AJP-Heart and Circulatory Physiology Podcast

Sex Differences in Forearm Vasoconstrictor Response to Voluntary Apnea

Is there a difference in how men and women respond to apnea? Yes, according to the recent work by Patel et al published as part of a special call for papers on “Sex and Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Physiology” in AJP-Heart and Circ. Listen as Guest Editor Virginia Miller leads an engaging conversation with lead author Matthew Muller (Penn State Hershey Heart and Vascular Institute) and expert Nina Stachenfeld (The John B. Pierce Laboratory) about the sex differences noted between young men and young women in response to a sympathetic stressor, as well as the roles of aging and reproductive hormones in the noted sex differences.

Hardikkumar M. Patel , Matthew J. Heffernan , Amanda J. Ross, Matthew D. Muller Sex differences in forearm vasoconstrictor response to voluntary apnea Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published December 6, 2013, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00746.2013.

Smoking and Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Women

Does increased sympathetic nerve activity put women smokers at greater risk for heart attacks? Yes, according to a new study by Middlekauff and colleagues published recently in AJP-Heart and Circ. In this podcast Associate Editor Irving Zucker interviews senior author Holly Middlekauff (University of California-Los Angeles) and leading expert Vaughan Macefield (University of Western Sydney) about this insightful work which explores how baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity is impaired in women smokers. Listen as we explore how normal sympathetic nerve activity fluctuations associated with menstrual cycle hormonal changes in premenopausal women are altered by smoking, as well as second-hand smoke, and chronic smoke inhalation.

Holly R. Middlekauff, Jeanie Park, Harsh Agrawal, Jeffrey A. Gornbein Abnormal sympathetic nerve activity in women exposed to cigarette smoke: a potential mechanism to explain increased cardiac risk Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published November 15, 2013, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00502.2013.

Human Aspirate - Native Coronary Arteries Versus Vein Grafts

Just two weeks after this podcast was originally recorded, our Editor in Chief Dr. William C. Stanley passed away unexpectedly. We are all tremendously saddened by this loss, but feel that presenting this podcast—the last one recorded with Dr. Stanley—honors his work in the journal, in particular his innovative podcast series. In this podcast Dr. Stanley interviewed author Petra Kleinbongard (University of Essen Medical School) and leading expert William Chilian (Northeast Ohio Medical University) about the work by Kleinbongard and colleagues comparing downstream human coronary aspirate and soluble substances after stent procedures in patients with native coronary arteries and those who had previously undergone revascularization with a saphenous vein graft. Is the potential for microvascular obstruction the same for both sets of patients? Listen as the experts weigh in on this elegant study which examines the pathophysiological consequences of stenting.

Petra Kleinbongard, Theodor Baars, Stefan Moehlenkamp, Philipp Kahlert, Raimund Erbel, Gerd Heusch Aspirate from human stented native coronary arteries vs. saphenous vein grafts: more endothelin but less particulate debris Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online October 15, 2013, DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00358.2013.

3D Printing Physiology Laboratory Technology

Is 3D printing an attainable reality or a futuristic ideal? In their recently published Perspective, Sulkin et al argue that small-scale instrumentation manufacturing in plastic from a 3D desktop printer is not only here and now, but also affordable. Listen to our lively and engaging podcast as Consulting Editor Dr. Steven P. Jones interviews senior author Dr. Igor Efimov (Washington University in St. Louis) and leading expert Dr. Hee Cheol Cho (Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute) about ancient printing techniques, the inherent tinkering work methods of physiologists, open source design software programs, and surprisingly low-cost printing technology. Is a 3D desktop printer the future of cardiovascular research labs everywhere? Listen and find out.

Matthew S. Sulkin, Emily Widder, Connie C. Shao, Katherine M. Holzem, Christopher Gloschat, Sarah R. Gutbrod, Igor R. Efimov 3D Printing Physiology Laboratory Technology Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online September 16, 2013, DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00599.2013.

p90 Ribosomal S6 Kinase 3 and Interstitial Fibrosis

What is RSK3 and how can it help us uncover the underlying mechanisms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? Associate Editor Meredith Bond leads an engaging conversation between senior author Michael Kapiloff (University of Miami) and leading expert Nikolaos Frangogiannis (Albert Einstein College of Medicine) about the exciting new study by Passariello et al. Listen as we explore the clinical implications of targeting RSK3 as a crucial pathway in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. How can we translate the understanding of the mechanisms of RSK3 and its effect on cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts to targeted drug therapies for the nearly 5 million Americans—both children and adults—afflicted with left ventricular hypertrophy every year? Listen and learn more.

Catherine L. Passariello , Marjorie Gayanilo , Michael D. Kritzer , Hrishikesh Thakur , Zoharit Cozacov , Francesca Rusconi , David Wieczorek , Michael Sanders , Jinliang Li, Michael S. Kapiloff p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 3 contributes to cardiac insufficiency in α-tropomyosin Glu180Gly transgenic mice Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online August 2, 2013, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00237.2013.

Late Sodium Current Inhibition Slows the Progression to Heart Failure

Can early inhibition of the late sodium current slow hypertension-induced t-tubule disruption and calcium cycling defects that lead to heart failure? Join Editor in Chief William C. Stanley as he explores the innovative work by Aistrup et al with senior author J. Andrew Wasserstrom (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine) and leading expert Guy Salama (University of Pittsburgh). Listen as they discuss the effects of chronic treatment with ranolazine on T-tube disruption and the development of heart failure.

Gary L. Aistrup, Deepak K. Gupta, James E. Kelly, Matthew J. O'Toole, Amanda Nahhas, Nimi Chirayil, Sol Misener, Lauren Beussink, Neha Singh, Jason Ng, Mahendra Reddy, Thitipong Mongkolrattanothai, Nesrine El-Bizri, Sridharan Rajamani, John C. Shryock, Luiz Belardinelli, Sanjiv J. Shah, J. Andrew Wasserstrom Inhibition of the late sodium current slows t-tubule disruption during the progression of hypertensive heart disease in the rat Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online July 19, 2013, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00401.2013.

Cardiac Overexpression of Mena Exacerbates Heart Failure in Mice

What is Mena? In this podcast we explore the innovative new work by Belmonte et al on the overexpression of Mammalian homologue of drosophila enabled (Mena) and its exacerbating effects on heart failure secondary to pressure overload. Listen as Associate Editor Ronglih Liao interviews senior author Burns Blaxall (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center) and leading expert in myocardial and cellular signaling Walter Koch (Temple University School of Medicine) about this intriguing work by Blaxall and colleagues, which explores the complexities of Mena in cellular regulation. How was Mena discovered? Does it play a role in coronary artery disease? Listen and find out.

Stephen L. Belmonte , Rashmi Ram , Deanne M. Mickelsen , Frank B. Gertler , Burns C. Blaxall Cardiac Overexpression of Mammalian enabled (Mena) Exacerbates Heart Failure in Mice Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online July 5, 2013, DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00342.2013.

Webinar Podcast: How to Improve Your Reviewer Skills

Do you want to learn from the experts how to improve your reviewer skills? Listen to this podcast of our recent AJP-Heart and Circulatory Physiology reviewer training webinar, held September 3, 2013. Editor-in-Chief William Stanley, Senior Associate Editor David Kass, and Associate Editor Nancy Kanagy talked about the basics of reviewing for AJP-Heart and other biomedical journals, covering topics ranging from how to do high quality reviewing, what editors are looking for in a good review, and how to get review assignments from AJP-Heart and Circ. The webinar was targeted to trainees and early career independent investigators. Tune in and learn more!

NOX4 is Located in Neuron Mitochondria

What is the source of free radicals in neurons? While it is well established that angiotensin II plays an important role in the central regulation of cardiac function, investigators have long sought to better understand the sources of reactive oxygen species in stimulated neurons. In this podcast Consulting Editor Dr. Zoltan Ungvari interviews author Adam Case (University of Nebraska Medical Center) and expert Sergey Dikalov (Vanderbilt University Medical Center) about the latest work by Case et al. Using innovative methods, and both in vitro and in vivo models, Case and co-authors have shown that NOX4 contributes to mitochondrial oxidative stress in neurons. Could NOX4 become a potential therapeutic target via peptide inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension? Tune in and find out.

Adam J. Case, Shumin Li, Urmi Basu, Jun Tian, and Matthew C. Zimmerman Mitochondrial-localized NADPH oxidase 4 is a source of superoxide in angiotensin II-stimulated neurons Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online April 26, 2013, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00974.2012.

Regulation of Cardiac Ryanodine Receptor by Calmodulin and S100A1

Are "leaking" ryanodine receptor channels during diastole really important in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure, or are the problems actually related to ryanodine receptors that stay open too long during systole? In this podcast Associate Editor W. Gil Wier interviews lead author Gerhard Meissner (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and leading expert Peter Mohler (Ohio State University) about Meissner's groundbreaking new work by Yamaguchi et al, giving us key insights into this fascinating study. Will we find out exactly which amino acid is involved in calmodulin inhibition of ryanodine receptors? Listen and learn.

Naohiro Yamaguchi, Asima Chakraborty, Tai-Qin Huang, Le Xu, Angela C. Gomez, Daniel A. Pasek, and Gerhard Meissner Cardiac hypertrophy associated with impaired regulation of cardiac ryanodine receptor by calmodulin and S100A1 Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online May 10, 2013, doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00144.2013.