Frank Smart

A Rapid Method of Isolation and Fractionation of Proteoglycans Using a Vertical Tube Rotor for Isopycnic Centrifugation

A comparison was made between a vertical tube rotor and a fixed angle rotor for isopycnic centrifugation of proteoglycans. In the vertical tube rotor, isopycnic gradient was achieved much faster than in the conventional fixed angle rotor. The use of a vertical tube rotor for isopycnic centrifugation shortens the time considerably for the isolation of proteoglycans from various tissues.

Mechanisms of Discrepancy Between Pulmonary Artery Wedge Pressure and Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Pressure in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

We read with great interest the article by Mascherbauer etxa0al. [(1)][1], in which the relationship between mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was analyzed in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).nnWe offer the following

INCREASED PREVALENCE OF LEFT VENTRICULAR NONCOMPACTION IN CERTAIN POPULATIONS MAY CONFER INCREASED RISK OF CATASTROPHIC EVENTS

Background: Left Ventricular Noncompaction (LVNC) is a known cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), heart failure (HF) and death. The prevalence of LVNC in the general population is estimated to be between 1/30,000 and 1/5,000. The incidence among patients with LVEF < 45% has been reported to be as

UNMASKING DIASTOLIC FAILURE

Background: Dyspnea with exertion is a common presenting complaint. Often heart failure is the cause of these complaints. Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) is the cause of half of heart failure, and is increasing relative to Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF).

Letter by Hanna and Smart Regarding Article, “Clinical Diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension”

We read with great interest the article by Rich and Rich1 regarding the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension. We particularly appreciate the fact that the authors alluded to pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), a complex and frequently overlooked entity.nnWe would like to comment on the hemodynamic assessment of PVOD and the hemodynamic tracings of Figure 4. The authors state that, in PVOD, the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) is elevated in some pulmonary segments, exceeding the left atrial pressure and the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. However, we argue that it is important to distinguish PCWP from pulmonary capillary pressure in …

733-3 Successful Transplantation of Myoblasts into Adult Porcine Myocardium: A Potential Method to Repair a Failing Heart

The profound shortage of organ donors continues to fuel the search for other methods to refurbish a failing heart. The use of transgenic cells transplanted (Tx) in syngeneic rodents has shown modest success, but allogeneic and xenogeneic transplants have not been uniformly successful. To assess the feasibility of xenogeneic and allogeneic myoblast transplantation, six adult swine underwent transplantation of murine atrial tumor cells (Xenogeneic) and neonatal porcine myocytes (Allogeneic) into the left ventricular wall. Following general anesthesia, isolated cells were injected along the anterior and posterior wall ofthe porcine left ventricle (six sites per animal). All the animals were immunosuppressed with cyclosporine and prednisone and were followed for 1 month post-injection and then sacrificed. Results are as follows: In all 36 injected sites, the Tx cells proliferated within the host myocardium with no significant rejection. CPK MB did not increase after the procedure indicating that there was no damage to the host myocardium from the injection of cells. Moreover, Tx cells formed close associations with host myocytes that resembled intercalated discs on electron microscopy, and were composed of PAN cadherin on immunofluorescent staining. These cells also contained myofibrils and other cell architecture that resembled normal AT-l or neonatal myocytes. Additionally, these cells produced angiogenic factors resulting in a proliferation of the surrounding microvasculature. In conclusion, these findings indicate successful xenogeneic and allogeneic myocyte cell transplantation in a large animal model. These experiments set the stage for future studies testing the ability of these cells to form a syncitium, contract, and thereby “repair” a damaged heart.