The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Autologous endothelial progenitor cell therapy improves right ventricular function in a model of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Right ventricular (RV) failure is the main prognostic factor in pulmonary hypertension, and ventricular capillary density (CD) has been reported to be a marker of RV maladaptive remodeling and failure. Our aim was to determine whether right intracoronary endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) infusion can improve RV function and CD in a piglet model of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). ⋯ Intracoronary infusion of EPC improved RV function and CD in a piglet model of CTEPH. This novel cell-based therapy might represent a promising RV-targeted treatment in patients with pulmonary hypertension.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Inhibiting a spinal cord signaling pathway protects against ischemia injury in rats.
The aim of the study was to examine whether the cannabinoid agonist WIN55212-2 could attenuate ischemic spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats through inhibition of GAPDH/Siah1 signaling. ⋯ Our findings reveal GAPDH/Siah1 signaling cascades as a novel therapeutic target for ischemic SCI and identify WIN55212-2 with the potential to treat ischemic SCI by targeting this pathway.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2019
Endothelial progenitor cells attenuate the lung ischemia/reperfusion injury following lung transplantation via the endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway.
Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) can improve endothelial integrity. This study aimed to examine the effects and the mechanism of EPCs on lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI). ⋯ Data indicated that EPC ameliorated LIRI by increasing eNOS expression.