大于SYNTAX积分的0.750（P＜0.05）。结论：血清GDF-15联合hs-cTnT对冠状动脉旁路移植术后新发房颤及近期主要心血管事件均具有良好的预测效能,值得临床予以重视。     

慢性缺氧大鼠心肌肌浆网功能及其钙泵基因表达的动态变化

将实验大鼠放置模拟５０００ｍ海拔高度低压舱内１、２和４周。结果表明：与对照组比较,１,２和４周组动物的心肌重量分别增加１５％,１８％和５７％;心肌ＳＲＣａ２＋摄取分别降低３３％,３８％和５３％;心肌ＳＲＣａ２＋ＡＴＰａｓｅ活性分别降低５４％,６０％和７４％;钙泵ｍＲＮＡ含量（基因表达分别降低１４％,４６％和６８％。这些结果提示,缺氧导致的ＳＲ钙泵功能降低可能是心肌功能受损的重要生化基础之一,而钙泵数目减少可能是钙泵功能降低的分子生物学机制。     

IN VIVO EFFECTS OF CARDIOTROPHIN-1

Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a recently discovered cytokine that was isolated based on its ability to induce cardiac myocyte hypertrophy in vitro. In this study, the effects of chronic administration of CT-1 to mice (0.5 or 2 μg by intraperitoneal injection, twice a day for 14 days) were determined. A dose-dependent increase in both the heart weight and ventricular weight to body ratios was observed in the treated groups. The body weights of the animals were unaffected. These results indicate that CT-1 can induce cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. CT-1 was not specific for the heart, however. It stimulated the growth of the liver, kidney, and spleen, and caused atrophy of the thymus. CT-1 administration also increased the platelet counts by 70%, with no change in mean platelet volume. Red blood cell counts were increased in the treated animals, and there was a concomitant increase in haemoglobin concentration. Thus, CT-1 has a broad spectrum of biological activities in vivo. This observation is consistent with previous in-vitro findings showing that the mRNA for CT-1 is expressed in several tissues, and that CT-1 can function through binding to the leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptor and signalling through the gp130 pathway.