Pathobiology of Cardiovascular Injury [antikvár]

PREFACE This volume represents a part of the scientific proceedings of the Sixth Annual Meeting of the American Section of the International Society for Heart Research that was held in Oklahoma City from September 13-15, 1984. The chapters have been grouped according to the content of invited symposia on cardiovascular topics ranging from electrophysiology, autonomic control of the circulation, aging of the myocardium, mechanisms of cardiovascular injury, cultured heart cell studies, etc. Abstracts of all the papers presented at this meeting are included in Volume 16 (Supp. 1) of the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. Since our understanding of the pathobiology of cardiovascular injury requires integrating knowledge from both basic and clinical sciences, the information presented in this volume extends from fundamental biochemical processes to pharmacological agents required to treat complex cardiac arrhythmias. At the molecular level, the structural lipids of the sarcolemma may be altered during myocardial ischemia; the role of free radicals in this process is one emerging area of active study. At the subcellular level, plasma membranes provide the anatomical basis for maintenance of optimal potentials of excitable cells; the anatomy and physiology of the sarcolemma ultimately determines the response to drugs and metabolic perturbants. At the cellular level, much progress has been made in our understanding of cultured and adult myocytes during ischemia and hypoxia; in particular, the electrophysiology of these model systems is well understood and several chapters address this approach. At a higher level of organization, the heart has a more complex response to ischemia, including morphological, ionic, enzymatic and other metabolic changes that may cause Hfe-threatening arrhythmias and cardiogenic shock. Understanding extra-cardiac influences from neurotransmitters encompasses the study of neurotransmitter synthesis, degradation and reflex release in the heart; receptor interactions, effects on membrane channels and the study of cardiac reflexes all relate to this topic. The provision of oxygen and metabolic substrates to the myocardium requires an omnipresent vascular system that contains specific cell types, so that the study of the enzymology and metabolism of endothelium and smooth muscle is relevant to both animal models of ischemia and the cHnical treatment of myocardial ischemia; the same applies to the study of platelet function. Since cardiovascular disease frequently occurs against a background of an aging heart, more knowledge about myocardial biochemistry and pathophysiology is important for understanding the impact of ischemic injury in the older patient. Although the above subjects are addressed in a somewhat limited fashion, the authors have attempted to highlight the frontiers of our knowledge, or lack thereof, in their respective areas of expertise. The inclusion of generous references to the literature will enable the critical reader to pursue further lines of