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Query: UMLS:C0018801 (heart failure)
 72,216 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Excess and deficit of growth hormone (GH) both affect cardiac architecture as well as its function. To date, experimental and clinical studies have reported that GH has an inotropic effect on animal and human heart, however, it remains controversial whether GH is applicable to the treatment for the patients with chronic heart failure. Also, the mechanism by which GH exerts these biological effects on the heart is not well understood. In this study, we attempted to specify the genes regulated by GH in the heart of spontaneous dwarf rat using a microarray analysis. We found that soluble forms of guanylate cyclase, cofilin1, and thymosin beta4 mRNA were up-regulated in the heart by GH treatment. On the other hand, acyl-CoA synthetase, aldosterone receptor, myosin regulatory light chain, troponin T, laminA, and beta-actin mRNA were down-regulated. These results suggest GH regulates essential molecules that regulate structural, contractile, remodeling, and regenerative functions. Collectively, our data indicate a new integrative understanding for the biological effects of GH on cardiac function.
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PMID:Gene expression profile in the heart of spontaneous dwarf rat: in vivo effects of growth hormone. 1641 79

Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide, isolated from the stomach, which has been identified as an endogenous ligand for GH secretagogue receptor. The discovery of ghrelin indicates that the release of GH from the pituitary might be regulated not only by hypothalamic GH-releasing hormone, but also by ghrelin derived from the stomach. This peptide also stimulates food intake and induces adiposity through GH-independent mechanisms. In addition, ghrelin acts directly on the central nervous system to decrease sympathetic nerve activity. Thus, ghrelin plays important roles for maintaining GH release and energy homeostasis. Repeated administration of ghrelin improves body composition, muscle wasting, functional capacity, and sympathetic augmentation in cachectic patients with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These results suggest that ghrelin has anti-cachectic effects through GH-dependent and independent mechanisms. Thus, administration of ghrelin may be a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cardiopulmonary-associated cachexia.
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PMID:Ghrelin, a novel growth hormone-releasing peptide, in the treatment of cardiopulmonary-associated cachexia. 1688 Jul 13

Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide, isolated from the stomach, which has been identified as an endogenous ligand for the GH secretagogues receptor. The discovery of ghrelin indicates that the release of GH from the pituitary might be regulated, not only by hypothalamic GH-releasing hormone, but also by ghrelin derived from the stomach. Considering the haemodynamic and anabolic effects of GH, ghrelin may have beneficial effects on cardiac function and energy metabolism in heart failure through GH-dependent mechanisms. On the other hand, ghrelin has some GH-independent actions: ghrelin stimulates food intake and induces adiposity. Interestingly, ghrelin acts directly on the CNS to decrease sympathetic nerve activity. It also inhibits apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. An experimental study has shown that repeated administration of ghrelin improves cardiac structure and function, and attenuates the development of cardiac cachexia in chronic heart failure (CHF). These results suggest that ghrelin has cardiovascular effects and regulates energy metabolism through GH-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Thus, administration of ghrelin may be a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of severe CHF.
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PMID:Therapeutic potential of ghrelin in the treatment of heart failure. 1659 62

Growth hormone plays an integral role in the development and maintenance of structure and function of the heart. Specific involvement of the heart in acromegaly is termed acromegalic cardiomyopathy, manifested as concentric left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dys-function. Left untreated, it ultimately progresses to systolic heart failure. Heart failure from acromegalic cardiomyopathy is one of the most common causes of death in acromegaly. Current treatment options include different approaches to lower elevated growth hormone levels with improvement in symptoms, exercise tolerance, and echocardiographic improvement in regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and indices of diastolic dysfunction. On the other hand, growth hormone is essential for cardiac growth and function and exerts beneficial and protective effects on the cardiovascular system. Its potential role as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of heart failure as derived from experimental studies and clinical trials is discussed.
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PMID:A case and review of acromegaly-induced cardiomyopathy and the relationship between growth hormone and heart failure: cause or cure or neither or both? 1722 Apr 69

Ghrelin infusion improves cardiac function in patients suffering from cardiac failure, and bolus administration of ghrelin increases cardiac output in healthy subjects. The cardiovascular effects of more continuous intravenous ghrelin exposure remain to be studied. We therefore studied the cardiovascular effects of a constant infusion of human ghrelin at a rate of 5 pmol/kg per minute for 180 min. Fifteen healthy, young (aged 23.2 +/- 0.5 yr), normal-weight (23.0 +/- 0.4 kg/m(2)) men volunteered in a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. With the subjects remaining fasting, peak myocardial systolic velocity S', tissue tracking TT, left ventricular ejection fraction EF, and endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilatation were measured. Ghrelin infusion increased S' 9% (P = 0.002) and TT 10% (P < 0.001), whereas EF, resting blood flow velocity, and endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilatation did not change (P = 0.13). This was associated with a peak in serum growth hormone after 60 min of infusion (37.77 +/- 5.27 ng/ml, P < 0.001), a doubling of free fatty acid levels (P = 0.001), and a 1.6-fold increase in cortisol levels (P < 0.05), whereas glucose and catecholamine levels were constant. In conclusion, supraphysiological levels of ghrelin stimulate left ventricular function in terms of S' and TT in healthy young normal-weight men without changing resting blood flow velocity and endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilatation. The effects did not translate into detectable increments in EF.
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PMID:Cardiovascular effects of intravenous ghrelin infusion in healthy young men. 1787 22

Ghrelin, mainly secreted from gastric mucosa, is the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor and induces a potent release of growth hormone. Ghrelin is widely expressed in different tissues and therefore has both endocrine and paracrine/autocrine effects. In this chapter, we summarize: (1) structure and distribution of ghrelin and its receptors; (2) myocardial effects of ghrelin, describing its acute and chronic actions on cardiac function; (3) ghrelin effects on smooth muscle, namely vascular smooth muscle, intraocular and gastrointestinal smooth muscle; and (4) skeletal actions of ghrelin. Ghrelin has a potent vasodilator effect, thereby reducing cardiac afterload and increasing cardiac output. In models of heart failure and myocardial ischemia, ghrelin administration has beneficial effects. At smooth muscle, ghrelin modulates vascular tone, increases gut transit, and relaxes iris muscles. In the skeletal muscle, ghrelin regulates resting membrane potential. In conclusion, there are increasing evidences that ghrelin is a peptide with paracrine actions that can modulate cardiac, smooth, and skeletal muscle functions.
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PMID:Cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle regulation by ghrelin. 1798 58

Substantial evidence supports a role for the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis in regulation of normal cardiac growth, structure and function. Moreover, experimental data suggest beneficial effects of GH and IGF-1 on contractility and peripheral resistance in rats with impaired cardiac function. An increased Ca(++) responsiveness is one possible underlying cause for the improvement in contractility, although effects of GH and IGF-1 on apoptosis may also play a more long term role for cardiomyocyte survival. Until recently, studies regarding GH treatment in heart failure were limited to case reports where administration dramatically improved cardiac function. In a small non-blind study of 7 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure (CHF) without GH deficiency who received treatment with recombinant GH (somatropin) for 3 months, considerable improvement of cardiac function was reported. More recent studies have demonstrated beneficial effects in patients with CHF due to both ischaemic and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, with improvements in haemodynamics when somatropin was added both as a maintenance therapy and as a short term infusion. So far, 2 placebo-controlled studies with somatropin as adjunctive therapy in patients with CHF have been reported, although neither study could confirm previously reported improvement in systolic function and lowering of wall stress. In summary, it is clear that further placebo-controlled clinical trials are mandatory to verify positive effects and to monitor long term safety when somatropin is administered as an agent in the treatment of CHF.
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PMID:Clinical potential of growth hormone in the treatment of congestive heart failure. 1803 Nov 79

Several evidences point for beneficial effects of growth hormone (GH) in heart failure (HF). Taking into account that HF is related with changes in myocardial oxidative stress and in energy generation from metabolic pathways, it is important to clarify whether GH increase or decrease myocardial oxidative stress and what is its effect on energetic metabolism in HF condition. Thus, this study investigated the effects of two different doses of GH on energetic metabolism and oxidative stress in myocardium of rats with HF. Male Wistar rats (n=25) were submitted to aortic stenosis (AS). The HF was evidenced by tachypnea and echocardiographic criteria around 28 weeks of AS. The rats were then randomly divided into three groups: (HF) with HF, treated with saline (0.9% NaCl); (HF-GH1), treated with 1 mk/kg/day recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), and (HF-GH2) treated with 2 mg/kg/day rhGH. GH was injected, subcutaneously, daily for 2 weeks. A control group (sham; n=12), with the same age of the others rats was evaluated to confirm data for AS. HF had lower IGF-I (insulin-like growth factor-I) than sham-operated rats, and both GH treatments normalized IGF-I level. HF-GH1 animals had lower lipid hydroperoxide (LH), LH/total antioxidant substances (TAS) and glutathione-reductase than HF. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), hydroxyacyl coenzyme-A dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) were higher in HF-GH1 than in HF. HF-GH2 compared with HF, had increased LH/TAS ratio, as well as decreased oxidized glutathione and LDH activity. Comparing the two GH doses, GSH-Px, superoxide dismutase and LDH were lower in HF-GH2 than in HF-GH1. In conclusion, GH effects were dose-dependent and both tested doses did not aggravate the heart dysfunction. The higher GH dose, 2 mg/kg exerted detrimental effects related to energy metabolism and oxidative stress. The lower dose, 1mg/kg GH exerted beneficial effects enhancing antioxidant defences, reducing oxidative stress and improving energy generation in myocardium of rats with heart failure.
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PMID:Growth hormone and heart failure: oxidative stress and energetic metabolism in rats. 1819

Cachexia is a constellation of symptoms that amount to body wasting in the setting of a variety of chronic illnesses, including cancer, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Cachexia is particularly worrisome clinically because it is associated with a worsened prognosis of the underlying disease. Despite a large amount of study in this area, no single agent has been shown to have consistent efficacy in human trials. One promising class in this setting is ghrelin receptor agonists. Ghrelin binds to the growth hormone secretagogue-1a receptor in appetite-regulating centers in the brain, increasing expression of neuropeptide Y and agouti-related peptide during short-term treatment. Ghrelin has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, which is significant, given that cachexia is thought to be produced at least partly by inflammation induced by the underlying disease. Animal studies have demonstrated efficacy using growth hormone secretagogue receptor agonists to treat cachexia caused by cancer, chemotherapy, and chronic kidney disease. Limited human trials using ghrelin or ghrelin receptor agonists in cancer and heart disease have shown improved appetite and body mass during treatment, although longer-term trials are needed to confirm sustained effects. Also uncertain--but an intriguing possibility--is whether the improved weight gain with ghrelin treatment might also lessen the severity of the underlying disease and improve outcomes.
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PMID:Emergence of ghrelin as a treatment for cachexia syndromes. 1872 76

COPD is a disease that is not confined to the airways and the lungs, but also produces systemic consequences. Muscle weakness is one of these. It is produced by a multitude of factors including deconditioning, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, nutritional imbalance, reduced anabolic status, systemic corticosteroids, hypoxemia, hypercapnia, electrolyte disturbances, cardiac failure. The most important factors appear to be inactivity and systemic inflammation. Inactivity was shown to be present in patients with COPD from early in the course of the disease on. Systemic inflammation was shown to be predominantly present during COPD exacerbations. IL-6 has the propensity to reduce muscle function in experimental animals. At present there is no evidence of local production of cytokines in the muscle in patients with COPD. Muscle weakness is also important in the clinical course of the disease as it is associated with exercise intolerance, reduced quality of life, enhanced utilization of health care resources and reduced survival. Rehabilitation is the best treatment for muscle weakness and deconditioning in patients with COPD. Indeed, it is the intervention with the largest effect on health status and exercise capacity in these patients. Several factors that may enhance the effects of rehabilitation have been studied. These include: growth hormone/ IGF-I, anabolic steroids, clenbuterol, creatine, anti-cytokine treatment, erythropoietin, oxygen, non-invasive mechanical ventilation and electrical stimulation. Recently, the potential of protease-inhibitors in reversing deconditioning-induced muscle dysfunction was demonstrated. Adjuncts are potentially particularly useful in patients who do not respond to a rehabilitation programme. Analysis of large d-bases demonstrated that about one third of the patients does not respond to rehabilitation. A follow-up study suggests that decline in exercise capacity after a rehabilitation programme is particularly present in these patients and not in the patients with a clear initial response. A better understanding of the factors controlling the response to rehabilitation, may lead to significant advances in this field.
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PMID:Pulmonary rehabilitation 2007: from bench to practice and back. 1898 Jul 25


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