Distribution of myocardial work in arterial hypertension: insights from non-invasive left ventricular pressure-strain relations

A index of non-invasive myocardial work (MWI) can account for pressure during the assessment of cardiac function, potentially separating the influence of loading conditions from the influence of the underlying tissue remodelling. The aim is to assess LV function accounted for loading and explore hypertensive MWI distribution by comparing healthy individuals to hypertensive patients without and with localized basal septal hypertrophy (BSH). An echocardiogram was performed in 170 hypertensive patients and 20 healthy individuals. BSH was defined by a basal-to-mid septal wall thickness ratio ≥ 1.4. LV speckle-tracking was performed, and the MWI calculated globally and regionally for the apical, mid and basal regions. An apex-to-base gradient, seen in regional strain values, was preserved in the distribution of myocardial work, with the apical region compensating for the impairment of the basal segments. This functional redistribution was further pronounced in patients with localized BSH. In these patients, segmental MWI analysis revealed underlying impairment of regional work unrelated to acute loading conditions. Non-invasive MWI analysis offers the possibility to compare LV function regardless of blood pressure at the time of observation. Changes in MWI distribution can be seen in hypertension unrelated to the load-dependency of strain. Accentuated functional changes affirm the role of BSH as an echocardiographic marker in hypertension.This work was supported by Horizon 2020 European Commission Project H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016 (764738), Grant from Fundacio La Marató de TV3 (040310, Exp 2015.40.30), and from Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias - Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI17/01131). PL holds a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship (209450/Z/17/Z)

Peptides with anticancer use or potential.: Peptides with anticancer use or potential.

International audienceThis review is an attempt to illustrate the diversity of peptides reported for a potential or an established use in cancer therapy. With 612 references, this work aims at covering the patents and publications up to year 2000 with many inroads in years 2001-2002. The peptides are classed according to four categories of effective (or plausible) biological mechanisms of action: receptor-interacting compounds; inhibitors of protein-protein interaction; enzymes inhibitors; nucleic acid-interacting compounds. The fifth group is made of the peptides for which no mechanism of action has been found yet. Incidentally this work provides an overview of many of the modern targets of anticancer research