aconitine and Cardiovascular-Diseases

Recent epidemiological findings link asthma to adverse cardiovascular responses. Yet, the precise cardiovascular impacts of asthma have been challenging to disentangle from the potential cardiovascular effects caused by asthma medication. The purpose of this study was to determine the impacts of allergic airways disease alone on cardiovascular function in an experimental model. Female Wistar rats were intranasally sensitized and then challenged once per week for 5 weeks with saline vehicle or a mixture of environmental allergens (ragweed, house dust mite, and Aspergillus fumigatus). Ventilatory and cardiovascular function, measured using double-chamber plethysmography and implantable blood pressure (BP) telemetry and cardiovascular ultrasound, respectively, were assessed before sensitization and after single and final allergen challenge. Responses to a single 0.5 ppm ozone exposure and to the cardiac arrhythmogenic agent aconitine were also assessed after final challenge. A single allergen challenge in sensitized rats increased tidal volume and specific airways resistance in response to provocation with methacholine and increased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and keratinocyte chemoattract-growth-related oncogene characteristic of allergic airways responses. Lung responses after final allergen challenge in sensitized rats were diminished, although ozone exposure increased BALF IL-6, IL-13, IL-1 β, and interferon-γ and modified ventilatory responses only in the allergen group. Final allergen challenge also increased systolic and mean arterial BP, stroke volume, cardiac output, end-diastolic volume, sensitivity to aconitine-induced cardiac arrhythmia, and cardiac gene expression with lesser effects after a single challenge. These findings demonstrate that allergic airways responses may increase cardiovascular risk in part by altering BP and myocardial function and by causing cardiac electrical instability.

Topics: Aconitine; Allergens; Animals; Asthma; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cytokines; Eosinophils; Female; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Hypersensitivity; Lung; Ozone; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Risk Factors

Varenicline is one of the most widely used drugs for smoking cessation. However, whether an adverse effect of varenicline is associated with the risk of serious cardiovascular events remains controversial. In this study, we determined if varenicline increases the risk of cardiovascular events using apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE KO) mice. ApoE KO mice (8 weeks old) were injected with varenicline 0.5 mg kg(-1)day(-1) for 3 weeks. Varenicline aggravated atherosclerotic plaque formation in whole aorta from ApoE KO mice compared with vehicle. Methyllycaconitine, an α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist, inhibited varenicline-induced aggravated plaque formation. Our findings show that varenicline progresses atherosclerotic plaque formation through α7 nAChR, and thereby increases the risk of cardiovascular events.

Topics: Aconitine; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; Animals; Apolipoproteins E; Benzazepines; Body Weight; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cholesterol; Disease Models, Animal; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Nicotinic Agonists; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Quinoxalines; Varenicline

The cardiorespiratory system was studied comprehensively in 27 patients with permanent atrial fibrillation (PAF) without the clinically marked signs of circulatory failure. After allapinine treatment 15 patients with bronchial obstruction manifestations demonstrated, in the presence of lasting PAF, a significant increase of the forced expiration capacity per s and of the maximum volumetric expiration rates. The data obtained may attest to the fact that the drug has beta-stimulating properties, confirming the reported evidence.

Topics: Aconitine; Adult; Aged; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Atrial Fibrillation; Bronchodilator Agents; Cardiovascular Diseases; Chronic Disease; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Respiration; Respiratory Function Tests

Topics: Aconitine; Adrenal Gland Diseases; Animals; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cats; Female; Male; Nervous System Diseases

Topics: Aconitine; Aconitum; Animals; Atrial Fibrillation; Cardiovascular Diseases; Rabbits

Topics: Aconitine; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans; Phenethylamines; Procainamide; Tachycardia, Ventricular