Suramin attenuates dystrophin‐deficient cardiomyopathy in the mdx mouse model of duchenne muscular dystrophy

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of suramin, an antifibrotic agent, on cardiac function and remodeling in mdx mice. Methods: mdx mice (8 months old) received intraperitoneal injections of suramin twice a week for 3 months. Control mdx mice (8 months old) were injected with saline. Results: Suramin improved the electrocardiography profile with the main corrections seen in S‐ to R‐wave ratio, PR interval, and Q amplitude, and a significant decrease in the cardiomyopathy index. Suramin decreased myocardial fibrosis, inflammation, and myonecrosis. Conclusions: These findings suggest that suramin may be a new adjunctive therapy to help improve cardiomyopathy in DMD. Muscle Nerve 48 : 911–919, 2013     

Use of antipsychotics and long-term risk of parkinsonism

Neurological Sciences - Few epidemiological studies have assessed the risk of parkinsonisms after prolonged use of neuroleptics. We aimed to examine the long-term risk of degenerative parkinsonisms...     

Impact of aging on cardiac sympathetic innervation measured by <Superscript>123</Superscript>I-mIBG imaging in patients with systolic heart failure

Purpose

Sympathetic nervous system (SNS) hyperactivity is a salient characteristic of chronic heart failure (HF) and contributes to the progression of the disease. Iodine-123 meta-iodobenzylguanidine (¹²³I-mIBG) imaging has been successfully used to assess cardiac SNS activity in HF patients and to predict prognosis. Importantly, SNS hyperactivity characterizes also physiological ageing, and there is conflicting evidence on cardiac ¹²³I-mIBG uptake in healthy elderly subjects compared to adults. However, little data are available on the impact of ageing on cardiac sympathetic nerve activity assessed by ¹²³I-mIBG scintigraphy, in patients with HF.

Methods and results

We studied 180 HF patients (age?=?66.1?±?10.5 years [yrs]), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF?=?30.6?±?6.3 %) undergoing cardiac ¹²³I-mIBG imaging. Early and late heart to mediastinum (H/M) ratios and washout rate were calculated in all patients. Demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic data were also collected. Our study population consisted of 53 patients aged >75 years (age?=?77.7?±?4.0 year), 67 patients aged 62–72 years (age?=?67.9?±?3.2 years) and 60 patients aged ≤61 year (age?=?53.9?±?5.6 years). In elderly patients, both early and late H/M ratios were significantly lower compared to younger patients (p?<?0.05). By multivariate analysis, H/M ratios (both early and late) and washout rate were significantly correlated with LVEF and age.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that, in a population of HF patients, there is an independent age-related effect on cardiac SNS innervation assessed by ¹²³I-mIBG imaging. This finding suggests that cardiac ¹²³I-mIBG uptake in patients with HF might be affected by patient age.

     

Prevalence and correlates of anemia and uncontrolled anemia in chronic hemodialysis patients--the Campania Dialysis Registry

BACKGROUND: This study investigated prevalence and correlates of anemia and uncontrolled anemia in chronic hemodialysis patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed on registry data for 2,746 chronic (>6 months) hemodialysis patients aged 25-84. Data collection included years of dialysis, hours of dialysis/wk, disease causing hemodialysis, body mass index (BMI), erythropoietin (EPO) treatment, hemoglobin, markers of viral hepatitis, serum albumin, calcium, and phosphorus. RESULTS: Prevalence was 88.7% for anemia (hemoglobin <11 g/100 mL and EPO treatment at any Hb level), 39.4% for uncontrolled anemia (hemoglobin<11 g/100 mL). Gender, years of dialysis, hereditary cystic kidney disease (HCKD), and low BMI (<24 kg/m2) were independent correlates of anemia (P<0.001). Gender, HCKD, low BMI, serum albumin and calcium were independent correlates of uncontrolled anemia (P<0.05). An interaction was found between age (not correlated with anemia and uncontrolled anemia) and the association of gender with uncontrolled anemia (P<0.05). EPO doses were higher in patients with high prevalence of uncontrolled anemia than in patients with low prevalence (i.e., women vs men, other diseases vs HCKD, low vs not-low BMI, P<0.01). Gender, years of dialysis, HCKD, BMI, serum albumin, and calcium were independent correlates of the hemoglobin/EPO dose ratio in patients on EPO treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Anemia and uncontrolled anemia are more frequent in hemodialysis patients with shortterm dialysis, diseases other than HCKD, low BMI, and female gender. Gender effect was lower in elderly patients. Uncontrolled anemia was also associated with low serum albumin and calcium, suggesting that these parameters are indices of EPO resistance.