Current pharmaceutical design
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Recently, we identified the circadian rhythm protein Period 2 (PER2) in robust cardioprotection from myocardial ischemia (MI). Based on findings that perioperative MI is the most common major cardiovascular complication and that anesthetics can alter the expression of PER2, we hypothesized that an anesthesia mediated downregulation of PER2 could be detrimental if myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (IR) would occur. ⋯ We identified midazolam mediated downregulation of cardiac PER2 as an underlying mechanism for a deleterious effect of midazolam pretreatment in myocardial IR-injury. These findings highlight PER2 as a cardioprotective mechanism and suggest the PER2 enhancers nobiletin or tangeritin as a preventative therapy for myocardial IR-injury in the perioperative setting where midazolam pretreatment occurs frequently.
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Review
Cancer Therapeutics-Related Cardiovascular Complications. Mechanisms, Diagnosis and Treatment.
Chemotherapy regimens have improved prognosis and mortality of patients with malignant diseases. The development of therapies, however, has widened the cardiotoxic spectrum and the cardiacrelated effects of antineoplastic drugs. ⋯ Since the number of long-term survivors following the diagnosis and treatment of malignant disease will continue to increase, cardio-oncology will continue to evolve. Therefore, a better understanding of potential cardiovascular effects of chemotherapeutic regiments and the earlier identification and treatment of high-risk patients would be the focus of research in the future.
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Pituitary adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuroprotective peptide that has been shown to exert protective effects in different models of neurodegenerative diseases, including retinal degenerations. Data obtained from PACAP-deficient (PACAP KO) mice provide evidence that endogenous PACAP has a neuroprotective role in different pathologies. PACAP KO mice show enhanced sensitivity to different insults, such as oxidative stress, hypoxia and inflammation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of endogenous PACAP in retinal inflammation. ⋯ Our results showed that endogenous PACAP has a protective role in LPS-caused retinal inflammation.