New breakthrough may lead to new treatment for heart
attacks
Washington:
A recent study has revealed that it is possible to limit the extent of damage
during and after a heart attack.
Experiments
done by researchers on mice, at Temple University School of Medicine, showed
that that inhibition of a heart protein called TNNI3K reduced damage from heart
attack and protected the heart from further injury.
Ronald
Vagnozzi,, PhD, lead author on the new study, and his team created a real-world
clinical scenario in mice by mimicking blockage of an artery to induce heart attack
and then administering a TNNI3K inhibitor.
When
cardiac function was subsequently improved in treated mice versus untreated
controls, Vagnozzi and colleagues realized that a TNNI3K inhibitor could have
important clinical benefits for human patients.
The
researchers found that TNNI3K expression is elevated in patients who are
suffering from heart failure, which can develop in the years following heart
attack. To explore the significance of that elevation, they engineered mice to
overexpress TNNI3K. They also created a second set of engineered mice, in which
the protein was deleted. They then measured the animals' response to heart
attack.
When
overexpressed, Vagnozzi and colleagues found that TNNI3K promoted the injury of
heart tissue from ischemia (blockage of blood flow) and reperfusion
(restoration of blood flow) during and after a heart attack.
TNNI3K
overexpression in heart cells encouraged the production of superoxide, a
reactive molecule from mitochondria, and activated p38 mitogen-activated protein
kinase (MAPK), an enzyme that responds to stress signals in cells. The combined
result of those activities was impaired mitochondrial function and heart cell
death, which worsened ischemia/reperfusion injury.
The
opposite occurred in mice in which TNNI3K had been deleted-superoxide
production and p38 activation were reduced, and injury to the heart was
limited. Reductions in heart dysfunction and fibrosis (hardening of heart
tissue) were also observed.
The
study has been published in journal Science Translational Medicine.
07.11.2013
Why diabetics should have regular eye exams
Washington:
Researchers have said that people who are suffering from diabetes should also
get their eye check-ups done regularly.
In
the United States, diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of vision loss
among working-age adults.
Diabetic
retinopathy is the most common form of this disease, and affects about 28.5
percent of Americans with diabetes age 40 and older. That's more than 7 million
people, and the number is expected to reach more than 11 million by the year
2030.
The
condition can creep up quietly. It gradually weakens small blood vessels in and
around the retina, the light-sensing layer of tissue at the back of the eye. If
the disease progresses, these vessels may rupture and leak blood into the eye;
they can also spread and grow on the surface of the retina and cause scarring.
Typically,
diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage. But
the disease can be detected early through a comprehensive dilated eye exam. In
this procedure, an eye professional will put drops in your eye to dilate
(widen) the pupil, which allows a closer look at the retina.
The
good news is that with early detection, timely treatment, and appropriate
follow-up, the risk of severe vision loss from diabetic retinopathy can be
reduced by 95 percent. There are several effective treatment options including
laser surgery and injections of anti-VEGF drugs . These drugs block the actions
of a protein that can cause abnormal blood vessels to grow and leak
fluid.
07.11.2013
Reputation is what
other people know about you. Honor is what
you know about yourself
Lois McMaster Bujold
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