A metabolic approach to the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy in BIO T0-2 cardiomyopathic Syrian hamsters

Mechanisms underlying dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are poorly understood and effective therapy is still unavailable. The aim of this study was to examine the heart ultrastructure and dynamic of BIO T0-2 cardiomyopathic hamsters, an animal model of DCM, and to study in these animals, the effects of a co-formulation (HS12607) of propionyl-L-carnitine, coenzyme Q(10) and omega-3 fatty acids on cardiac mechanical parameters. Sarcomere length, Frank-Starling mechanism and force-frequency relations were studied on isolated ventricular papillary muscle from age-matched BIO F1B normal Syrian hamsters, BIO T0-2 control and BIO T0-2 HS12607-treated cardiomyopathic Syrian hamsters. At the optimum length to maximum active force, electron microscopy of left ventricular papillary muscle revealed that seven out of ten muscles studied showed shorter sarcomeres (1.20 +/- 0.29 mu m), and the remaining three showed longer sarcomeres (2.80 +/- 0.13 mu m), compared to those of normal hamsters (2.05 +/- 0.06 mu m, n = 10). Severe alterations of the Frank-Starling mechanism, force-frequency relations and derivative parameters of contractile waves were also observed in vitro in the BIO T0-2 control hamsters. Longterm (8 weeks) treatment with HS12607 prevented alterations in sarcomere length in the BIO T0-2 cardiomyopathic hamsters; the Frank-Starling mechanism and force-frequency relations were also significantly (P < 0.05) improved in these hamsters. Therefore results of the present study strongly suggest the need for clinical studies on metabolic therapeutic intervention in the effort to stop the progression of dilated cardiomyopathy

Liver hyperplasia and regression after lead nitrate administration

The effect of a single intravenous injection of lead nitrate on liver, was investigated in male Wistar rats. Lead nitrate at 5 and 10 mumoles/100 g of body weight stimulated a 19-fold increase in the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into liver DNA and resulted in temporal changes in DNA synthesis, as determined by assays of specific activity. Thirty-six hours after lead nitrate administration, the incorporation of 3H-thymidine reached its maximum and returned to normal levels within 3 days. A significant increase in the number of cells entering mitosis at 36 hours indicated the capacity of lead to stimulate liver cell proliferation. Enlargement of the liver after lead treatment was also observed in both female Wistar rats as well in male Fischer rats. This stimulatory effect of lead on liver growth was reversible; during the involution of the liver, cell death morphologically similar to the one described as apoptosis was observed in histological sections of liver from animals sacrificed 4-7 days after lead treatment

Deaths in SARS-Cov-2 Positive Patients in Italy: The Influence of Underlying Health Conditions on Lethality

This study aims to underline the clinical characteristics of patients who died after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection in one region of Italian and to evaluate the influence of underlying health conditions on the fatal outcome. A matched case-control study was designed by analyzing the data regarding positive subjects observed up to April 21, 2020. The case fatality rate was 7.9%, with a higher proportion of deaths in men than women. The specific standardized mortality ratio was 0.15&mdash;0.13 for males and 0.2 for females, showing that mortality is much lower than expected. Cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung diseases and diabetes mellitus showed a significant association with the outcome. Although the case fatality rate in Sardinia in regard to age and gender patterns seems to be similar to that for Italy as a whole, its quantitative value was far lower than the national one and possible explanations might include the genetic characteristics of the Sardinian population or the immediate closure of its borders as soon as the epidemic started. Our results highlighted that lethality is strongly dependent on the presence of multiple concomitant serious diseases. It is important to have epidemiological strategies for effective guidance on public health actions in order to improve chances of survival