Stimulation of glutamatergic tone has been causally linked to myocardial pathogenesis and amplified systemic blood pressure (BP). Memantine, a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamatergic receptor (NMDA-R) antagonist, has been proposed to be an …

Past literature has provided evidence that a normal mechanical force environment of blood flow may guide normal development while an abnormal environment can lead to congenital malformations, thus warranting further studies on embryonic cardiovascular …

Although left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is often associated with hypertension, little is known regarding its underlying pathophysiological mechanism. Here, we show that the actin cytoskeletal regulator, Rho-associated coiled-coil containing …

The occurrence of myocardial infarction (MI) increases appreciably with age. In the Framingham Heart Study, the incidence of MI more than doubles for men and increases more than 5-fold in women (ages 55 to 64 years compared to 85 to 94 years). MicroRNAs …

Aims Angiotensin II-infused ApoE-/- mice are a popular mouse model for preclinical aneurysm research. Here, we provide insight in the often-reported but seldom-explained variability in shape of dissecting aneurysms in these mice. Methods and results N = …

Ethnopharmacological relevance Corydalis hendersonii Hemsl. (CH) with heat clearing and detoxifying effects are well described in Tibetan folk medicine. It has been used for centuries in China largely for the treatment of high altitude polycythemia, a …

Diabetes is a major health problem worldwide. As well-known, diabetes greatly increases cardiac vulnerability to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Nucleostemin (NS) is a nucleolar protein that controls …

Oncogenic RAS mutations are present in 15-30% of thyroid carcinomas. Endogenous expression of mutant Ras is insufficient to initiate thyroid tumorigenesis in murine models, indicating that additional genetic alterations are required. We used Sleeping …

Background Mouse models of heart disease are extensively employed. The echocardiographic characterization of contractile function is usually focused on systolic function with fewer studies assessing diastolic function. Furthermore, the applicability of …

Cardiac tissue engineering aims to produce replacement tissue patches in the lab to replace or treat infarcted myocardium. However, current patches lack preformed microvascularization and are therefore limited in thickness and force production. In this …