Cardioprotective strategies are not “one size fi ts all”. Is it time to consider personalised medicine?

Since the discovery of the conditioning phenomenon in 1986 (whereby brief episodes of ischaemia reperfusion protect against a sustained ischaemic insult), thousands of preclinical studies have explored the benefits and signaling mechanisms of this cardioprotective strategy which aims to protect patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), or cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery, against ischaemia reperfusion injury. A large number of proof of concept clinical trials have highlighted the benefits ofconditioning to protect patients against ischaemia reperfusion injury, but none have yet translated to the clinical routine. The outcomes of the multicenter studies ERICCA,(1) RIPHeart(2) and CIRCUS(3) which involved larger number of patients (1 612, 1 385 and 970 respectively) were eagerly awaited, hoping that pharmacological conditioning with cyclosporine A, or remote ischaemic preconditioning, could soon become part of the clinical routine

Chronic and moderate consumption of reduced-alcohol wine confers cardiac benefits in a rat model of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Objectives In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), right ventricular (RV) dysfunction develops via mechanisms involving oxidative stress. Moderate and chronic red wine (RW) consumption reduces oxidative stress and confers cardioprotection but its effect on PAH is unknown. We evaluated whether moderate and chronic consumption of reduced-alcohol RW (RARW) confers cardioprotection in a monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH rat model. Results Rats were randomly grouped: control; MCT; RARW; MCT + RARW. Wine was diluted to mimic moderate intake for humans, and consumed from 7 days before, until 28 days after MCT-injection. Echocardiography measured pulmonary artery acceleration time (PAAT) and RV thickness. Conjugated dienes (CD), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentrations were assessed. MCT induced RV thickness and decreased PAAT compared to controls [1.22 ± 0.09 mm vs 0.46 ± 0.02 mm and 14 ± 1 vs 23 ± 2 m/s, respectively (p < 0.001)]. Chronic RARW consumption limited MCT-induced RV hypertrophy and increased PAAT. CD and TBARS increased in MCT-treated animals compared to controls (672 ± 43 nmol/L vs 453 ± 35 nmol/L; p < 0.01 and 13 ± 2 µmol/L vs 4 ± 0.3 µmol/L; p < 0.01). RARW reduced MCT-induced CD (472 ± 27 nmol/L vs 672 ± 43 nmol/L; p < 0.01). Conclusion Chronic and moderate intake of RARW ameliorates MCT-induced PAH in rats, which may be partly attributable to reduction of lipid peroxidation

Supply chain collaboration and organisational performance in the fast moving consumer goods industry

Abstract: This study investigated supply chain collaboration, which is a topic of high interest in the field of supply chain management. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate how collaborative relationships with international suppliers enhance supply chain efficiencies, ultimately improving the organisational performance of imported goods in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry. Methodology: A case study approach was adopted in this research, and an online survey was conducted with the international suppliers of NHM-SA (fictitious name). Data was collected from 91 international suppliers; however, only 50 suppliers provided usable data. A quantitative approach was used to investigate the relevance of supply chain collaboration in attaining supply chain operational efficiencies, which ultimately enhances organisational performance. Findings: The concept of supply chain collaboration is of importance in the FMCG industry but is often limited due to operational issues with constraints such as the partners’ lack of commitment to a collaborative relationship. The results provided empirical evidence, showing that cost optimisation, communication and information sharing have a positive effect on organisational performance. The study results also proved that supply chain collaboration have indirect positive impacts on organisational performance. Limitations: This study was limited to a single case study from the FMCG industry. Therefore, caution should be exercised when generalising the results. Participants provided responses based on their experiences and perceptions and may therefore not be factual. Practical implications: The study demonstrated the various methods in which organisations form collaborative supply chains with their partners. Such collaborative relationships enhanced operational efficiencies, joint planning and knowledge sharing,..M.Com. (Business Managemen

Chronic and moderate consumption of reduced-alcohol wine confers cardiac benefits in a rat model of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Objectives!#!In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), right ventricular (RV) dysfunction develops via mechanisms involving oxidative stress. Moderate and chronic red wine (RW) consumption reduces oxidative stress and confers cardioprotection but its effect on PAH is unknown. We evaluated whether moderate and chronic consumption of reduced-alcohol RW (RARW) confers cardioprotection in a monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH rat model.!##!Results!#!Rats were randomly grouped: control; MCT; RARW; MCT + RARW. Wine was diluted to mimic moderate intake for humans, and consumed from 7 days before, until 28 days after MCT-injection. Echocardiography measured pulmonary artery acceleration time (PAAT) and RV thickness. Conjugated dienes (CD), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentrations were assessed. MCT induced RV thickness and decreased PAAT compared to controls [1.22 ± 0.09 mm vs 0.46 ± 0.02 mm and 14 ± 1 vs 23 ± 2 m/s, respectively (p &amp;lt; 0.001)]. Chronic RARW consumption limited MCT-induced RV hypertrophy and increased PAAT. CD and TBARS increased in MCT-treated animals compared to controls (672 ± 43 nmol/L vs 453 ± 35 nmol/L; p &amp;lt; 0.01 and 13 ± 2 µmol/L vs 4 ± 0.3 µmol/L; p &amp;lt; 0.01). RARW reduced MCT-induced CD (472 ± 27 nmol/L vs 672 ± 43 nmol/L; p &amp;lt; 0.01).!##!Conclusion!#!Chronic and moderate intake of RARW ameliorates MCT-induced PAH in rats, which may be partly attributable to reduction of lipid peroxidation

The impact of sugar-sweetened beverage intake on rat cardiac function

Aims: Although there is evidence linking sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake with the development of cardio-metabolic diseases, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The current study therefore evaluated the effects of SSB consumption by establishing a unique in-house in vivo experimental model. Main methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a) one consuming a popular local SSB (SSB- Jive), and b) a control group (Control-water) for a period of three and six months (n = 6 per group), respectively. Rats were gavaged on a daily basis with an experimental dosage amounting to half a glass per day (in human terms) (SSB vs. water). Cardiac function was assessed at baseline (echocardiography) and following ex vivo ischemia-reperfusion of the isolated perfused working rat heart. Oral glucose tolerance tests and mitochondrial respiratory analyses were also performed. In addition, the role of non-oxidative glucose pathways (NOGPs), i.e. the polyol pathway, hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) and PKC were assessed. Key findings: These data show that SSB intake: a) resulted in increased weight gain, but did not elicit major effects in terms of insulin resistance and cardiac function after three and six months, respectively; b) triggered myocardial NOGP activation after three months with a reversion after six months; and c) resulted in some impairment in mitochondrial respiratory capacity in response to fatty acid substrate supply after six months. Significance: SSB intake did not result in cardiac dysfunction or insulin resistance. However, early changes at the molecular level may increase risk in the longer term