Author: Herdy AH, López-Jiménez F, Terzic CP, Milani M, Stein R, Carvalho T, Serra S, Araujo CG, Zeballos PC, Anchique CV, Burdiat G, González K, González G, Fernández R, Santibáñez C, Rodríguez-Escudero JP, Ilarraza-Lomelí H.

Journal: Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, v. 103, p. 1-31, 2014.

From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25387466

Author: Ramos, Plínio S.; SARDINHA, A.; NARDI, A. E.; ARAÚJO, C. G. S.

Journal: Plos One, v. 9, p. e104932, 2014.

Abstract:

Panic disorder (PD) patients often report respiratory symptoms and tend to perform poorly during maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX), at least partially, due to phobic anxiety. Thus, we hypothesized that a submaximal exercise variable, minimum VE/VO2 - hereafter named cardiorespiratory optimal point (COP) -, may be useful in their clinical assessment. Data from 2,338 subjects were retrospectively analyzed and 52 (2.2%) patients diagnosed with PD (PDG) (70% women; aged 48±13 years). PD patients were compared with a healthy control group (CG) precisely matched to number of cases, age and gender profiles. PDG was further divided into two subgroups, based on having achieved a maximal or a submaximal CPX (unwilling to continue until exhaustion). We compared COP, VO2 max, maximum heart rate (HR max) between PDG and CG, and also COP between maximal and submaximal PD subgroups. COP was similar between PDG and CG (21.9±0.5 vs. 23.4±0.6; p = 0.07), as well as, for PD subgroups of maximal and submaximal CPX (22.0±0.5 vs. 21.6±1.3; p = 0.746). Additionally, PD patients completing a maximal CPX obtained VO2 max (mL x kg-1 x min-1) (32.9±1.57 vs 29.6±1.48; p = 0.145) and HR max (bpm) similar to controls (173±2.0 vs 168±2.7; p = 0.178). No adverse complications occurred during CPX. Although clinically safe, it is sometimes difficult to obtain a true maximal CPX in PD patients. Normalcy of cardiorespiratory interaction at submaximal effort as assessed by COP may contribute to reassure both patients and physicians that there is no physiological substrate for exercise-related respiratory symptoms often reported by PD patients.

From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25157496

Autor: de Brito L.B.; Ricardo D.R.; de Araújo D.S.; Ramos P.S.; Myers J.; de Araújo C.G.

Journal: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, v. 21, p. 892-898, 2014.

Abstract:

BACKGROUND:
While cardiorespiratory fitness is strongly related to survival, there are limited data regarding musculoskeletal fitness indicators. Our aim was to evaluate the association between the ability to sit and rise from the floor and all-cause mortality.

DESIGN:
Retrospective cohort.

METHODS:
2002 adults aged 51-80 years (68% men) performed a sitting-rising test (SRT) to and from the floor, which was scored from 0 to 5, with one point being subtracted from 5 for each support used (hand/knee). Final SRT score, varying from 0 to 10, was obtained by adding sitting and rising scores and stratified in four categories for analysis: 0-3; 3.5-5.5, 6-7.5, and 8-10.

RESULTS:
Median follow up was 6.3 years and there were 159 deaths (7.9%). Lower SRT scores were associated with higher mortality (p < 0.001). A continuous trend for longer survival was reflected by multivariate-adjusted (age, sex, body mass index) hazard ratios of 5.44 (95% CI 3.1-9.5), 3.44 (95% CI 2.0-5.9), and 1.84 (95% CI 1.1-3.0) (p < 0.001) from lower to higher SRT scores. Each unit increase in SRT score conferred a 21% improvement in survival.

CONCLUSIONS:

Musculoskeletal fitness, as assessed by SRT, was a significant predictor of mortality in 51-80-year-old subjects. Application of a simple and safe assessment tool such as SRT, which is influenced by muscular strength and flexibility, in general health examinations could add relevant information regarding functional capabilities and outcomes in non-hospitalized adults.

From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23242910

Author: MILLAR, Philip J.; MCGOWAN, Cheri L.; CORNELISSEN, Véronique A.; ARAUJO, Cláudio G.; SWAINE, Ian L.

Journal: Sports Medicine (Auckland), v. 44, p. 345-356, 2014.

Abstract:

Hypertension, or the chronic elevation in resting arterial blood pressure (BP), is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and estimated to affect ~1 billion adults worldwide. The goals of treatment are to lower BP through lifestyle modifications (smoking cessation, weight loss, exercise training, healthy eating and reduced sodium intake), and if not solely effective, the addition of antihypertensive medications. In particular, increased physical exercise and decreased sedentarism are important strategies in the prevention and management of hypertension. Current guidelines recommend both aerobic and dynamic resistance exercise training modalities to reduce BP. Mounting prospective evidence suggests that isometric exercise training in normotensive and hypertensive (medicated and non-medicated) cohorts of young and old participants may produce similar, if not greater, reductions in BP, with meta-analyses reporting mean reductions of between 10 and 13 mmHg systolic, and 6 and 8 mmHg diastolic. Isometric exercise training protocols typically consist of four sets of 2-min handgrip or leg contractions sustained at 20-50 % of maximal voluntary contraction, with each set separated by a rest period of 1-4 min. Training is usually completed three to five times per week for 4-10 weeks. Although the mechanisms responsible for these adaptations remain to be fully clarified, improvements in conduit and resistance vessel endothelium-dependent dilation, oxidative stress, and autonomic regulation of heart rate and BP have been reported. The clinical significance of isometric exercise training, as a time-efficient and effective training modality to reduce BP, warrants further study. This evidence-based review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of isometric exercise training on resting BP.

From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24174307

Author: Claudio Gil Soares de Araújo

Journal: Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, v. 102, p. e21-e23, 2014.

From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3987331

Author: Bełtowski J.

Journal: Journal of Neurology and Neurophysiology, v. 5, p. 243, 2014. 

Abstract:
Leptin, an adipose tissue hormone which regulates food intake, is also involved in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension. Plasma leptin concentration is increased in obese individuals. Chronic leptin administration or transgenic overexpression increases blood pressure in experimental animals, and some studies indicate that plasma leptin is elevated in hypertensive subjects independently of body weight. Leptin has a dose- and time-dependent effect on urinary sodium excretion. High doses of leptin increase Na(+) excretion in the short run; partially by decreasing renal Na(+),K(+)-ATPase (sodium pump) activity. This effect is mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and is impaired in animals with dietary-induced obesity. In contrast to acute, chronic elevation of plasma leptin to the level observed in patients with the metabolic syndrome impairs renal Na(+) excretion, which is associated with the increase in renal Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity. This effect results from oxidative stress-induced deficiency of nitric oxide and/or transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor and subsequent stimulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases. Ameliorating "renal leptin resistance" or reducing leptin level and/or leptin signaling in states of chronic hyperleptinemia may be a novel strategy for the treatment of arterial hypertension associated with the metabolic syndrome.

From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21286276

Author: Zapata-Sudo G, da Silva JS, Pereira SL, Souza PJ, de Moura RS, Sudo RT.

Journal: BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, v. 14, p. 227, 2014.

Abstract: 

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of EuterpeoleraceaMart., popularly known as "açaí", on ratssubjected to myocardialinfarction (MI).

Methods: Hydroalcoholic extracts of açaí were obtained from a decoction of the seeds. Two male Wistar rat groups were delineated: 1) the sham-operated group (control, n = 6), with no surgical amendment, and 2) the MI group (n = 12), in which the anterior descendent coronary artery was occluded during surgery. MI group was divided into two subgroups, in which rats were either treated with hydroalcoholic extract of Euterpeoleracea seeds (100 mg/kg/day p.o.) or received no treatment. Treatment began on the day of surgery, and lasted 4 weeks. Subsequently, rats were subject to an exercise test protocol, hemodynamic evaluation, and histological analysis of the left ventricle. Groups were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Dunnett's test.

Results: The total running distance of sham rats was 1339.0 ± 276.6 m, MI rats was 177.6 ± 15.8 m (P < 0.05), and MI-açaí rats was 969.9 ± 362.2 m. Systolic arterial pressure was significantly decreased in MI rats (86.88 ± 4.62 mmHg) compared to sham rats (115.30 ± 7.24 mmHg; P < 0.05). Açaí treatment prevented a reduction in systolic arterial pressure (130.00 ± 8.16 mmHg) compared to MI rats (P < 0.05). Left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure was significantly augmented in MI rats (17.62 ± 1.21 mmHg) compared to sham rats (4.15 ± 1.60 mmHg; P < 0.05), but was 3.69 ± 2.69 mmHg in açaí-treated rats (P < 0.05 vs. MI). The LV relaxation rate (-dp/dt) was reduced in MI rats compared to the sham group, whereas açaí treatment prevented this reduction. Açaí treatment prevented cardiac hypertrophy and LV fibrosis in MI rats.

Conclusions: Euterpeoleraceatreatment of MI rats prevented the development of exerciseintolerance, cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and dysfunction.

From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25000822

Author: Alencar AK¹, Pereira SL¹, da Silva FE¹, Mendes LV², Cunha Vdo M², Lima LM¹, Montagnoli TL¹, Caruso-Neves C³, Ferraz EB³, Tesch R¹, Nascimento JH³, Sant'anna CM⁴, Fraga CA¹, Barreiro EJ¹, Sudo RT¹, Zapata-Sudo G⁵.

Journal: International Journal of Cardiology (Print), v. 173, p. 154-162, 2014. 

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease that results in right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. While pulmonary vascular disease is the primary pathological focus, RV hypertrophy and RV dysfunction are the major determinants of prognosis in PAH. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of (E)-N'-(3,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)-4-methoxybenzohydrazide (LASSBio-1386), an N-acylhydrazonederivative, on the lung vasculature and RV dysfunction induced by experimental PAH.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were injected with a single dose (60mg/kg, i.p.) of monocrotaline (MCT) and given LASSBio-1386 (50mg/kg, p.o.) or vehicle for 14 days. The hemodynamic, exercise capacity (EC), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2a), phospholamban (PLB) expression, Ca(2+)-ATPase activity and vascular activity of LASSBio-1386 were evaluated.

Results and conclusions: The RV systolic pressure was elevated in the PAH model and reduced from 49.6 ± 5.0 mm Hg (MCT group) to 27.2 ± 2.1 mm Hg (MCT+LASSBio-1386 group; P<0.05). MCT administration also impaired the EC, increased the RV and pulmonary arteriole size, and promoted endothelial dysfunction of the pulmonary artery rings. In the PAH group, the eNOS, A2AR, SERCA2a, and PLB levels were changed compared with the control; in addition, the Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was reduced. These alterations were related with MCT-injected rats, and LASSBio-1386 had favorable effects that prevented the development of PAH. LASSBio-1386 is effective at preventing endothelial and RV dysfunction in PAH, a finding that may have important implications for ongoing clinical evaluation of A2AR agonists for the treatment of PAH.

Author: Pereira SL¹, Kummerle AE, Fraga CA, Barreiro EJ, Sudo RT, Zapata-Sudo G.

Journal: Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology, v. 28, p. 29-41, 2014.

ABSTRANew bioactive N-acylhydrazone derivatives synthesized from safrole previously have been found to promote intense vasodilation and antihypertensive activity. In this study, we describe the synthesis and the cardiovascular effects of the new N-acylhydrazone derivative (E)-N-methyl-N'-(thiophen-3-ylmethylene)benzo[d][1,3]dioxole-5-carbohydrazide (LASSBio-1289). Thoracic aorta and left papillary muscles from Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were prepared for isometric tension recording. LASSBio-1289 promoted relaxation of endothelium-intact and denuded aortic rings with respective pIC₅₀ (-log IC₅₀) values of 5.07 ± 0.09 and 4.26 ± 0.09 (P < 0.001) for WKY rats and 5.43 ± 0.05 and 5.58 ± 0.07 (P > 0.05) for SHR. The vasodilator activity of LASSBio-1289 was increased in the KCl-contracted aorta. LASSBio-1289 attenuated the contracture elicited by Ca(2+) in depolarized aorta from both WKY rats and SHR. In endothelium-intact aorta from WKY rats, LASSBio-1289-induced relaxation was unchanged after incubation with propranolol, ZM 241385, atropine, diphenhydramine, and HOE140, but was significantly reduced by L-NAME and ODQ. LASSBio-1289 decreased papillary muscles contractility only at concentrations above 200 μm. Acute intravenous injection of LASSBio-1289 (3 mg/kg) produced a significant hypotensive response in SHR but not in WKY rats, suggesting its antihypertensive profile. The antihypertensive effect was also observed in SHR during 14 days of intraperitoneal and oral administration. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that LASSBio-1289 induces both endothelium-independent vasorelaxation involving the inhibition of Ca(2+) influx through L-type Ca(2+) channels in aorta from WKY rats and SHR, and endothelium-dependent relaxation mediated by the NO/cyclic GMP pathway in WKY rats.