Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C1323099 (sympathomimetic)
 2,957 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We have developed murine models of viral myocarditis induced by encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus in which severe myocarditis, congestive heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy occur in high incidence. From these models, we have learned the natural history and pathogenesis and assessed new diagnostic methods and therapeutic and preventive interventions. Mural thrombi in the atria and ventricles, ventricular aneurysms, conduction disturbance and various arrhythmias were seen in these models. Anti-heart antibody were found in sera of mice and myosin isoenzyme were changed during the course of EMC virus myocarditis. Atrial natriuretic polypeptide was markedly increased in the ventricles in these mice. Successive infection with coxsackievirus and EMC virus developed lesions similar to chronic myocarditis. The myocardial uptake of antimyosin antibody was proved to be a useful method of diagnosis of myocarditis. Treatment with the nucleoside analogue, ribavirin and recombinant alpha interferon effectively inhibited myocardial virus replication and reduced myocardial damage. Passive immunization and virus-specific vaccine prevented development of myocarditis. The use of immunosuppressive therapy was associated with greater mortality when administered early in illness and beneficial effects were not seen by later administration. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor improved myocardial injury and congestive heart failure. A nonselective beta-adrenergic blocker with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, carteolol, prevented the development of myocardial lesions similar to those in dilated cardiomyopathy after myocarditis in the chronic stage.
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PMID:Lessons from animal experiments in myocarditis. 134 48

Social instability can adversely affect endocrine, immune and health outcomes, and recent evidence suggests that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) might mediate these effects. We conducted two studies with adult male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) to understand how social conditions affect measures of SNS activity and immune function. In Experiment 1, animals were socialized in stable social conditions, then were switched to unstable (stressful) social conditions, then were returned to stable conditions. Analysis revealed quadratic effects for measures of behaviour, urinary metabolites of epinephrine and norepinephrine, and expression of immune response genes: as expected, social instability adversely impacted most measures, and the effects remediated upon re-imposition of stable conditions. Cortisol levels were unaffected. In Experiment 2, we used the sympathomimetic drug methamphetamine to challenge the SNS; animals also underwent socialization in stable or unstable groups. Surprisingly, while methamphetamine elevated plasma catecholamines, responses in lymph nodes tracked the social, and not the drug, condition: social instability upregulated the density of SNS fibres in lymph nodes and downregulated Type I interferon gene expression. Together, these results indicate that the SNS is extremely sensitive to social conditions; full understanding of the adverse effects of social instability on health should therefore incorporate measures of this health-relevant system.
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PMID:Social instability and immunity in rhesus monkeys: the role of the sympathetic nervous system. 2587 Mar 91