Intrinsic inotropic stimulation of the heart is central to the regulation of cardiovascular function, and exogenous inotropic therapies have been used clinically for decades. Unfortunately, current inotropic drugs have consistently failed to show beneficial effects beyond short-term haemodynamic improvement in patients with heart failure. To address these limitations, new agents targeting novel...

The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanisms underlying adrenergic-cholinergic antagonism in ventricular myocardium. Myocardial contractility, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) levels, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP) levels were measure in isolated guinea pig ventricles after treatment with various inotropic agents given alone and simultaneously with acetylcholine. Acetyl...

OBJECTIVES To analyze the relationship between previous severity of illness, lactic acid, creatinine and inotropic index with mortality of in-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) in children, and the value of a prognostic index designed for adults. METHODS The study included total of 44 children aged from 1 month to 18 years old who suffered a cardiac arrest while in hospital. The relationship betwee...

BACKGROUND The myocardial negative inotropic effects of desflurane are less pronounced than those of other halogenated anesthetics, partly because of intramyocardial catecholamine store release. However, the effects of desflurane on aging myocardium are unknown, whereas aging is known to be associated with an attenuation of catecholamine responsiveness. METHODS The effects of desflurane (1.9-...

BACKGROUND Contrary to beta(1)- and beta(2)-adrenoceptors, beta(3)-adrenoceptors mediate a negative inotropic effect in human ventricular muscle. To assess their functional role in heart failure, our purpose was to compare the expression and contractile effect of beta(3)-adrenoceptors in nonfailing and failing human hearts. METHODS AND RESULTS We analyzed left ventricular samples from 29 fail...

2,3-dehydrosilybin (DHS) is a minor flavonolignan component of Silybum marianum seed extract known for its hepatoprotective activity. Recently we identified DHS as a potentially cardioprotective substance during hypoxia/reoxygenation in isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. This is the first report of positive inotropic effect of DHS on perfused adult rat heart. When applied to perfused adult r...

BACKGROUND Intravenous inotropic therapy can be used to support children awaiting heart transplantation. Although use of this therapy is discouraged in adults because of poor outcomes, its use in children, particularly outpatient, has had limited evaluation. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this practice. METHODS AND RESULTS A retrospective analysis of an intent to treat protoc...

Forty-three subjects with uncomplicated primary hypertension and without echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy and 54 normotensive volunteers were studied by two-dimensional targeted M-mode echocardiography to evaluate systolic function and contractility before the development of compensatory hypertrophy. The ratio of peak systolic pressure to end-systolic dimension was used to assess ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the effects of positive inotropic drugs, including adrenaline, dopamine, and dobutamine on thyroid hormone levels following open heart surgery. METHODS We analyzed free thyroid hormones (FT3 and FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH) in 200 consecutive patients undergoing open heart surgery. Patients were divided into 5 groups according to t...

AIMS The aims of this study were to determine if the prostanoid F receptor (FPR)-mediated inotropic effect in rat ventricle is mediated by increased phosphorylation of myosin light chain-2 (MLC-2) and to elucidate the signalling pathway(s) activated by FPRs to regulate MLC-2 phosphorylation. METHODS AND RESULTS Contractility was measured in left ventricular strips from adult male rats. Strips...