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Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2021 Apr 10:115533. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

Decreased activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Recent evidence suggests a crosstalk between cinacalcet and AMPK activation. This study investigated the effects of cinacalcet on cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in type 2 diabetic rats (T2DM). Read More

EMBO J 2021 Apr 13:e106491. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.

Exercise can alter the skeletal muscle DNA methylome, yet little is known about the role of the DNA methylation machinery in exercise capacity. Here, we show that DNMT3A expression in oxidative red muscle increases greatly following a bout of endurance exercise. Muscle-specific Dnmt3a knockout mice have reduced tolerance to endurance exercise, accompanied by reduction in oxidative capacity and mitochondrial respiration. Read More

Mol Med Rep 2021 Jun 13;23(6). Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, P.R. China.

Previous studies have confirmed that 50 mol/l pinacidil postconditioning (PPC) activates the nuclear factor‑E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)‑antioxidant responsive element (ARE) pathway, which protects the myocardium from ischemia‑reperfusion (IR) injury; however, whether this is associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation remains unclear. In the present study, a Langendorff rat model of isolated myocardial IR was established to investigate the mechanism of PPC at different concentrations, as well as the association between the rat myocardial Nrf2‑ARE signaling pathway and ROS. A total of 48 rats were randomly divided into the following six groups (n=8 per group): i) Normal; ii) IR iii) 10 mol/l PPC (P10); iv) 30 mol/l PPC (P30); v) 50 mol/l PPC (P50); and vi) N‑(2‑mercaptopropionyl)‑glycine (MPG; a ROS scavenger) + 50 mol/l pinacidil (P50 + MPG). Read More

Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, United States.

Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is a significant problem in the critically ill that causes increased death. Emerging understanding of this disease implicates metabolic dysfunction in its pathophysiology. This study sought to identify specific metabolic pathways amenable to potential therapeutic intervention. Read More

Front Cell Dev Biol 2021 25;9:626117. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Department of Biology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, United States.

Mammalian mitochondria are emerging as a critical stress-responsive contributor to cellular life/death and developmental outcomes. Maintained as an organellar network distributed throughout the cell, mitochondria respond to cellular stimuli and stresses through highly sensitive structural dynamics, particularly in energetically demanding cell settings such as cardiac and muscle tissues. Fusion allows individual mitochondria to form an interconnected reticular network, while fission divides the network into a collection of vesicular organelles. Read More

Ann Cardiothorac Surg 2021 Mar;10(2):240-247

Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS ISMETT, UPMC Italy, Palermo, Italy.

Background: Metabolomic profiling has important diagnostic and prognostic value in heart failure (HF). We investigated whether left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support has an impact on the metabolomic profile of chronic HF patients and if specific metabolic patterns are associated with the development of adverse events.

Methods: We applied untargeted metabolomics to detect and analyze molecules such as amino acids, sugars, fatty acids and other metabolites in plasma samples collected from thirty-three patients implanted with a continuous-flow LVAD. Read More

J Adv Res 2021 Mar 28;29:33-44. Epub 2020 Sep 28.

Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.

Introduction: Previous studies reported the beneficial effects of pretreatment with melatonin on the heart during cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the effects of melatonin given after cardiac ischemia, as well as its comparative temporal effects are unknown. These include pretreatment, during ischemia, and at the onset of reperfusion. Read More

Front Genet 2021 25;12:630359. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

Plasma lipids have been at the center stage of the prediction and prevention strategies for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and novel lipidomic traits have been recognized as reliable biomarkers for CVD risk prediction. The mitochondria serve as energy supply sites for cells and can synthesize a variety of lipids autonomously. Therefore, investigating the relationships between mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and plasma lipidomic traits is meaningful. Read More

Front Neurol 2021 22;12:642604. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is known to involve the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the enteric nervous system (ENS). Functional changes in PNS and ENS appear early in the course of the disease and are responsible for some of the non-motor symptoms observed in PD patients like constipation, that can precede the appearance of motor symptoms by years. Here we analyzed the effect of the pesticide rotenone, a mitochondrial Complex I inhibitor, on the function and neuronal composition of the ENS by measuring intestinal contractility in a tissue bath and by analyzing related protein expression. Read More

Front Physiol 2021 25;12:669356. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD, United States.

Front Physiol 2021 24;12:649794. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and metabolic inflexibility are linked to insulin resistance, and women with PCOS appear to be metabolic inflexible in the rested, insulin-stimulated state. Exercise training is a primary lifestyle intervention in PCOS. Exercise training improves whole-body fat oxidation during submaximal exercise in healthy women, yet little is known about the effect on this outcome in women with PCOS. Read More

Ageing Res Rev 2021 Apr 7:101338. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Biochemistry, Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, 506007, Telangana, India; Applied Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Technology, Uppal Road, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 50000, Telangana, India. Electronic address:

Association of diabetes with an elevated risk of cardiac failure has been clinically evident. Diabetes potentiates diastolic and systolic cardiac failure following the myocardial infarction that produces the cardiac muscle-specific microvascular complication, clinically termed as diabetic cardiomyopathy. Elevated susceptibility of diabetic cardiomyopathy is primarily caused by the generation of free radicals in the hyperglycemic milieu, compromising the myocardial contractility and normal cardiac functions with increasing redox insult, impaired mitochondria, damaged organelles, apoptosis, and cardiomyocytes fibrosis. Read More

Can J Cardiol 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Downregulation of claudin-5 in the heart is associated with the end-stage heart failure. However, the underlying mechanism of claudin-5 is unclear. Here we investigated the molecular actions of claudin-5 in perspective of mitochondria in cardiomyocytes to better understand the role of claudin-5 in cardioprotection during ischemia. Read More

Exp Gerontol 2021 Apr 8;149:111340. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Cardiovascular Research Theme, Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, UK; Department of Cardiology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Cardiovascular and Lifestyle Medicine Research Theme (CSELS), Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, UK. Electronic address:

Objective: To assess the effect of age on mechanisms of exercise tolerance.

Methods: Prospective observational study recruited 71 healthy individuals divided into two groups according to their age i.e. Read More

Nat Commun 2021 04 9;12(1):2130. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.

Mito-SEPs are small open reading frame-encoded peptides that localize to the mitochondria to regulate metabolism. Motivated by an intriguing negative association between mito-SEPs and inflammation, here we screen for mito-SEPs that modify inflammatory outcomes and report a mito-SEP named "Modulator of cytochrome C oxidase during Inflammation" (MOCCI) that is upregulated during inflammation and infection to promote host-protective resolution. MOCCI, a paralog of the NDUFA4 subunit of cytochrome C oxidase (Complex IV), replaces NDUFA4 in Complex IV during inflammation to lower mitochondrial membrane potential and reduce ROS production, leading to cyto-protection and dampened immune response. Read More

J Cardiol 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and Hypertension, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan. Electronic address:

Background: Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that undergo fission or fusion. These mitochondrial dynamics are reported to be associated with pulmonary hypertension (PH). PH is divided into 5 groups, including pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), based on its pathogenesis. Read More

J Neurosurg 2021 Apr 9:1-10. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

1Neurological Intensive Care Unit, Department of Neurology, and.

Objective: Recent guidelines recommend targeting a systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 140 mm Hg in the early management of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The optimal SBP targets for ICH patients after hematoma evacuation (HE) remain unclear. Here, the authors aimed to define the optimal SBP range based on multimodal neuromonitoring data. Read More

Exp Gerontol 2021 Apr 6:111345. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

School of Sport Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address:

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can effectively increase peak oxygen consumption, body composition, physical fitness, and health-related characteristics of adults; however, its impact in the older population remains highly debated. This review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, physical fitness, and health-related outcomes in older adults. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Web of Science) were searched (until July 2020) for randomized trials comparing the effect of HIIT on physical fitness, metabolic parameters, and cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults. Read More

Food Chem Toxicol 2021 Apr 6:112183. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory for the Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues in Foods, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China; Ministry of Agriculture Laboratory for Risk Assessment of Quality and Safety of Livestock and Poultry Products, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China. Electronic address:

T-2 toxin, the most virulent toxin produced by the Fusarium genus, is thought to be the main cause of fatal cardiomyopathy known as Keshan disease. However, the mechanisms of T-2 toxin-induced cardiac toxicity and possible targets for its treatment remain unclear. In the present study, male Wistar rats were administered with 2 mg/kg b. Read More

Nucleic Acids Res 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Division of Medical Genetics and Genomics, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine and National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.

Deficient maturations of mitochondrial transcripts are linked to clinical abnormalities but their pathophysiology remains elusive. Previous investigations showed that pathogenic variants in MTO1 for the biosynthesis of τm5U of tRNAGlu, tRNAGln, tRNALys, tRNATrp and tRNALeu(UUR) were associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Using mto1 knock-out(KO) zebrafish generated by CRISPR/Cas9 system, we demonstrated the pleiotropic effects of Mto1 deficiency on mitochondrial RNA maturations. Read More

ESC Heart Fail 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

MEBIC Consortium, San Raffaele Open University and IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy.

We report a novel cardiomyopathy associated to Usher syndrome and related to combined mutation of MYO7A and Calreticulin genes. A 37-year-old man with deafness and vision impairment because of retinitis pigmentosa since childhood and a MYO7A gene mutation suggesting Usher syndrome, developed a dilated cardiomyopathy with ventricular tachyarrhythmias and recurrent syncope. At magnetic resonance cardiomyopathy was characterized by left ventricular dilatation with hypo-contractility and mitral prolapse with valve regurgitation. Read More

Curr Heart Fail Rep 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Purpose Of Review: (Mal-)nutrition of micronutrients, like selenium, has great impact on the human heart and improper micronutrient intake was observed in 30-50% of patients with heart failure. Low selenium levels have been reported in Europe and Asia and thought to be causal for Keshan disease. Selenium is an essential micronutrient that is needed for enzymatic activity of the 25 so-called selenoproteins, which have a broad range of activities. Read More

Zhonghua Wei Zhong Bing Ji Jiu Yi Xue 2021 Mar;33(3):377-380

Departmentof Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563003, Guizhou, China. Corresponding author: Zhou Manhong, Email:

Paraquat is a quaternary ammonium herbicide, which can be distributed in lung, liver, kidney, heart, brain and other organs through blood circulation, leading to multiple organ failure, especially lung injury. Due to the lack of effective treatment methods and specific antidotes, the prognosis of most patients with paraquat poisoning is very poor. The treatment of paraquat poisoning was a big problem for emergency doctors. Read More

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, United States.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) affect 1 in 3 adults and remain the leading causes of death in America. Advancing age is the major risk factor for CVD. Recent plateaus in CVD-related mortality rates in high income countries after decades of decline highlight a critical need to identify novel therapeutic targets and strategies to mitigate and manage the risk of CVD development and progression. Read More

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, P.R., China.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) exerts a list of biological functions, contributing to almost 30% of the osteogenic process. Periostin is a secreted protein that can alter ECM remodeling in response to vascular injury. However, the functional role of periostin in vascular calcification has yet to be fully described. Read More