scholarly journals Cardiomyopathy in Captive African Hedgehogs (Atelerix Albiventris)

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 468-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
James T. Raymond ◽  
Michael M. Garner

From 1994 to 1999, 16 captive African hedgehogs ( Atelerix albiventris), from among 42 necropsy cases, were diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. The incidence of cardiomyopathy in this study population was 38%. Fourteen of 16 hedgehogs with cardiomyopathy were males and all hedgehogs were adult (>1 year old). Nine hedgehogs exhibited 1 or more of the following clinical signs before death: heart murmur, lethargy, icterus, moist rales, anorexia, dyspnea, dehydration, and weight loss. The remaining 7 hedgehogs died without premonitory clinical signs. Gross findings were cardiomegaly (6 cases), hepatomegaly (5 cases), pulmonary edema (5 cases), pulmonary congestion (4 cases), hydrothorax (3 cases), pulmonary infarct (1 case), renal infarcts (1 case), ascites (1 case), and 5 cases showed no changes. Histologic lesions were found mainly within the left ventricular myocardium and consisted primarily of myodegeneration, myonecrosis, atrophy, hypertrophy, and disarray of myofibers. All hedgehogs with cardiomyopathy had myocardial fibrosis, myocardial edema, or both. Other common histopathologic findings were acute and chronic passive congestion of the lungs, acute passive congestion of the liver, renal tubular necrosis, vascular thrombosis, splenic extramedullary hematopoiesis, and hepatic lipidosis. This is the first report of cardiomyopathy in African hedgehogs.

2010 ◽  
Vol 63 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 163-169
Author(s):  
Marina Deljanin-Ilic ◽  
Stevan Ilic ◽  
Bojana Stamenkovic

Deposits of myocardial fibrosis are the principal cause of myocardial dysfunction and poor prognosis in the patients with systemic sclerosis. Our aim was to assess whether there are changes in regional function of the left ventricular myocardium in female patients with systemic sclerosis without clinical signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease. The study included 23 female patients with systemic sclerosis (without cardiovascular disease and with normal global systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle) and 21 healthy female controls. In both groups, pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging was done at rest and during exercise stress test echocardiography. The myocardial function was assessed from the basal segments in systola and diastola. The level achieved and duration of exercise tests were significantly reduced in the patients with systemic sclerosis compared to the controls (P<0.001 for both). The patients had significantly lower baseline regional systolic (P<0.02) and diastolic (P<0.001) myocardial functions, which became even more evident after the exercise test. During the test, those with systemic sclerosis demonstrated a smaller increase of systolic (20.6%) and diastolic (6.5%) function compared to the controls (systolic by 32.3% and diastolic by 25.0%). Quantification of regional function of the left ventricular myocardium using pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging demonstrated an impaired systolic and diastolic myocardial function in the female patients with systemic sclerosis who had no clinical signs and symptoms of a cardiovascular disease.


Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin B Andersson ◽  
Alexandra V Finsen ◽  
Ivar Sjaastad ◽  
Yibin Wang ◽  
Ju Chen ◽  
...  

The SERCA2 Ca 2+ ATPase is of central importance for refilling of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca 2+ store and cardiac contractility. Reduced SERCA2 function is associated with heart failure. We hypothesized that loss of SERCA2 would result in immediate severe myocardial contractile dysfunction and death. Transgenic mice were generated with a Cre-loxP strategy in which tamoxifen induces Serca2 ( Atp2a2 ) gene excision in the cardiomyocytes (SERCA2KO) of adult mice. In SERCA2KO mice, SERCA2 protein was rapidly reduced in left ventricular myocardium with a half-life < 3 days. After 4 weeks, SERCA2 protein was reduced to < 5% of control values. In isolated cardiomyocytes, SERCA2a, SERCA2b, SERCA1 and SERCA3 proteins were not detectable. Strikingly, SERCA2KO mice did not present clinical signs of circulatory failure at 4 weeks. Fractional shortening was preserved, and cardiac output was reduced to 80% of control values. The left atrial diameter, lung weight and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were slightly increased in SERCA2KO mice compared with controls, and the maximal rates of pressure development and decline in the left ventricle were affected with a prolongation of the ventricular relaxation time. After seven weeks, SERCA2KO mice developed severe congestive heart failure with dilated chambers, elevated LVEDP and pronounced increases in lung and atrial weights. Cardiac output was reduced to 70% of control values. There were no indications of major cardiomyocyte disarray in the myocardium at the 4 or 7 week timepoints. The abundance of Na + ,Ca 2+ exchanger, L-type Ca 2+ channel 1c and alpha2delta1 subunit proteins and Pmca1 mRNA were all increased at 4 and 7 weeks. The expression of calsequestrin protein and Ryr2 mRNA were unchanged. L-type Ca 2+ channel alpha2delta1 subunit and PMCA1 expression were further enhanced at 7 weeks in SERCA2KO mice. Thus, cardiac function is supported in SERCA2KO mice for several weeks despite the near absence of SERCA2 protein. Alterations in the expression of Ca 2+ transporting proteins suggest that Ca 2+ transients are generated over the plasma membrane rather than the SR. However, the adaptations induced by loss of SERCA2 are not sufficient for long-term support of heart function in adult mice.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeriy Shumakov ◽  
Ludmila Kletikova ◽  
Alexanderx Martynov ◽  
Victoria Khrushcheva

The leading clinical signs of myocarditis in dogs were the sudden development of signs of disease, refusal to eat, dyspnea at rest, rapid fatigue. At the diagnostic stage, the position of animals forced, lying, increased breathing speed up to 60-72 movements per minute, pale visible mucous membranes and conjunctiva, weak filling of pulse, rapid filling of capillaries, high blood pressure, increase in the number of leukocytes up to 25–27×109/l, SRS up to 15,4–17,4 mg/l, troponin up to 3,85–4,2 ng/ml. Electrocardiographic study established sinus or ectopic rhythm, heart rate 133– 198 oz/min, conductivity disturbance and deceleration. ECHOKG showed moderate expansion of the left ventricle, moderate expansion of the left atrium. Sealing of the mitral valve leaves, regurgitation on the mitral valve of the first degree. Left ventricular myocardium is inhomogeneous, wall echogenicity is increased. Fraction of contractility 16–18 %. After establishment of a dietary regime and correction of conditions of the maintenance, to dogs strictly with a twelve-hour interval twice a day are appointed vedmedin (0,25 mg/kg), sotalol (1,5 mg/kg), sinulox (20 mg/kg), mexidol-vet (1 table), verospheron (1 mg/kg). As a result of four-week monitoring of patients’ condition positive results were noted: lack of dyspnea, normalization of pulse rate and blood pressure, reduction of capillary filling rate up to 1 second, leukocyte concentration up to 12,6–15,7 ×109/l, SRS up to 1,3–1,4 mg/l, troponin up to 0,09–0,17 ng/ml. The electrocardiographic study showed a decrease in the height of teeth R and P, increase in the intervals P-Q and Q-T. The sinus rhythm is irregular. Echokg showed expansion of the left ventricle, moderate expansion of the left atrium. Sealing of mitral valve leaves, regurgitation on mitral valve of the first degree. Left ventricular myocardium is less heterogeneous, wall echogenicity is increased. Fraction of contractility 23–24 %. It is difficult to predict the outcome of the disease at this stage, as the age of dogs is 7–12 years, and in many respects the quality of life will be provided by their owners.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-299
Author(s):  
Yu Feng ◽  
Man-li Zhou ◽  
Jian-zhang Wang ◽  
Jia-qi Zhang ◽  
Shu-le Qian ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To investigate the effects of telmisartan on the protein profiles of the left ventricular myocardium in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Methods Sixteen SHR were randomly divided into control and telmisartan treatment groups. Rats were treated with sterile water (10 ml/kg) or telmisartan (4.33 mg/kg) by gavage for 12 weeks. Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats treated with sterile water (10 ml/kg) as controls. At the end of 12 weeks of control or telmisartan treatment, rats were sacrificed, and hearts were collected for protein preparations, isotope labeling, and mass spectrometric analysis. Results In total, there were 23 differentially expressed proteins in the left ventricular myocardium between control and telmisartan treatment groups in SHR. Compared with the telmisartan group, the upregulated proteins in the SHR were dual-specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3-like, transgelin, and haptoglobin subtype 2. The downregulated proteins in the SHR were as follows: von Willebrand factor (fragment), kininogen 1, small ribonucleoprotein-related protein, fibrinogen beta chain, protein mass 3 (fragment), proteasome 26s, heat shock protein 27-related protein 1, tenascin X, fibronectin subtype 2, transferrin receptor protein, platelets 1, cathepsin L1, complement factor B, isoform CRA_b, fibrinogen isomer, immunoglobulin heavy chain (γ polypeptide), and α 1 antiprotease. Conclusions Telmisartan differentially regulates myocardial protein expression in hypertensive rats including heat shock protein 27, fibrinogen, fibronectin, proteasome 26s and transgelin, as well as proteins in biochemical, metabolic, and signal transduction pathways. These changes in protein expression may contribute to the antihypertrophic effects of telmisartan in hypertension.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yankun Lyu ◽  
Vipin K. Verma ◽  
Younjee Lee ◽  
Iosif Taleb ◽  
Rachit Badolia ◽  
...  

AbstractIt is well established that the aging heart progressively remodels towards a senescent phenotype, but alterations of cellular microstructure and their differences to chronic heart failure (HF) associated remodeling remain ill-defined. Here, we show that the transverse tubular system (t-system) and proteins underlying excitation-contraction coupling in cardiomyocytes are characteristically remodeled with age. We shed light on mechanisms of this remodeling and identified similarities and differences to chronic HF. Using left ventricular myocardium from donors and HF patients with ages between 19 and 75 years, we established a library of 3D reconstructions of the t-system as well as ryanodine receptor (RyR) and junctophilin 2 (JPH2) clusters. Aging was characterized by t-system alterations and sarcolemmal dissociation of RyR clusters. This remodeling was less pronounced than in HF and accompanied by major alterations of JPH2 arrangement. Our study indicates that targeting sarcolemmal association of JPH2 might ameliorate age-associated deficiencies of heart function.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Nina C. Wunderlich ◽  
Siew Yen Ho ◽  
Nir Flint ◽  
Robert J. Siegel

The morphological changes that occur in myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) involve various components, ultimately leading to the impairment of mitral valve (MV) function. In this context, intrinsic mitral annular abnormalities are increasingly recognized, such as a mitral annular disjunction (MAD), a specific anatomical abnormality whereby there is a distinct separation between the mitral annulus and the left atrial wall and the basal portion of the posterolateral left ventricular myocardium. In recent years, several studies have suggested that MAD contributes to myxomatous degeneration of the mitral leaflets, and there is growing evidence that MAD is associated with ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. In this review, the morphological characteristics of MAD and imaging tools for diagnosis will be described, and the clinical and functional aspects of the coincidence of MAD and myxomatous MVP will be discussed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 951-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Eriksen ◽  
Arnfinn Ilebekk ◽  
Alessandro Cataliotti ◽  
Cathrine Rein Carlson ◽  
Torstein Lyberg ◽  
...  

SummaryBradykinin (BK) receptor-2 (B2R) and β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) have been shown to form heterodimers in vitro. However, in vivo proofs of the functional effects of B2R-β2AR heterodimerisation are missing. Both BK and adrenergic stimulation are known inducers of tPA release. Our goal was to demonstrate the existence of B2R-β2AR heterodimerisation in myocardium and to define its functional effect on cardiac release of tPA in vivo. We further investigated the effects of a non-selective β-blocker on this receptor interplay. To investigate functional effects of B2R-β2AR heterodimerisation (i. e. BK transactivation of β2AR) in vivo, we induced serial electrical stimulation of cardiac sympathetic nerves (SS) in normal pigs that underwent concomitant BK infusion. Both SS and BK alone induced increases in cardiac tPA release. Importantly, despite B2R desensitisation, simultaneous BK infusion and SS (BK+SS) was characterised by 2.3 ± 0.3-fold enhanced tPA release compared to SS alone. When β-blockade (propranolol) was introduced prior to BK+SS, tPA release was inhibited. A persistent B2R-β2AR heterodimer was confirmed in BK-stimulated and nonstimulated left ventricular myocardium by immunoprecipitation studies and under non-reducing gel conditions. All together, these results strongly suggest BK transactivation of β2AR leading to enhanced β2AR-mediated release of tPA. Importantly, non-selective β-blockade inhibits both SS-induced release of tPA and the functional effects of B2R-β2AR heterodimerisation in vivo, which may have important clinical implications.


Medicina ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigita Glaveckaitė ◽  
Kęstutis Ručinskas ◽  
Jelena Čelutkienė ◽  
Vytė Maneikienė ◽  
Diana Zakarkaitė ◽  
...  

Isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium is defined as a rare cardiomyopathy caused by intrauterine arrest of compaction of the myocardial fibers and meshwork, an important process in myocardial development, in absence of any coexisting congenital heart lesions. A lot of controversies exist about diagnostic criteria, nomenclature, origin, pathogenesis, and prognosis of this disease. Here, we describe an adult patient with isolated left ventricular noncompaction who presented with worsening congestive heart failure and was successfully treated with heart transplantation.


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