American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology
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Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. · Feb 2008
Cardiac autonomic balance in small-for-gestational-age neonates.
The cardiac sympathetic nervous system is one putative key factor involved in the intrauterine programming of adult cardiovascular disease. We therefore analyzed cardiac autonomic system activity in small for gestational age (SGA) neonates. Heart rate variability (HRV) from 24-h ECG recordings were analyzed for time-domain and frequency-domain parameters in 27 SGA neonates [median 261 (240-283) days of gestation] compared with 27 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates [median 270 (239-293) days of gestation]. ⋯ Median resting levels for alpha-amylase were not significantly different in SGA neonates (P = 0.13), and a neonatal stress stimulus revealed similar stress response patterns (P = 0.29). HRV and salivary alpha-amylase levels as indicators of cardiac autonomic activity were not altered in SGA neonates compared with AGA neonates. Thus, it appears that the intrauterine activation of the sympathetic system in SGA fetuses does not directly persist into postnatal life, and neonatal sympathovagal balance appears to be preserved.
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Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. · Feb 2008
Important role of p38 MAP kinase/NF-kappaB signaling pathway in the sepsis-induced conversion of cardiac myocytes to a proinflammatory phenotype.
Septic plasma can convert murine cardiac myocytes to a proinflammatory phenotype. These myocytes 1) have increased nuclear levels of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), 2) release CXC chemokines, and 3) promote polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) transendothelial migration. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the role of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases [p38 MAP kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK)] as upstream intracellular signaling components involved in this phenomenon. ⋯ Inhibition of p38 MAP kinase (SB-202190) blocked both NF-kappaB p65 phosphorylation and NF-kappaB nuclear translocation. Confirmatory studies in vivo indicated that FIP resulted in an increase in myocardial MPO activity and dysfunction, events reversed by the inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase. Collectively, these data indicate that the cardiomyocyte p38 MAP kinase/NF-kappaB signaling pathway plays an important role in the sepsis-induced conversion of myocytes to a proinflammatory phenotype.
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Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. · Feb 2008
Clinical correlates of frequency analyses of cardiovascular control after spinal cord injury.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) has profound effects on cardiovascular autonomic function due to injury to descending autonomic pathways, and cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality after SCI. Evaluation of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction after SCI and appraisal of simple noninvasive autonomic assessments that are clinically meaningful would be useful to SCI clinicians and researchers. We aimed to assess supine and upright cardiovascular autonomic function from frequency analyses of heart rate and blood pressure variability (HRV and BPV) after SCI. ⋯ Supine frequency domain indexes were correlated with sympathetic skin responses, orthostatic cardiovascular responses, and plasma catecholamine levels. SCI results in reduced sympathetic drive to the heart and vasculature and increased baroreflex delay in cervical SCI subjects and reduced cardiac vagal tone in thoracic SCI subjects. Frequency analyses of autonomic function are related to clinical measures of autonomic control after SCI and provide useful noninvasive clinical tools with which to assess autonomic completeness of injury following SCI.