The cytosolic small heat shock protein alphaB-crystallin (alphaBC) is a molecular chaperone expressed in large quantities in the heart, where it protects from stresses such as ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). Upon I/R, p38 MAP kinase activation leads to …
The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) have been the subject of many studies to identify signaling pathways that promote cell survival or death. In cultured cardiac myocytes, p38 MAPK promotes cell survival or death depending on whether it is …
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) is a potentially powerful anti-neoplastic agent; however, its therapeutic usefulness is limited by its cardiotoxic and negative inotropic effects. Accordingly, studies were undertaken to gain a better …
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent stimulator of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) secretion from myocardial cells. In heart tissue there are two ET receptor subtypes (ETA-R and ETB-R), which can be pharmacologically distinguished by the ET isopeptides …
Previous studies have demonstrated that primary cultures of cardiac myocytes maintained in a complete serum-free medium contain a precursor to atrial natriuretic factor (ANF-(1-126]. The cultured cells secrete this precursor unless maintained in the …
Atrial myocytes cultured for 7 days in serum-free medium secrete a 15K form of atrial natriuretic peptide (15K ANP), but isolated perfused rat hearts secrete the major circulating form of the hormone, a 3K peptide, 3K ANP. This difference was …