Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is co-released with norepinephrine, and stimulates vasoconstriction, vascular and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via Y1 receptors (R), and angiogenesis via Y2R. Although circulating NPY is elevated in heart failure, NPY’s role remains unclear. Activation of the NPY system was determined in Wistar rats with the aortocaval (AV) fistula model of high-output heart failure. Plasma NP...

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-2 is a newly described enzyme with antagonistic effects to those of the classical ACE (ACE-1). Both ANG II and aldosterone play an important role in the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure (CHF) and in the adverse cardiac remodeling during its development. In this study, we examined the effects of experimental CHF induced by an aortocaval fistula (ACF...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect a nonselective endothelin-1 (ET-1) receptor antagonist (bosentan) had on the acute myocardial remodeling process including left ventricular (LV) mast cells and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity secondary to volume overload. Additionally, we investigated the overall functional outcome of preventative endothelin receptor antagonism d...

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is coreleased with norepinephrine and stimulates vasoconstriction, vascular and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via Y1 receptors (R) and angiogenesis via Y2R. Although circulating NPY is elevated in heart failure, NPY's role remains unclear. Activation of the NPY system was determined in Wistar rats with the aortocaval (A-V) fistula model of high-output heart failure. Plasma NPY ...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate whether gadolinium (Gd(3+))-sensitive stretch-activated ion channels (SAC) are basally active in left ventricular (LV) myocytes in early stages of heart failure (HF) induced by volume overload. METHODS The aortocaval fistula (ACF) model was employed to induce HF due to volume overload in rat. At specific time-points, LV myocytes were ac...