There are limited data regarding the efficacy of β-blockers for secondary prevention in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO). Therefore, we investigated the association of β-blocker therapy with long-term clinical outcomes in CTO patients. From March 2003 to February 2012, a total of 2024 CTO patients treated with either medical therapy alone or revascularization were enrolled i...

BACKGROUND Upright exercise stress echocardiography (SE) induces significant intraventricular gradient (IVG) and systolic anterior motion (SAM) in a large proportion of symptomatic athletes, who may therefore benefit from a negative inotropic therapy.The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of chronic oral β blocker therapy on the occurrence of exercise-induced IVG and mitral v...

In this study, involvement ofvoltage-dependent calcium channels in LTP of responses of rat visual cortex slices was analyzed. Field potentials including EPSP1 and EPSP2 from layers II/III were recorded through stimulation of layer IV. Whereas nifedipine, a L-type calcium channel blocker (L-VDCC), did not considerably affect the LTP of responses, but Ni2+, a relatively selective blocker of T-typ...

Intraperitoneal (IP) injection of bupropion (3,6, amine (4,16 mg kg•') induced dose-dependent climbing in mice. The climbing response induced by both drugs were decreased in animals pretreated either with the 0-1 antagonist SCH 233<)0 or the 0-2 antagonist sulpiride. The α-adrenoceptor blocker phenoxybenzamine decreased the climbing induced by both bupropion and amphetamine, but the β-ad...

K201 is a 1,4-benzothiazepine derivative that is a promising new drug with a strong cardioprotective effect. We initially discovered K201 as an effective suppressant of sudden cardiac cell death due to calcium overload. K201 is a non-specific blocker of sodium, potassium and calcium channels, and its cardioprotective effect is more marked than those of nicorandil, prazosine, propranolol, verapa...

Beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents (beta-blockers) are now well established as cornerstone therapy in patients with systolic chronic heart failure (CHF). Clinical data have overwhelmingly proven the beneficial effects of beta-blocker therapy in terms of improving patient prognosis, decreasing requirements for hospitalization, and postponing disease progression. However, it remains unclear what t...

The existence of large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK) channels in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) has been a matter of debate. Using the patch-clamp technique in the inside-out configuration, we have recorded BK channel currents in SNc dopaminergic neurons. The channel has a conductance of 301 pS with a slight inward rectification and is both voltage- and calcium-dependent. Paxilli...