Dog Heart Research Articles

Co-infection with Angiostrongylus chabaudi and Dirofilaria immitis in a wildcat, Felis silvestris from Romania – a case report

Dirofilaria immitis is a worldwide spread nematode affecting the pulmonary artery and the heart of dogs (rarely reported in cats), especially in areas where the dogs show a high prevalence of infection. Angiostrongylus chabaudi is, in turn, a cardiopulmonary nematode of felids identified in several southern European countries and Germany. Co-infections of Dirofilaria immitis and Angiostrongylus spp. are known only in canids. We report a case of D. immitis and A. chabaudi co-infection in a road-killed wildcat originating from Southeastern Romania. Overall, 17 nematodes were collected from the pulmonary arteries of the wildcat and were morphologically identified as A. chabaudi (2 males and 15 females). Another nematode was collected from the right ventricle and identified as adult male D. immitis. Genomic DNA was extracted from one nematode of each of the two species and a fragment of the cox1 gene was amplified and sequenced. The sequences obtained from the nematodes showed 100% similarity to a sequence of A. chabaudi isolated from Romania (Accession number KU521521) and to various D. immitis sequences from Europe, Asia and Australia (e.g. KT716014, EU159111, AJ537512). This is the first report of A. chabaudi and D. immitis co-infection in a felid, revealing the possibility of similar situations in domestic cats. This requires a more in-depth clinical and laboratory examination of animals with respiratory and cardiac symptoms.

Мікроскопічна будова серця, органів кровотворення та імунногенезу собак за експериментального відтворення парвовірозу

A fairly common disease of dogs in Ukraine is parvovirus enteritis, which is extremely common (51.6%) among enteritis of viral etiology and causes significant economic and moral damage to pet owners. Therefore, the need for additional studies to clarify, supplement and summarize data on the pathology of various organs and tissues in parvovirus enteritis in dogs, modern methods of immunoprophylaxis and treatment can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality for this infection. Given the relevance of the topic, the result of our study is the refinement, addition and synthesis of data on the pathomorphology of various organs and tissues of dogs during experimental reproduction of parvovirosis, which will make it possible to explain in more detail the effect of the pathogen on animals with parvovirus enteritis. The article analyzing the results of histological studies presents data on the microscopic structure of the blood-forming organs and the immune defense - the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes and the heart of dogs during experimental infection with their parvovirus enteritis. It has been established that in dogs with experimental to infect of parvovirus enteritis, microscopic changes in the hematopoietic and immune defense organs are recorded. At the same time, the most pronounced changes in the thymus are impaired lymphocyte differentiation processes in thymic lobules, lymph nodes and expansion of blood vessels and swelling of the cortex and medulla, in the spleen, pulp edema and accumulation of red granules and iron-containing pigment grains in the spleen, hemosiderin , the result of the breakdown of a large number of red blood cells. In the myocardium, microscopic changes were manifested by diffuse edema between muscle and connective tissue, granular dystrophy of cardiomyocytes and the presence of intranuclear eosinophilic taurus inclusions. The complex of histological changes in the blood-forming organs and immune defense and the myocardium that we found during experimental reproduction of parvovirosis can be considered a characteristic criterion for the pathomorphological differential diagnosis of parvovirus enteritis in dogs

Influence of weight loss on heart rate variability in dogs

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a role in the regulation of the cardiovascular system through sympathetic and parasympathetic modulations, which act in an associated way in the regulation of homeostasis. This regulation exercised by the ANS is determined by numerous factors including breathing, stress, temperature, blood pressure and physical activity. Cardiac nerve regulation is influenced by obesity, but the autonomic response present in this disorder has not yet been elucidated. It is known that a 10% increase in body fat is able to lead to a decrease in parasympathetic action and an increase in heart rate. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) allows the evaluation of autonomic heart modulation through the ventricular depolarization intervals to the electrocardiogram (ECG), and provides information on the relationship and contribution of the ANS to the neural influence of heart rate control. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the HRV by means of an electrocardiographic examination in obese dogs with Body Condition Score (BCS) 8/9 and 9/9, comparing with HRV of the same animals, after therapy with therapeutic ration in the period of 6 months, as well as the comparison with control group with lean animals. With the results obtained in the present study, it can be inferred that probably the imbalance in the autonomic activity due to obesity in dogs is not the same as in humans and that a greater understanding of this regulation in these animals is necessary, especially considering their vagotonia. The diet program based on low-calorie ration reached approximately 10% and 20% of weight reduction after two and six months, respectively. Obesity raises HRV by increasing parasympathetic activity in the autonomic regulation of the heart in dogs.

Seroprevalence of vector-borne pathogens in dogs from Croatia.

Canine vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) are a group of globally distributed and rapidly spreading microorganisms transmitted by arthropods. In the present survey, we investigated Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia canis, Dirofilaria immitis and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato seroprevalence between three groups of dogs (asymptomatic, suspected and deceased) from continental and coastal regions of Croatia with the commercial point-of-care SNAP®4Dx®Plus for VBPs. The overall prevalence for tested pathogens in dogs was 6.1% with the highest prevalence detected for Anaplasma spp. (4.5%), while the remaining pathogens were found at a prevalence of less than 1% (E. canis 0.6%, B. burgdorferi s.l. 0.4%, D. immitis 0.6%). No statistically significant differences in VBP detection between dog cohorts could be found with the exception of D. immitis in the deceased group. Interestingly, no evidence of D. immitis could be found in the hearts of dogs in this group at necropsy, however. This study provides the first data on the seroprevalence of selected VBPs between dogs of different health statuses in Croatia. The results demonstrate that serological evidence of VBPs alone or in combination with co-infections were found just as frequently in asymptomatic dogs as those with suspected or confirmed evidence of VBP disease, raising questions about the pathogenic potential of these organisms in domesticated dogs.

Abnormalities of Mitochondrial Dynamics in the Failing Heart: Normalization Following Long-Term Therapy with Elamipretide

PurposeAbnormalities of MITO dynamics occur in HF and have been implicated in disease progression. This study describes the broad range abnormalities of mitochondrial (MITO) dynamics in Heart Failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF) and evaluates the effects of long-term therapy with elamipretide (ELAM), a MITO-targeting peptide, on these abnormalities.MethodsStudies were performed in left ventricular tissue from dogs and humans with HF, and were compared with tissue from healthy dogs and healthy donor human hearts. Dogs with HF were randomized to 3 months therapy with ELAM or vehicle. The following were evaluated in dog and human hearts: (1) regulators of MITO biogenesis, including endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α, a transcription factor that drives MITO biogenesis); (2) regulators of MITO fission and fusion, including fission-1, dynamin-related protein-1, mitofusion-2, dominant optic atrophy-1, and mitofilin; and (3) determinants of cardiolipin (CL) synthesis and remodeling, including CL synthase-1, tafazzin-1, and acyl-CoA:lysocardiolipin acyltransferase-1.ResultsThe study showed decreased levels of eNOS, cGMP, and PGC-1α in HF (dog and human). Increased levels of fission-associated proteins, decreased levels of fusion-associated proteins, decreased mitofilin, and abnormalities of CL synthesis and remodeling were also observed. In all instances, these maladaptations were normalized following long-term therapy with ELAM.ConclusionsCritical abnormalities of MITO dynamics occur in HF and are normalized following long-term therapy with ELAM. The findings provide support for the continued development of ELAM for the treatment of HF.

The Potential Application of Heavy Ion Beams in the Treatment of Arrhythmia: The Role of Radiation-Induced Modulation of Connexin43 and the Sympathetic Nervous System.

It has been known that heart disease-such as myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac hypertrophy, or heart failure-alters the molecular structure and function of the gap junction, which can lead to an abnormal heart rhythm. Radiation has been shown to modulate intercellular communication in the skin and lungs by increasing connexin43 (Cx43) expression. Understanding how Cx43 upregulation is induced in a diseased heart can help provide a new perspective to radiation therapy for arrhythmias. In a recent study with rabbits after MI, carbon ions were accelerated to 290 MeV/u and extracted in the air; a biologically (cell kill) uniform 6-cm spread-out Bragg peak beam was generated, and beam tissue depth was set to 30 mm with energy degraders to the depth position. Targeted heavy ion irradiation (THIR) with 15 Gy to the left ventricle increased Cx43 expression, improved conductivity, decreased the spatial heterogeneity of repolarization, and reduced the vulnerability of rabbit hearts to ventricular arrhythmias after MI. In clinically normal rabbits, THIR > = 10 Gy caused a significant dose-dependent increase of Cx43 protein and messenger RNA 2 weeks after irradiation. The left (irradiated) and right (nonirradiated) ventricles exhibited circumferential upregulation of Cx43 lasting for at least 1 year. There were no significant changes in electrocardiograms and echocardiograms, indicating no apparent injury for 1 year. A single exposure of 135 MeV/u THIR with 15 Gy to a dog heart attenuated vulnerability to ventricular arrhythmia after the induction of MI for at least 1 year through the modulation of Cx43 expression. This long-lasting remodeling effect on gap junctions may lay the groundwork to novel therapies against life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in structural heart disease. To date, there have been few investigations into the effects of carbon-ion irradiation on electrophysiological properties in the human heart. Patients with mediastinum cancer were investigated for 5 years after treatment that included irradiation to the heart, and investigators found that carbon-ion beam irradiation to the heart is not immediately cardiotoxic and demonstrates consistent signals of arrhythmia reduction. Its practical application in non-cancer treatment, such as in arrhythmia treatment, is highly anticipated.

Calcium-dependent potassium channels control proliferation of cardiac progenitor cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Ex vivo proliferated c-Kit+ endogenous cardiac progenitor cells (eCPCs) obtained from mouse and human cardiac tissues have been reported to express a wide range of functional ion channels. In contrast to previous reports in cultured c-Kit+ eCPCs, we found that ion currents were minimal in freshly isolated cells. However, inclusion of free Ca2+ intracellularly revealed a prominent inwardly rectifying current identified as the intermediate conductance Ca2+ -activated K+ current (KCa3.1) Electrical function of both c-Kit+ eCPCs and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells is critically governed by KCa3.1 calcium-dependent potassium channels. Ca2+ -induced increases in KCa3.1 conductance are necessary to optimize membrane potential during Ca2+ entry. Membrane hyperpolarization due to KCa3.1 activation maintains the driving force for Ca2+ entry that activates stem cell proliferation. Cardiac disease downregulates KCa3.1 channels in resident cardiac progenitor cells. Alterations in KCa3.1 may have pathophysiological and therapeutic significance in regenerative medicine. Endogenous c-Kit+ cardiac progenitor cells (eCPCs) and bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being developed for cardiac regenerative therapy, but a better understanding of their physiology is needed. Here, we addressed the unknown functional role of ion channels in freshly isolated eCPCs and expanded BM-MSCs using patch-clamp, microfluorometry and confocal microscopy. Isolated c-Kit+ eCPCs were purified from dog hearts by immunomagnetic selection. Ion currents were barely detectable in freshly isolated c-Kit+ eCPCs with buffering of intracellular calcium (Ca2+i ). Under conditions allowing free intracellular Ca2+ , freshly isolated c-Kit+ eCPCs and ex vivo proliferated BM-MSCs showed prominent voltage-independent conductances that were sensitive to intermediate-conductance K+ -channel (KCa3.1 current, IKCa3.1 ) blockers and corresponding gene (KCNN4)-expression knockdown. Depletion of Ca2+i induced membrane-potential (Vmem ) depolarization, while store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) hyperpolarized Vmem in both cell types. The hyperpolarizing SOCE effect was substantially reduced by IKCa3.1 or SOCE blockade (TRAM-34, 2-APB), and IKCa3.1 blockade (TRAM-34) or KCNN4-knockdown decreased the Ca2+ entry resulting from SOCE. IKCa3.1 suppression reduced c-Kit+ eCPC and BM-MSC proliferation, while significantly altering the profile of cyclin expression. IKCa3.1 was reduced in c-Kit+ eCPCs isolated from dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF), along with corresponding KCNN4 mRNA. Under perforated-patch conditions to maintain physiological [Ca2+ ]i , c-Kit+ eCPCs from CHF dogs had less negative resting membrane potentials (-58±7mV) versus c-Kit+ eCPCs from control dogs (-73±3mV, P<0.05), along with slower proliferation. Our study suggests that Ca2+ -induced increases in IKCa3.1 are necessary to optimize membrane potential during the Ca2+ entry that activates progenitor cell proliferation, and that alterations in KCa3.1 may have pathophysiological and therapeutic significance in regenerative medicine.

Прецедентные имена со сферой-источником «литература» в русскоязычном медиадискурсе (на примере повести М.А. Булгакова «Собачье сердце»)

The article is devoted to the study of precedent name in Russian-language media texts on the example of the story of M.A. Bulgakov &amp;quot;A Dog's Heart.&amp;quot; The purpose of this study is to determine the implementation features of the precedent name Professor Preobrazhensky in the Russian-language media discourse. The study was conducted on the basis of journalistic texts of the National Corps of the Russian language. In classification and generalization of the material, the following methods were used: descriptive, lexicographical, interpretative, methods of component and contextual analysis, method of controlled selection. An analysis of practical material showed that the authors of journalistic texts resort to the use of precedent names in order to create a figurative characterization of a particular person or a description of a specific situation. Appeal to the personality of Professor Preobrazhensky helps the journalist influence emotionally the addressee and stimulates the reader to use his own erudition and background knowledge.

The Impact of Periodontal Disease on the Heart and Kidneys in Dogs

The Impact of Periodontal Disease on the Heart and Kidneys in Dogs

Altered myofilament structure and function in dogs with Duchenne muscular dystrophy cardiomyopathy

AimDuchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is associated with progressive depressed left ventricular (LV) function. However, DMD effects on myofilament structure and function are poorly understood. Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy (GRMD) is a dog model of DMD recapitulating the human form of DMD. ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to evaluate myofilament structure and function alterations in GRMD model with spontaneous cardiac failure. Methods and resultsWe have employed synchrotron X-rays diffraction to evaluate myofilament lattice spacing at various sarcomere lengths (SL) on permeabilized LV myocardium. We found a negative correlation between SL and lattice spacing in both sub-epicardium (EPI) and sub-endocardium (ENDO) LV layers in control dog hearts. In the ENDO of GRMD hearts this correlation is steeper due to higher lattice spacing at short SL (1.9μm). Furthermore, cross-bridge cycling indexed by the kinetics of tension redevelopment (ktr) was faster in ENDO GRMD myofilaments at short SL. We measured post-translational modifications of key regulatory contractile proteins. S-glutathionylation of cardiac Myosin Binding Protein-C (cMyBP-C) was unchanged and PKA dependent phosphorylation of the cMyBP-C was significantly reduced in GRMD ENDO tissue and more modestly in EPI tissue. ConclusionsWe found a gradient of contractility in control dogs' myocardium that spreads across the LV wall, negatively correlated with myofilament lattice spacing. Chronic stress induced by dystrophin deficiency leads to heart failure that is tightly associated with regional structural changes indexed by increased myofilament lattice spacing, reduced phosphorylation of regulatory proteins and altered myofilament contractile properties in GRMD dogs.

91 Expression Pattern of Neuron-Specific Red Fluorescence Protein in Nervous System of Transgenic Dog with Human Synapsin I Promoter

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, affect neurons in large areas within the central nervous system. The selective expression of disease-causing and therapeutic genes in susceptible regions and cell types is critical to the generation of animal models. In our previous studies, we reported production of a transgenic dog by nuclear transfer using donor cells that had been stably transfected by vector containing the red fluorescence protein (RFP) and human synapsin I (SynI) promoter, a neuron-specific promoter. Here, we evaluated whether RFP expression in transgenic dog with SynI (SynI dog) had high neuronal specificity and strong transcriptional activity. For confirmation of neuron-specific RFP expression, tissue samples were obtained from a killed 4-year-old SynI dog. Quantification of RFP in heart, kidney, liver, lung, spleen, cerebrum, cerebrum, cerebellum, midbrain, hippocampus, peripheral nerves, skin, and spinal cord of SynI dog was analysed using ELISA (Cell Biolabs, San Diego, CA, USA). Moreover, the distribution of RFP activity in neural system of the SynI dog was determined by immunohistochemistry. The first antibody, rabbit polyclonal RFP antibody (1:200, ab62341, Abcam, Cambridge, MA, USA) was applied, and antibody labelling was visualised by incubation with avidin-biotinylated horseradish peroxidase complex (1:1,000; ABC Elite, Vector Laboratories, Burlingame, CA, USA). In the 4-year-old SynI dog, RFP was observed only in neuronal tissues including brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, but was not detected in non-neuronal tissue such as heart, kidney, and skin. In addition, robust RFP expression was observed in the neurons of the peripheral nerve, spinal cord, and prefrontal cortex. In the hippocampus and cerebellum, the RFP-expressing cells appeared heterogeneous in hippocampus neurons and purkinje cells. In conclusion, we report that human SynI promoter is functional in neural cells of dogs. A neural specific-transgene expressed dog could be applied as a research tool in the study of neurodegenerative disorders. This research was supported by RDA (#PJ010928032017), Korea IPET (#316002-05-2-SB010), NRF (#2016R1D1A1B03932198), and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, the BK21 plus program.

“Recognize This”: Anderson’s Heart of a Dog

Abstract

Om tuis te gaan in styl: Territoriumskepping in Breyten Breytenbach se ’n Seisoen in die paradys (1976) en Dog Heart (1998)

This article is a study of how Breyten Breytenbach deals with the idea of home in his autobiographical prose, how he experiences home and how he constructs it. Although I hope that the argument will serve to give a new perspective on any of Breytenbach’s texts that deal with questions about the nature of home and the construction thereof, I only refer to ’n Seisoen in Paradys (A Season in Paradise, 1976) and Dog Heart (1998). The article uses concepts of Deleuze and Guattari to show how Breytenbach writes his home, and especially how his constructions of a home in his self-writings are products of a certain style of writing.

Biophysical comparison of sodium currents in native cardiac myocytes and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

IntroductionHuman induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are used for safety pharmacology and to investigate genetic diseases affecting cardiac ion channels. It is unclear whether adult myocytes or hiPSC-CMs are the better platform for cardiac safety pharmacology. We examined the biophysical and molecular properties of INa in adult myocytes and hiPSC-CMs. MethodshiPSC-CMs were plated at low density. Atrial and ventricular cells were obtained from dog hearts. Whole cell patch clamp was used to record INa. ResultsVoltage clamp recordings showed a large INa in all three cell types but different densities. Small differences in steady-state inactivation and recovery from inactivation were noted in the three cell types. Application of lidocaine to the three cell types showed a similar pattern of block of INa under voltage clamp; however, lidocaine produced different effects on AP waveform under current clamp. AP clamp experiments showed that application of ventricular or atrial cell waveforms to the same hiPSC-CM elicited a large INa while application of a sinoatrial node waveform elicited no INa. Molecular analysis of Na+ channel subunits showed SCN5A and SCN1B-4B were expressed in adult cells and iPSC-CMs. However, iPSC-CMs express both fetal (exon 6A) and adult (exon 6) isoforms of SCN5A. DiscussionThere are major differences in INa density and smaller differences in other biophysical properties of INa in adult atrial, ventricular, and hiPSC-CMs. The depolarized maximum diastolic potential coupled with the presence of phase 4 depolarization limits the contribution of INa in hiPSC-CM action potentials. Our results suggest that hiPSC-CMs may be useful for drug screening of Na+ channel inhibitors under voltage clamp but not current clamp.

Production of aldosterone in cardiac tissues of healthy dogs and with dilated myocardiopathy.

Background and Aim:Aldosterone is a hormone, belonging to the group of mineralocorticoids, mainly synthesized in the adrenal cortex, basically its function is to regulate blood pressure and sodium-potassium levels in the body; high levels of this hormone have harmful effects in the organism and mainly in the heart in chronic form. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a progressive disease of heart muscle that is characterized by ventricular chamber enlargement and contractile dysfunction, is one of the most common cardiac conditions in dogs of medium and large breeds. The aim of the study was to determine and quantify if a dog’s cardiac cells possess the capacity to synthesize aldosterone, as well as, the differences that appear between a healthy heart and with dilated myocardiopathy (DMC).Materials and Methods:Cardiac tissues were used from six healthy dogs and six with DMC. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine if the dog’s heart cells synthesized this mineralocorticoid in a similar way to rat, rabbit, and human tissues, as well as quantitative differences between the healthy heart and DMC.Results:In healthy dog hearts, aldosterone values were 62.5 pG for both the atria and right ventricle and 125 pG for the left ventricle. As for dog hearts’ with DMC, results were 125 pG in all four cavities.Conclusion:Both the healthy and DMC dog hearts produce aldosterone in all four cavities, observing that production increases in the atria and right ventricle of those hearts with DMC, as an intrinsic mechanism of cardiac remodeling.

Mikhail Bulgakov : Diaries and Selected Letters, translated by Roger Cockrell; A Dog's Heart, translated by Antonina W. Bouis

Mikhail Bulgakov : <i>Diaries and Selected Letters</i>, translated by Roger Cockrell; <i>A Dog's Heart</i>, translated by Antonina W. Bouis

Interspecies transmission of emotional information via chemosignals: from humans to dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)

We report a study examining interspecies emotion transfer via body odors (chemosignals). Do human body odors (chemosignals) produced under emotional conditions of happiness and fear provide information that is detectable by pet dogs (Labrador and Golden retrievers)? The odor samples were collected from the axilla of male donors not involved in the main experiment. The experimental setup involved the co-presence of the dog's owner, a stranger and the odor dispenser in a space where the dogs could move freely. There were three odor conditions [fear, happiness, and control (no sweat)] to which the dogs were assigned randomly. The dependent variables were the relevant behaviors of the dogs (e.g., approaching, interacting and gazing) directed to the three targets (owner, stranger, sweat dispenser) aside from the dogs' stress and heart rate indicators. The results indicated with high accuracy that the dogs manifested the predicted behaviors in the three conditions. There were fewer and shorter owner directed behaviors and more stranger directed behaviors when they were in the "happy odor condition" compared to the fear odor and control conditions. In the fear odor condition, they displayed more stressful behaviors. The heart rate data in the control and happy conditions were significantly lower than in the fear condition. Our findings suggest that interspecies emotional communication is facilitated by chemosignals.

Effects of Low Salt Diet on Gene Expression in Dog Heart

Low-salt(LS) always be abided as dietary principle by hypertension patients. However, recent studies found that the incidence of cardiopathy and stroke increases in subjects with LS diet(<3g/d), meanwhile, LS can accelerate the development of atherosclerosis. It is essential to study deeply on the relationship between the amount of salt intake and cardiovascular diseases. We performed an analysis to explore the possible molecular mechanism of salt-induced cardiovascular disease. Microarray datasets (GSE17149) of heart tissue from LS diet dogs was obtained from NCBI’s GEO Database. The data was analyzed by QOE, STRING and Genclip 2.0. The protein-protein interactions (PPI) networks of the differentially expressed genes(DEGs, p<0.05, q<0.05, Fold change>2) between the LS group and control group (normal diet) were conducted to screen the key biomarkers between the two groups. Compared with the control group, the gene expression profile of heart tissue from dogs was changed in the LS group(0.05% of sodium chloride, approximately 150 mg/d). 1343 (3.12%) DEGs were found from 43035 genes in total. The results also revealed that NFKBIA and NR1H2 were the cores of the PPI networks, which were mainly related to reduce the function of macrophage-derived foam cells and to promote cholesterol discharge and decomposition. The signaling pathways such as MAPK, PI3K-Akt, NF-kappa B were activated when the dogs received LS diet, which resulted in lower risk of cardiovascular disease through anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative stress, et al. The gene expression of heart tissue in LS diet dogs is significantly changed and LS diet may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up-regulating the expression of NFKBIA, NR1H2 and oxidative stress-related signaling pathways. More rigorous and independent experiments are needed to validate the conclusions of the present study.

Slow conduction through an arc of block: A basis for arrhythmia formation postmyocardial infarction.

The electrophysiologic basis for characteristic rate-dependent, constant-late-coupled (390 + 54 milliseconds) premature ventricular beats (PVBs) present 4-5 days following coronary artery occlusion were examined in 108 anesthetized dogs. Fractionated/double potentials were observed in injured zone bipolar and composite electrograms at prolonged sinus cycle lengths (1,296±396 milliseconds). At shorter cycle lengths, conduction of the delayed potential decremented, separating from the initial electrogram by a progressively prolonged isoelectric interval. With sufficient delay of the second potential following an isoelectric interval, a PVB was initiated. Both metastable and stable constant-coupled PVBs were associated with Wenckebach-like patterns of delayed activation following an isoelectric interval. Signal-averaging from the infarct border confirmed the presence of an isoelectric interval preceding the PVBs (N=15). Pacing from the site of double potential formation accurately reproduced the surface ECG morphology (N=15) of spontaneous PVBs. Closely-spaced epicardial mapping demonstrated delayed activation across an isoelectric interval representing "an arc of conduction block." Rate-dependent very slow antegrade conduction through a zone of apparent conduction block (N=8) produced decremental activation delays until the delay was sufficient to excite epicardium distal to the original "arc of conduction block," resulting in PVB formation. The present experiments demonstrate double potential formation and rate-dependent constant-coupled late PVB formation in infarcted dog hearts. Electrode recordings demonstrate a prolonged isoelectric period preceding PVB formation consistent with very slow conduction (<70 mm/s) across a line of apparent conduction block and may represent a new mechanism of PVB formation following myocardial infarction.

Angiostrongylus vasorum in wolves in Italy: prevalence and pathological findings

BackgroundAngiostrongylus vasorum is a nematode residing in the heart and pulmonary vessels of dogs and wild carnivores. In Europe the red fox is its reservoir, while only three records from wolves have been published. Angiostrongylus vasorum has a worldwide distribution, and many pieces of evidence demonstrate that it is spreading from endemic areas to new ones. In Italy, A. vasorum was reported with increasing frequency in dogs and foxes in the last decades, and now it is considered endemic throughout the country. Angiostrongylus vasorum can be asymptomatic or cause respiratory and circulatory disorders, at times causing severe disseminated infections.MethodsBetween February 2012 and December 2016, 25 wolves found dead in central Italy were submitted to the Istituto Zooprofilattico del Lazio e della Toscana for post-mortem examination. Samples of lungs, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, mediastinic lymph nodes and brain were collected from each animal for histological examination. When adult and larval nematodes were microscopically seen in lungs, the other organs were processed, and five histological sections for each organ were examined. To confirm parasite identification, lung samples were submitted to a PCR-sequencing protocol targeting the ITS2 region of A. vasorum.ResultsSeven wolves (28.0%) harboured nematode larvae in lung sections. In two of the positive wolves, adult nematodes were visible in pulmonary arteries, in four animals larvae were also detected in other organs. DNA sequencing reactions confirmed parasite identification as A. vasorum in all the cases.ConclusionsAs a result of the high prevalence of A. vasorum reported in wolves in the present study, a focus of high circulation could be hypothesised in central Italy. Nevertheless, the similarly high prevalence in foxes originating from the same areas were reported in previous papers. Histopathological evidence highlights the pathogenic potential of A. vasorum in the wolf, especially in juvenile animals.