Increased levels of a cleaved form of prolactin (molecular weight 16 kDa) have been associated with preeclampsia. To study the effects of prolactin on blood pressure (BP),we generated male mice with a single-copy transgene (Tg; inserted into the …

ABSTRACT Aims: Prior work suggests that ischemic preconditioning increases the level of CD39 in the heart and contributes to cardiac protection. Therefore, we examined if targeted cardiac expression of CD39 protects against myocardial injury. Main …

Sympathetic activity is enhanced in patients with essential or secondary hypertension, as well as in various hypertensive animal models. Therapeutic targeting of sympathetic activation is considered an effective antihypertensive strategy. We hypothesized …

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterized by the loss of the protein dystrophin, leading to muscle fragility, progressive weakening, and susceptibility to mechanical stress. Although dystrophin‐negative mdx mouse models have classically been used …

Rationale: Junctional membrane complexes (JMC) in myocytes are critical microdomains, in which excitation-contraction coupling occurs. Structural and functional disruption of JMCs underlies contractile dysfunction in failing hearts. However, the role of …

Background: Patients with diabetes are prone to develop cardiac hypertrophy and more susceptible to myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury, which are concomitant with hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and impaired endothelial nitric oxide (NO) …

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the death of cardiomyocytes caused by a lack of energy due to ischemia. Nutrients supplied by the blood are the main source of cellular energy for cardiomyocytes. Sodium butyrate (NaB), a gastrointestinal nutrient, is …

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is caused by preterm neonatal lung injury and results in oxygen dependency and pulmonary hypertension. Current clinical management fails to reduce the incidence of BPD, which calls for novel therapies. Fetal rabbits have a …

Rapid impulse propagation in the heart is a defining property of pectinated atrial myocardium (PAM) and the ventricular conduction system (VCS) and is essential for maintaining normal cardiac rhythm and optimal cardiac output. Conduction defects in these …

Animal models of renal disease have been used in the study of pathogenesis and the- rapeutic protocols. In this study, doppler ultrasound was used to evaluate dysfunction in the renal vasculature in acute kidney injury in an animal model. Eight male …