PURPOSE To determine the potential of mesoporphyrin- and gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced and functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the assessment of the acute effect of nicorandil on ischemic injury of the myocardium. MATERIALS AND METHODS Spin-echo MR imaging was used to monitor changes in myocardial contrast and function in reperfused myocardial injury. Inversion-recovery echo-pl...

AIMS Although nitrates are widely used as a concomitant therapy with calcium channel blockers (CCBs) for vasospastic angina (VSA), their prognostic contribution remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine the prognostic impact of chronic nitrate therapy in patients with VSA. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 1429 VSA patients (median 66 years; male/female, 1090/339) were enrolled. The pr...

OBJECTIVES We sought to identify the triggers of ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VTA) in experimental models of long QT type 2 (LQT2) and long QT type 3 (LQT3) syndromes. BACKGROUND Most adverse cardiac events occurring in the long QT type 1 syndrome are related to sympathetic nerve activity. In contrast, various factors may trigger VTA in patients with LQT2 and LQT3. METHODS The mode of onset...

Downward remodelling of gap junctional proteins between myocytes may trigger ventricular arrhythmia after myocardial infarction. We have demonstrated that ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel agonists attenuated post-infarction arrhythmias. However, the involved mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether K(ATP) channel agonists can attenuate arrhythmias th...

Background: Patients having percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and angiography (CAG) are more likely to experience contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), which is linked higher mortality morbidity (PCI). Our goal was assess the effectiveness of nicorandil medication given patients getting ready for elective PCI in reducing occurrence CIN.

UNLABELLED Nicorandil, an adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel opener, reduces plasma norepinephrine concentration in patients with ischemic heart disease. However, long-term effects on cardiac sympathetic nerve activity (CSNA) as evaluated by (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy have not been determined for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS ...

Myocardial ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels have been implicated in attenuating cardiac hypertrophy by modulating endothelin-1 concentrations. Sulfonylureas differ in their affinity for cardiac K(ATP) channels and therefore may vary in their effects on left ventricular (LV) mass. We sought to determine the differential effects of sulfonylureas on LV mass in type 2 diabetic patients. Al...

Hyperkalemic solution is widely used to protect the myocardium during open-heart surgery or to preserve donor hearts during heart or heart/lung transplants. The inhibitory effects of hvperkalemic solution on the release of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) of coronary arteries following deep hypothermic storage (4 degrees C) has been well studied. However, it has not been establ...

Purpose: To fabricate and evaluate oral 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid hydrogels as a drug delivery system for sustained release of nicorandil. Methods: HEMA-co-AA hydrogels using different monomer concentrations were prepared by free radical polymerization. N, N-methylene bis acrylamide (MBA) was used as crosslinker and potassium persulphate (KPS) as initiator. Nicorandil (20 mg) ...

The objective of the present study was to investigate and compare the antiulcer effect of potassium channel openers, nicorandil and levcromakalim in the models of ulcer induced by pylorus ligation, aspirin and water immersion plus restraint stress in albino rats. Levcromakalim (250 g/kg) and nicorandil (10 mg/kg) were administered intraduodenally immediately after pylorus ligation. Ulcer index ...