Background In patients who have chronic heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, severe secondary mitral-valve regurgitation is associated with a poor prognosis. Whether percutaneous mitral-valve repair improves clinical outcomes in this patient population is unknown. Methods We randomly assigned patients who had severe secondary mitral regurgitation (defined as an effective regurgitant orifice area of >20 mm or a regurgitant volume of >30 ml per beat), a left ventricular ejection fraction between 15 and 40%, and symptomatic heart failure, in a 1:1 ratio, to undergo percutaneous mitral-valve repair in addition to receiving medical therapy (intervention group; 152 patients) or to receive medical therapy alone (control group; 152 patients). The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of death from any cause or unplanned hospitalization for heart failure at 12 months. Results At 12 months, the rate of the primary outcome was 54.6% (83 of 152 patients) in the intervention group and 51.3% (78 of 152 patients) in the control group (odds ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73 to 1.84; P=0.53). The rate of death from any cause was 24.3% (37 of 152 patients) in the intervention group and 22.4% (34 of 152 patients) in the control group (hazard ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.77). The rate of unplanned hospitalization for heart failure was 48.7% (74 of 152 patients) in the intervention group and 47.4% (72 of 152 patients) in the control group (hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.56). Conclusions Among patients with severe secondary mitral regurgitation, the rate of death or unplanned hospitalization for heart failure at 1 year did not differ significantly between patients who underwent percutaneous mitral-valve repair in addition to receiving medical therapy and those who received medical therapy alone. (Funded by the French Ministry of Health and Research National Program and Abbott Vascular; MITRA-FR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01920698 .).

Among patients who had had a recent cryptogenic stroke attributed to PFO with an associated atrial septal aneurysm or large interatrial shunt, the rate of stroke recurrence was lower among those assigned to PFO closure combined with antiplatelet therapy than among those assigned to antiplatelet therapy alone. PFO closure was associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation. (Funded by the French Ministry of Health; CLOSE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00562289 .).

BACKGROUNDExperimental and clinical evidence suggests that cyclosporine may attenuate reperfusion injury and reduce myocardial infarct size. We aimed to test whether cyclosporine would improve clinical outcomes and prevent adverse left ventricular remodeling. METHODSIn a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned 970 patients with an acute anterior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who were undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 12 hours after symptom onset and who had complete occlusion of the culprit coronary artery to receive a bolus injection of cyclosporine (administered intravenously at a dose of 2.5 mg per kilogram of body weight) or matching placebo before coronary recanalization. The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause, worsening of heart failure during the initial hospitalization, rehospitalization for heart failure, or adverse left ventricular remodeling at 1 year. Adverse left ventricular remodeling was defined as an increase of 15% or more in the left ventricular end-diastolic volume. RESULTSA total of 395 patients in the cyclosporine group and 396 in the placebo group received the assigned study drug and had data that could be evaluated for the primary outcome at 1 year. The rate of the primary outcome was 59.0% in the cyclosporine group and 58.1% in the control group (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.78 to 1.39; P = 0.77). Cyclosporine did not reduce the incidence of the separate clinical components of the primary outcome or other events, including recurrent infarction, unstable angina, and stroke. No significant difference in the safety profile was observed between the two treatment groups. CONCLUSIONSIn patients with anterior STEMI who had been referred for primary PCI, intravenous cyclosporine did not result in better clinical outcomes than those with placebo and did not prevent adverse left ventricular remodeling at 1 year. ( n engl j med 373;11 nejm.org September 10, 2015 1022T h e ne w e ngl a nd jou r na l o f m e dicine O ver the past three decades, major progress has been made in the treatment of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).1 Nevertheless, the rates of death, heart failure, and recurrent ischemic events occurring in the first year after infarction remain unacceptably elevated in this highrisk population. Although many advances have been made in the development of methods to reopen the culprit coronary artery and prevent reocclusion, there is currently no specific treatment that targets myocardial reperfusion injury, which is a paradoxical form of myocardial damage that occurs as a result of the restoration of vessel patency.2 Growing evidence from experimental studies and small-size proof-of-concept clinical trials shows that reperfusion injury contributes greatly to the final infarct size.3-5 Preclinical studies indicate that the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) in the inner mitochondrial membrane plays a major role in reperfusion injury. ...

Abstract-Rho kinases (ROCKs) are the first and the best-characterized effectors of the small G-protein RhoA. In addition to their effect on actin organization, or through this effect, ROCKs have been found to regulate a wide range of fundamental cell functions such as contraction, motility, proliferation, and apoptosis. Abnormal activation of the RhoA/ROCK pathway has been observed in major cardiovascular disorders such as atherosclerosis, restenosis, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiac hypertrophy. This review, based on recent molecular, cellular, and animal studies, focuses on the current understanding of ROCK signaling and its roles in cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology. (Circ Res. 2006;98:322-334.)Key Words: Rho kinase Ⅲ cardiovascular diseases Ⅲ Rho-GTP-binding proteins Ⅲ signal transduction R hoA is one of the best-known members of the Rho protein family that, in addition to its effect on actin organization or through this effect, regulate a wide range of fundamental cell functions such as contraction, motility, proliferation, and apoptosis. 1 RhoA acts as a molecular switch that cycles between an inactive GDP-bound and an active GTP-bound conformation interacting with downstream targets (effectors) to elicit cellular responses. Rho kinases (ROCKs) are the first and the bestcharacterized RhoA effectors. However, ROCKs can be considered more generally as Rho effectors because they also bind other Rho proteins such as RhoB and RhoC. 2 Since their discovery in 1996, ROCKs have been extensively studied, leading to the publication of Ͼ1300 articles, many of which focus on ROCK functions in the cardiovascular system. The interest for ROCKs in the heart and vessels has been further reinforced by the observation that the beneficial cardiovascular effects of statins result, at least in part, from the inhibition of ROCKs. 3 Indeed, by inhibiting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, statins reduce cholesterol synthesis but also prevent the formation of geranylgeranylpyrophosphate required for membrane translocation and activation of RhoA, the main upstream activator of ROCKs. In this review, we describe the current understanding of ROCK signaling and its roles in cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology.

1 Inhibition of the type 5 phosphodiesterase and inhibition of Rho kinase are both effective in reducing pulmonary hypertension (PH). Here we investigate whether Rho kinase inhibition is involved in the beneficial effect of the type 5 phosphodiesterase inhibitor sildenafil on PH. 2 Chronic hypoxia-induced PH in rats is associated with an increase in RhoA activity in pulmonary artery that was maximal after 2 days (10.770.9-fold increase, n ¼ 6, Po0.001). The activity of Rho kinase assessed by measuring the level of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1) phosphorylation was also increased (5.770.8-fold over control, n ¼ 8).3 Chronic fasudil (30 mg kg À1 day À1 ; 14 days) and sildenafil (25 mg kg À1 day À1 ; 14 days) treatments reduced PH and pulmonary cardiovascular remodelling, and inhibited the MYPT1 phosphorylation in pulmonary artery from hypoxic rats by 82.373% (n ¼ 4) and by 76.672% (n ¼ 4), respectively. 4 The inhibitory effect of sildenafil (10 mM) on MYPT1 phosphorylation was demonstrated by the loss of actin stress fibres in vascular smooth muscle cells. However, in vitro kinase assays indicated that sildenafil had no direct inhibitory action on Rho kinase activity. 5 Sildenafil treatment induced increased RhoA phosphorylation and association to its cytosolic inhibitory protein, guanine dissociation inhibitor (GDI) in pulmonary artery. 6 We propose that sildenafil inhibits RhoA/Rho kinase-dependent functions in pulmonary artery through enhanced RhoA phosphorylation and cytosolic sequestration by GDI. The inhibition of intracellular events downstream of RhoA thus participates in the beneficial effect of sildenafil on PH.

BackgroundWe conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure, anticoagulation, and antiplatelet therapy to prevent stroke recurrence in patients with PFO‐associated cryptogenic stroke.Methods and ResultsWe searched Medline, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE through March 2018. The primary outcome was stroke recurrence. Pooled incidences, hazard ratios, and risk ratios (RRs) were calculated in random‐effects meta‐analyses. PFO closure was associated with a lower risk of recurrent stroke compared with antithrombotic therapy (antiplatelet therapy or anticoagulation: 3560 patients from 6 RCTs; RR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.17–0.79; I2=59%). The effect of PFO closure on stroke recurrence was larger in patients with atrial septal aneurysm or large shunt (RR=0.27, 95% CI, 0.11–0.70; I2=42%) compared with patients without these anatomical features (RR=0.80, 95% CI, 0.43–1.47; I2=12%). Major complications occurred in 2.40% (95% CI, 1.03–4.25; I2=77%) of procedures. New‐onset atrial fibrillation was more frequent in patients randomized to PFO closure versus antithrombotic therapy (RR=4.33, 95% CI, 2.37–7.89; I2=14%). One RCT compared PFO closure versus anticoagulation (353 patients; hazard ratio=0.14, 95% CI, 0.00–1.45) and 2 RCTs compared PFO closure versus antiplatelet therapy (1137 patients; hazard ratio=0.18, 95% CI, 0.05–0.63; I2=12%). Three RCTs compared anticoagulation versus antiplatelet therapy, with none showing a significant difference.Conclusions PFO closure is superior to antithrombotic therapy to prevent stroke recurrence after cryptogenic stroke. The annual absolute risk reduction of stroke was low, but it has to be tempered by a substantial time at risk (at least 5 years) in young and middle‐aged patients. PFO closure was associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation.

In comparison with 5 other techniques, the re-POT sequence significantly optimized the final result of provisional coronary bifurcation stenting, maintaining circular geometry while significantly reducing SB ostium strut obstruction and global strut malapposition. These experimental findings confirm that provisional stenting may be optimized more effectively without KBI using re-POT.

Percutaneous occlusion of the foramen ovale is safe and gives excellent results thanks to continuing improvement in available devices. This technique enables some patients in an unstable condition to avoid a surgical closure.