Whenever the coronary flow is inadequate to provide enough oxygen to meet the energy demands of the tissue, the heart becomes ischemic. Manifestations of myocardial ischemia include depression in contractile activity, changes in metabolic pattern, abnormalities in ultrastructure, and alterations in membrane potential. Ischemic changes during the early phase are reversible but as the period of ischemia is extended, the injury becomes irreversible. The transition from reversible to irreversible ischemic injury is usually associated with some membrane defects. It is worthwhile to consider that...

The ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K_ATP) was discovered in 1983. Since then, an enormous amount of research has been undertaken to characterize it in detail. This volume consolidates both the current knowledge and most recent advances on the subject, and its relationship to myocardial protection. To this end, the editors have assembled investigators at the forefront of ongoing basic and clinical research to provide scholarly and candid comments concerning each of the pertinent issues, including: a comprehensive review of the biology of the channel with respect to the...

Over the past twenty years, technical advances in coronary arteriography have contributed to our understanding of the pathophysiologic aspects and natural history of coronary artery disease. Probably more than 700. 000 coronary arterio grams are performed annually throughout the world. Usually, these arteriograms are interpreted visually to determine the morphologic extent and severity of coronary artery disease. These subjective determinations, which are hampered . by relatively large intra- and interobserver variations, are used as a basis for critically important therapeutic decisions:...

This book contains the manuscripts of the majority of the papers given during the symposium 'Improvement of Myocardial Perfusion' which was held from Sep- tember 27-29,1984 in Mainz/Germany. It has been the purpose of this meeting to focus the interest of scientifically and clinically interested cardiologists on the new developments in this field. We therefore chose the subtitle 'Medical-Mechanical -Surgical Approach'. The medical improvements in myocardial perfusion have been brought about by the application of streptokinase, urokinase and tissue-type plasminogen ac- tivator in the first...

The fundamental fault in hypertension is unknown. Calling it a fundamental fault, indeed, tacitly begs the question: Is there one fundamental fault, or are there several that are interlinked or interdependent? A simple yes or no answer cannot be offered. This volume is not designed to survey the up-to-date recent advances in research on hypertension, nor intended to provide provisional an- swers to the so many unknowns in this topic. It is, in fact, an attempt to articulate questions that are worth asking, given the license of an unhibited, albeit disci- plined, inquiry. The range of...