In the past 20 years, genetic variants in SCN5A encoding cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel Na v 1.5 have been linked to a range of inherited arrhythmias: resulting loss-of-function sick sinus syndrome, atrial stand still, fibrillation (AF) impaired pulse generation, progressive and non-progressive conduction defects, Brugada Syndrome (BrS), sudden death. causing increased current during plat...

BACKGROUND Recently, the addition of dexmedetomidine to sedation regimens after cardiac surgery had been reported and there is a possibility that dexmedetomidine can cause vasoconstriction. Vasopressin has been used as a prophylactic treatment for refractory vasodilatory shock during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Also, vasopressin may play an important role in initiating spasms at the gr...

Excitation-contraction (EC) coupling in striated muscles is mediated by the cardiac or skeletal muscle isoform of voltage-dependent L-type Ca(2+) channel (Ca(v)1.2 and Ca(v)1.1, respectively) that senses a depolarization of the cell membrane, and in response, activates its corresponding isoform of intracellular Ca(2+) release channel/ryanodine receptor (RyR) to release stored Ca(2+), thereby in...

Lymphatic muscle (LM) is widely considered to be a type of vascular smooth muscle, even though LM cells uniquely express contractile proteins from both smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. We tested the hypothesis that LM exhibits an unloaded maximum shortening velocity (Vmax) intermediate between that of smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. Single lymphatic vessels were dissected from the rat mesent...

The existence of two populations of potential-operated Ca 2+ channels in the ureter smooth muscle have been suggested: (1) inactivating Ca 2+ channels which are responsible for the generation of action potentials and phasic contractions, and (2) non-inactivating Ca 2+ channels opened during sustained depolarization which are responsible for the generation of tonic tension (Kochemasova and Shuba...

Abstract Background Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv) is a rare, adult–onset, autosomal dominant genetic disorder caused by mutations in the TTR gene. The growing availability of effective therapies determining greater benefit earlier they start, highlights importance identifying cardiac involvement even absence left ventricular hypertrophy. Clinical Case A 58–year–old man came to ou...

Background. The Pediatric Electrophysiology Society studied children with the long QT syndrome (LQTS) to describe the features ofLQTS in patients less than 21 years old, define potential "low-risk" and "high-risk" subpopulations, and determine optimal treatment. Methods and Results. Patients less than 21 years old were included if either QTc was more than 0.44; they had unexplained syncope, sei...

The effects of octopamine, the main cardioacceleratory transmitter in insects, were investigated, in the isolated hearts of the honeybee, Apis mellifera macedonica, and the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae. Octopamine induced a biphasic effect on the frequency and force of cardiac contractions acting as an agonist, with a strong acceleratory effect, at concentrations higher than 10(-12)M for t...

background: punica granatum linn. (pg) is native to the mediterranean region. its flower exhibited antioxidant activity. the present study attempt to investigate the effect of these extract on uterine contraction and its possible mechanism(s). methods: thirty five female wistar rats (200-300 g) at estrous phases of cycle was examined in this study; pieces of virgin adult rat uterus (1.5 cm) wer...