Connexins are ubiquitous channel forming proteins that assemble as plasma membrane
hemichannels and as intercellular gap junction channels that directly connect cells. In the …

The global burden caused by cardiovascular disease is substantial, with heart disease
representing the most common cause of death around the world. There remains a need to …

Rationale: The mechanistic basis for cardiac and renal dysfunction in sepsis is unknown. In
particular, the degree and type of cell death is undefined. Objectives: To evaluate the degree …

Aim The aim of this study was to determine the value of extracellular volume fraction (ECV)
for the non-invasive assessment of diffuse myocardial fibrosis (MF) in different stages of …

Neuronal elements distributed throughout the cardiac nervous system, from the level of the
insular cortex to the intrinsic cardiac nervous system, are in constant communication with …

For both the atria and ventricles, fibrosis is generally recognized as one of the key
determinants of conduction disturbances. By definition, fibrosis refers to an increased …

Optical mapping has become an increasingly important tool to study cardiac
electrophysiology in the past 20 years. Multiple methods are used to process and analyze …

The heart works as a functional syncytium, which is realized via cell-cell coupling
maintained by gap junction channels. These channels connect two adjacent cells, so that …

Extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and biochemistry provide cell-instructive cues that
promote and regulate tissue growth, function, and repair. From a structural perspective, the …

The electrocardiographic PR interval reflects atrioventricular conduction, and is associated
with conduction abnormalities, pacemaker implantation, atrial fibrillation (AF), and …