Autonomic contribution to endothelin-1 increase during laboratory anger-recall stress in patients with coronary artery disease

Psychological factors and blood pressure responses to acute stress in women with takotsubo syndrome: an exploratory study

AIMS

This secondary analysis aimed to (i) describe psychological resources and distress in women with takotsubo syndrome (TS) and (ii) explore whether such factors affect blood pressure (BP) responses to acute mental stress.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Participants were 47 women consecutively enrolled in an ongoing study examining the prognostic significance of stress reactivity in TS. Psychological resources (resilience and adaptive coping) and distress [depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and perceived stress] were self-reported using validated questionnaires <12 weeks after TS. Using a standardized protocol, systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) (mmHg) were measured every 5 min during baseline (10 min), mental stress (10 min), and recovery (20 min). Associations of psychological resources and distress (high vs. low composite scores), respectively, with BP during mental stress and recovery (change from baseline), were examined using one-way analyses of covariance (covariates: age and anti-hypertensive medications). Given the study's exploratory nature, results are shown as effect sizes. On average, women (Mage = 64.3 years) had high perceived stress, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms and low resilience. Women with high (vs. low) psychological distress displayed less complete SBP (d = 0.57) and DBP (d = 0.33) recovery to baseline. Women with low (vs. high) psychological resources demonstrated lower SBP responses during mental stress (d = -0.26) alongside a more complete SBP recovery (d = 0.30).

CONCLUSION

Female survivors of TS with high psychological distress exhibited impaired BP recovery following acute mental stress. While the prognostic significance of impaired BP recovery from mental stress remains to be determined in longitudinal studies, this finding could help identify TS survivors at risk for recurrence.

"Invisible Dangers": Unconscious processing of angry vs fearful faces and its relationship to subjective anger

Traditional paradigms for studying the unconscious processing of threatening facial expressions face methodological limitations and have predominantly focused on fear, leaving gaps in our understanding of anger. Additionally, it is unclear how the unconscious perception of anger influences subjective anger experiences. To address this, the current study employed Continuous Flash Suppression (CFS), a robust method for studying unconscious processing, to assess suppression times for angry, fearful and happy facial expressions. Following the administration of CFS, participants underwent an anger induction paradigm, and state anger symptoms were assessed at multiple timepoints. Suppression times for angry faces were compared to those for happy and fearful faces, and their relationship with state anger symptoms post-induction was examined. Results revealed that fearful faces broke suppression significantly faster than happy faces. Anger was slower to break suppression compared to fear, but no significant differences emerged between anger and happiness. In addition, the faster emergence into awareness of fear compared to anger was linked to an increased state anger after the induction, indicating that differences in the unconscious processing of these two emotions can potentially influence symptoms of subjective anger. These findings provide new insights into how angry and fearful faces are processed unconsciously, with implications for understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying subjective anger.

Effects of propolis intake on endurance exercise and molecular signaling related to inflammation and oxidative stress

Honey bees extract sticky material from the exudates of different plants which transform afterwards to propolis. Propolis from several global locations has been shown to contain a wide variety of polyphenolic chemicals. Recent studies have revealed that propolis possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory abilities. In laboratory animal studies, it has been demonstrated that propolis can enhance the functioning of the antioxidant defense system and decrease the activity of nuclear factor-kappa B. As a result, they can effectively alleviate the damage caused by exercise. One of the main flavonoids found in propolis, quercetin, has been demonstrated to enhance muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and exercise capacity. Propolis may aid athletes in preventing oxidative and inflammatory damage to their muscles during exercise and enhance their athletic performance. The goal of the current review was to evaluate how propolis consumption affected the molecular signaling associated with antioxidant/oxidant state, pro/anti-inflammatory cytokines, and anaerobic/aerobic endurance.

Enhanced vasoconstriction in sickle cell disease is dependent on ETA receptor activation

Sickle cell disease (SCD) carries a significant risk for poor vascular health and vascular dysfunction. High levels of vascular reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as elevated plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor with actions via the ETA receptor, are both common phenotypes in SCD. Alpha-1 adrenergic receptor activation is a major mediator of stress-induced vasoconstriction. However, the mechanism of the SCD enhanced vasoconstrictive response is unknown. We hypothesized that SCD induces enhanced alpha-1 adrenergic mediated vasoconstriction through the ET-1/ETA receptor pathway in arterial tissues. Utilizing humanized SCD (HbSS) and genetic control (HbAA) mice, alpha-1a, but not alpha-1b or alpha-1d, receptor expression was significantly greater in aortic tissue from HbSS mice compared to HbAA mice. Significantly enhanced vasoconstriction in aortic and carotid arterial segments were observed from HbSS mice compared with HbAA mice. Treatment with ambrisentan, a selective ETA receptor antagonist, and a ROS scavenger normalized the aortic vasoconstrictive response in HbSS mice. In a randomized translational study, patients with SCD were treated with placebo or ambrisentan for 3 months, with the treatment group showing an increase in the percent brachial arterial diameter. Taken together, these data suggest that the ETA receptor pathway interaction with the adrenergic receptor pathway contributes to enhanced aortic vasoconstriction in SCD. Findings indicate the potential of ETA antagonism as a therapeutic avenue for improving vascular health in SCD.

Endothelin Modulates Rhythm Disturbances and Autonomic Responses to Acute Emotional Stress in Rats

The ubiquitous peptide endothelin is currently under investigation as a modulatory factor of autonomic responses to acute emotional stress. Baseline plasma levels of endothelin alter blood pressure responses, but it remains unclear whether autonomic activity and arrhythmogenesis (i.e., brady- or tachyarrhythmias) are affected. We recorded sympathetic and vagal indices (derived from heart rate variability analysis), rhythm disturbances, voluntary motion, and systolic blood pressure after acute emotional stress in conscious rats with implanted telemetry devices. Two strains were compared, namely wild-type and ETB-deficient rats, the latter displaying elevated plasma endothelin. No differences in heart rate or blood pressure were evident, but sympathetic responses were blunted in ETB-deficient rats, contrasting prompt activation in wild-type rats. Vagal withdrawal was observed in both strains at the onset of stress, but vagal activity was subsequently restored in ETB-deficient rats, accompanied by low voluntary motion during recovery. Reflecting such distinct autonomic patterns, frequent premature ventricular contractions were recorded in wild-type rats, as opposed to sinus pauses in ETB-deficient rats. Thus, chronically elevated plasma endothelin levels blunt autonomic responses to acute emotional stress, resulting in vagal dominance and bradyarrhythmias. Our study provides further insights into the pathophysiology of stress-induced tachyarrhythmias and syncope.

Mind Your Heart-II: Protocol for a behavioral randomized controlled trial of mindfulness training to promote self-care in patients with comorbid heart failure and cognitive impairment

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) self-care is a robust predictor of prognosis in HF patients. Cognitive impairment is a common comorbidity in HF patients and constitutes a major challenge to HF self-care. Mindfulness training (MT) has been shown to improve cognitive function and interoception, two components essential to promoting effective HF self-care.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the Mind Your Heart-II (MYH-II) study are to investigate the effects of MT on HF self-care via changes in cognitive function and interoception in patients with comorbid HF and cognitive impairment, and to study the process by which MT can improve cognitive function via vagal control. We hypothesize that MT will improve cognitive function, interoception, and vagal control, resulting in enhanced HF self-care, compared to control participants.

METHODS

MYH-II is a mechanistic parallel phase II behavioral randomized controlled trial. We will enroll 176 English or Spanish-speaking patients with comorbid chronic HF and mild cognitive impairment. Participants will be randomized to either: (1) 8-week phone-delivered MT + Enhanced Usual Care (EUC), or (2) EUC alone. Participants will complete baseline, end-of-treatment (3 months), and follow-up (9 months) assessments. The primary outcome is cognitive function (NIH Toolbox Fluid Cognition Composite Score). Additional key outcomes include: interoception (heartbeat tracking task, Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness), HF self-care (Self-Care of Heart Failure Index v7.2), and vagal control (high-frequency heart rate variability).

IMPLICATIONS

If study hypotheses are confirmed, phone-based MT may be a key tool for improving HF self-care, and possibly clinical outcomes, in HF patients with comorbid cognitive impairment.

The Role of Major Biomarkers of Stress in Atrial Fibrillation: A Literature Review

Numerous studies have reported that physical or emotional stress can provoke atrial fibrillation (AF) or vice versa, which suggests a potential link between exposure to external stressors and AF. This review article sought to describe in detail the relationship between major stress biomarkers and the pathogenesis of AF and presents up-to-date knowledge on the role of physiological and psychological stress in AF patients. For this purpose, this review article contends that plasma cortisol is linked to a greater risk of AF. A previous study has investigated the association between increased copeptin levels and paroxysmal AF (PAF) in rheumatic mitral stenosis and reported that copeptin concentration was not independently associated with AF duration. Reduced levels of chromogranin were measured in patients with AF. Furthermore, the dynamic activity of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase as well as superoxide dismutase, was examined in PAF patients during a period of <48 h. Malondialdehyde activity, serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and high mobility group box 1 protein concentrations were significantly greater in patients with persistent AF or PAF compared to controls. Pooled data from 13 studies confirmed a significant reduction in the risk of AF related to the administration of vasopressin. Other studies have revealed the mechanism of action of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in preventing AF and also discussed the therapeutic potential of HSP-inducing compounds in clinical AF. More research is required to detect other biomarkers of stress, which have not been reported in the pathogenesis of AF. Further studies are required to identify their mechanism of action and drugs to manage these biomarkers of stress in AF patients, which might help to reduce the prevalence of AF globally.

Mental Stress-Induced Myocardial Ischemia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To summarize recent evidence on mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia (MSIMI), its mechanisms, and clinical significance.

RECENT FINDINGS

MSIMI can occur in patients with normal cardiac stress testing, is only weakly related to severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), and it is often silent. Among patients with CAD, MSIMI is associated with a twofold increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events compared to those who do not have MSIMI. Certain groups such as young women with myocardial infarction and those with psychological comorbidities are more susceptible to MSIMI. Abnormal microvascular vasoreactivity and inflammation are implicated mechanisms in MSIMI. Increased brain activity in regions that modulate autonomic reactivity to emotional stress and fear is associated with MSIMI. MSIMI has important prognostic implications in patients with CAD. Stress can no longer be ignored as a risk factor in cardiology care. Clinical trials testing effective strategies to target MSIMI are needed.

The Role of Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, in which the immune system has a prominent role in its development and progression. Inflammation-induced endothelial dysfunction results in an increased permeability to lipoproteins and their subendothelial accumulation, leukocyte recruitment, and platelets activation. Recruited monocytes differentiate into macrophages which develop pro- or anti-inflammatory properties according to their microenvironment. Atheroma progression or healing is determined by the balance between these functional phenotypes. Macrophages and smooth muscle cells secrete inflammatory cytokines including interleukins IL-1β, IL-12, and IL-6. Within the arterial wall, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol undergoes an oxidation. Additionally, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and remnant lipoproteins exert pro-inflammatory effects. Macrophages catabolize the oxidized lipoproteins and coalesce into a lipid-rich necrotic core, encapsulated by a collagen fibrous cap, leading to the formation of fibro-atheroma. In the conditions of chronic inflammation, macrophages exert a catabolic effect on the fibrous cap, resulting in a thin-cap fibro-atheroma which makes the plaque vulnerable. However, their morphology may change over time, shifting from high-risk lesions to more stable calcified plaques. In addition to conventional cardiovascular risk factors, an exposure to acute and chronic psychological stress may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease through inflammation mediated by an increased sympathetic output which results in the release of inflammatory cytokines. Inflammation is also the link between ageing and cardiovascular disease through increased clones of leukocytes in peripheral blood. Anti-inflammatory interventions specifically blocking the cytokine pathways reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, although they increase the risk of infections.

The Impact of Mental Stress on Cardiovascular Health-Part II

Endothelial dysfunction is one of the earliest manifestations of atherosclerosis, contributing to its development and progression. Mental stress induces endothelial dysfunction through increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, release of corticotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus, inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis by cortisol, and increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mental-stress-induced increased output of the sympathetic nervous system and concomitant withdrawal of the parasympathetic inflammatory reflex results in systemic inflammation and activation of a neural-hematopoietic-arterial axis. This includes the brainstem and subcortical regions network, bone marrow activation, release of leukocytes into the circulation and their migration to the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaques. Low-grade, sterile inflammation is involved in all steps of atherogenesis, from coronary plaque formation to destabilisation and rupture. Increased sympathetic tone may cause arterial smooth-muscle-cell proliferation, resulting in vascular hypertrophy, thus contributing to the development of hypertension. Emotional events also cause instability of cardiac repolarisation due to brain lateralised imbalance of cardiac autonomic nervous stimulation, which may lead to asymmetric repolarisation and arrhythmia. Acute emotional stress can also provoke severe catecholamine release, leading to direct myocyte injury due to calcium overload, known as myocytolysis, coronary microvascular vasoconstriction, and an increase in left ventricular afterload. These changes can trigger a heart failure syndrome mimicking acute myocardial infarction, characterised by transient left ventricular dysfunction and apical ballooning, known as stress (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy. Women are more prone than men to develop mental-stress-induced myocardial ischemia (MSIMI), probably reflecting gender differences in brain activation patterns during mental stress. Although guidelines on CV prevention recognise psychosocial factors as risk modifiers to improve risk prediction and decision making, the evidence that their assessment and treatment will prevent CAD needs further evaluation.

The Impact of Mental Stress on Cardiovascular Health—Part II

Endothelial dysfunction is one of the earliest manifestations of atherosclerosis, contributing to its development and progression. Mental stress induces endothelial dysfunction through increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, release of corticotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus, inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis by cortisol, and increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mental-stress-induced increased output of the sympathetic nervous system and concomitant withdrawal of the parasympathetic inflammatory reflex results in systemic inflammation and activation of a neural–hematopoietic–arterial axis. This includes the brainstem and subcortical regions network, bone marrow activation, release of leukocytes into the circulation and their migration to the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaques. Low-grade, sterile inflammation is involved in all steps of atherogenesis, from coronary plaque formation to destabilisation and rupture. Increased sympathetic tone may cause arterial smooth-muscle-cell proliferation, resulting in vascular hypertrophy, thus contributing to the development of hypertension. Emotional events also cause instability of cardiac repolarisation due to brain lateralised imbalance of cardiac autonomic nervous stimulation, which may lead to asymmetric repolarisation and arrhythmia. Acute emotional stress can also provoke severe catecholamine release, leading to direct myocyte injury due to calcium overload, known as myocytolysis, coronary microvascular vasoconstriction, and an increase in left ventricular afterload. These changes can trigger a heart failure syndrome mimicking acute myocardial infarction, characterised by transient left ventricular dysfunction and apical ballooning, known as stress (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy. Women are more prone than men to develop mental-stress-induced myocardial ischemia (MSIMI), probably reflecting gender differences in brain activation patterns during mental stress. Although guidelines on CV prevention recognise psychosocial factors as risk modifiers to improve risk prediction and decision making, the evidence that their assessment and treatment will prevent CAD needs further evaluation.

Physiological Responses to Narrative Anger Recall and Correlates to Anger, Forgiveness, and Rumination

Abstract. Narrative recall, or describing an event from one’s past, is a common method to study anger in the laboratory. However, most research using this method has not included a neutral speaking control, and therefore the physiological response attributable to emotion versus the act of speech is unknown. We evaluated heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance level, heart rate variability, and salivary alpha-amylase during silent baseline, neutral speaking, anger recall, and recovery periods, and correlated these measures with trait anger, forgiveness, and rumination ( n = 104). Only systolic blood pressure and skin conductance levels were elevated in the anger recall period above the values in the neutral speaking period, showing the need for this important control. Alpha-amylase was inversely correlated to forgiveness, particularly in females. A neutral speaking control is critical for anger recall protocols because the physiological responses are mostly due to speaking, not anger. Salivary alpha-amylase may be a promising autonomic marker in studies of forgiveness and anger.

Sex-Specific Effects of Prenatal Hypoxia on the Cardiac Endothelin System in Adult Offspring

Fetal hypoxia, a major consequence of complicated pregnancies, impairs offspring cardiac tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) insult, however, the mechanisms remain unknown. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) signaling through the endothelin A receptors (ET_A) is associated with cardiac dysfunction. We hypothesized that prenatal hypoxia exacerbates cardiac susceptibility to I/R via increased ET-1 and ET_A levels, while ET_A inhibition ameliorates this. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to normoxia (21% O₂) or hypoxia (11% O₂) on gestational days 15-21. Offspring were aged to 4 months, and hearts were aerobically perfused or subjected to ex vivo I/R, with or without pre-infusion with an ET_A antagonist (ABT-627). ET-1 levels were assessed with ELISA in aerobically perfused and post-I/R left ventricles (LV). ET_A and ET_B levels were assessed by Western blotting in non-perfused LV. As hypothesized, ABT-627 infusion tended to improve post-I/R recovery in hypoxic females (p=0.0528), however, surprisingly, ABT-627 prevented post-I/R recovery only in the hypoxic males (p<0.001). ET-1 levels were increased in post-I/R LV in both sexes regardless of the prenatal exposure (p<0.01). ET_A expression was similar among all groups, while ET_B (isoform C) levels were decreased in prenatally hypoxic females (p<0.05). In prenatally hypoxic males, ET_A signaling may be essential for tolerance to I/R, while in prenatally hypoxic females, ET_A may contribute to cardiac dysfunction. Our data illustrate that understanding the prenatal history has critical implications for treatment strategies in adult chronic diseases.

Endothelin-1 axes in the framework of predictive, preventive and personalised (3P) medicine

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is involved in the regulation of a myriad of processes highly relevant for physical and mental well-being; female and male health; in the modulation of senses, pain, stress reactions and drug sensitivity as well as healing processes, amongst others. Shifted ET-1 homeostasis may influence and predict the development and progression of suboptimal health conditions, metabolic impairments with cascading complications, ageing and related pathologies, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative pathologies, aggressive malignancies, modulating, therefore, individual outcomes of both non-communicable and infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the involvement of ET-1 and related regulatory pathways in physiological and pathophysiological processes and estimates its capacity as a predictor of ageing and related pathologies,a sensor of lifestyle quality and progression of suboptimal health conditions to diseases for their targeted preventionand as a potent target for cost-effective treatments tailored to the person.

The Foundational Role of Cardiovascular Imaging in the Characterization of Mental Stress-Induced Myocardial Ischemia in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Mental stress-provoked myocardial ischemia (MSIMI) is an ischemic phenomenon provoked by the experience of psychologically stressful circumstances. While MSIMI was initially identified 50 years ago during activities of daily living through the use of wearable Holter monitor, subsequent research utilized the technologies of cardiac imaging-ventriculography and myocardial perfusion-under controlled conditions to pursue an understanding of pathophysiology and prognosis. This work revealed that MSIMI occurs in almost half of patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and is associated with cardiac events and early mortality. We provide a focused review of the instrumental role that cardiac imaging has played in elucidating how stress affects cardiac physiology and how emerging diagnostic techniques will allow for further research on stress-mediated changes in the coronary macro- and microvasculature.

RECENT FINDINGS

Observations about the cardiac response to mental stress diverge from underlying cornerstones of the traditional CAD paradigm which is based upon myocardial oxygen demand and the degree of epicardial coronary stenosis. Evidence from studies utilizing non-invasive and invasive studies of coronary perfusion indicates perturbations in the microvascular compartment in response to mental stress. Cardiovascular imaging enjoined with mental stress provocation may be a commanding tool to advance our understanding of non-obstructive CAD and the coronary microvasculature. This further understanding will facilitate incorporation of mental stress testing in the clinical care of patients with discrepant diagnostic work-up of CAD and in patients who experience anginal symptoms due to non-exertional and/or emotional triggers. Such algorithms will be crucial to identify treatment targets to modify the risk associated with mental stress-associated ischemia and adverse prognosis.

Cardiovascular Imaging of Biology and Emotion: Considerations Toward a New Paradigm

Central activation in response to emotion and cognitive stress induces perturbations in the heart and the peripheral vasculature that differ in physiology and clinical manifestations when compared with exercise-induced changes. While our conventional framework of epicardial coronary artery disease is foundational in cardiology, an expanded paradigm is required to address the cardiovascular response to mental stress (MS) and its associated risks, thus addressing the intersection of the patient's ecological and psychosocial experience with cardiovascular biology. To advance the field of MS in cardiovascular health, certain core challenges must be addressed. These include differences in the trigger activation between exercise and emotion, identification and interpretation of imaging cues as measures of pathophysiologic changes, characterization of the vascular response, and identification of central and peripheral treatment targets. Sex and psychosocial determinants of health are important in understanding the emerging overlap of MS-induced myocardial ischemia with microvascular dysfunction and symptoms in the absence of obstructive disease. In overcoming these critical knowledge gaps, integration of the field of MS will require implementation studies to guide use of MS testing, to support diagnosis of MS induced cardiac and vascular pathophysiology, to assess prognosis, and understand the role of endotying to direct therapy.

Chronic stress and endothelial dysfunction: mechanisms, experimental challenges, and the way ahead

Although chronic stress is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) onset, the underlying mechanisms driving such pathophysiological complications remain relatively unknown. Here, dysregulation of innate stress response systems and the effects of downstream mediators are strongly implicated, with the vascular endothelium emerging as a primary target of excessive glucocorticoid and catecholamine action. Therefore, this review article explores the development of stress-related endothelial dysfunction by focusing on the following: 1) assessing the phenomenon of stress and complexities surrounding this notion, 2) discussing mechanistic links between chronic stress and endothelial dysfunction, and 3) evaluating the utility of various preclinical models currently employed to study mechanisms underlying the onset of stress-mediated complications such as endothelial dysfunction. The data reveal that preclinical models play an important role in our efforts to gain an increased understanding of mechanisms underlying stress-mediated endothelial dysfunction. It is our understanding that this provides a good foundation going forward, and we propose that further efforts should be made to 1) more clearly define the concept of stress and 2) standardize protocols of animal models with specific guidelines to better indicate the mental complications that are simulated.

Acute Pressor Response to Psychosocial Stress Is Dependent on Endothelium-Derived Endothelin-1

Background

Acute psychosocial stress provokes increases in circulating endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) levels in humans and animal models. However, key questions about the physiological function and cellular source of stress‐induced ET‐1 remain unanswered. We hypothesized that endothelium‐derived ET‐1 contributes to the acute pressor response to stress via activation of the endothelin A receptor.

Methods and Results

Adult male vascular endothelium‐specific ET‐1 knockout mice and control mice that were homozygous for the floxed allele were exposed to acute psychosocial stress in the form of cage switch stress (CSS), with blood pressure measured by telemetry. An acute pressor response was elicited by CSS in both genotypes; however, this response was significantly blunted in vascular endothelium‐specific ET‐1 knockout mice compared with control mice that were homozygous for the floxed allele. In mice pretreated for 3 days with the endothelin A antagonist, ABT‐627, or the dual endothelin A/B receptor antagonist, A‐182086, the pressor response to CSS was similar between genotypes. CSS significantly increased plasma ET‐1 levels in control mice that were homozygous for the floxed allele. CSS failed to elicit an increase in plasma ET‐1 in vascular endothelium‐specific ET‐1 knockout mice. Telemetry frequency domain analyses suggested similar autonomic responses to stress between genotypes, and isolated resistance arteries demonstrated similar sensitivity to α₁‐adrenergic receptor‐mediated vasoconstriction.

Conclusions

These findings specify that acute stress‐induced activation of endothelium‐derived ET‐1 and subsequent endothelin A receptor activation is a novel mediator of the blood pressure response to acute psychosocial stress.

Alteration of Endothelin 1, MCP-1 and Chromogranin A in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing pulmonary vein isolation

BACKGROUND

The relation between arrhythmias and stress is known. The aim of our current study was to elucidate whether plasma levels of previously described stress parameters are altered in highly symptomatic patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) per se and in patients undergoing ablation therapy by pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).

METHODS

96 patients with AF undergoing PVI were recruited. Plasma levels of Endothelin-1 (ET-1), MCP-1 and Chromogranin-A (CGA) were measured before and three months after ablation completed with clinical follow-up with respect to AF recurrence. Additionally, we examined 40 healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers as a reference.

RESULTS

Symptomatic AF patients showed increased levels of ET-1 compared to healthy controls (2.62pg/ml vs. 1.57pg/ml; p<0.01). Baseline levels of ET-1 were higher in patients presenting with AF after PVI (2.96pg/ml vs. 2.57pg/ml;p = 0.02). The temporal comparison revealed decreased ET-1 levels in patients without (2.57pg/ml vs. 2.33pg/ml; p<0.01) and unchanged ET-1 levels in patients with AF after PVI. Baseline MCP-1 was increased in AF patients vs. controls (268pg/ml vs. 227 pg/ml; p = 0.03). Both groups, with and without AF after PVI, showed an increase of MCP-1 compared to baseline (268pg/ml vs. 349pg/ml;p<0.01; 281pg/ml vs. 355pg/ml;p = 0.03). CGA was lower in AF patients compared to healthy controls (13.8ng/ml vs. 25.6ng/ml;p<0.01). Over time patients without AF after PVI showed an increase of CGA (14.2ng/ml vs. 20.7ng/ml;p<0.01). No change was observed in patients with AF after PVI.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated dysregulated levels of ET-1, MCP-1 and CGA in symptomatic AF patients. We could demonstrate an association between ET-1 to presence or absence of AF. Furthermore, we could show that a decrease of ET-1 as well as an increase of CGA after PVI, representing a trend towards control cohort levels, were both associated with restoration of sinus rhythm. These results provide new insights into the role of stress-related biomarkers in AF and AF treatment by ablation therapy.

High Concordance Between Mental Stress-Induced and Adenosine-Induced Myocardial Ischemia Assessed Using SPECT in Heart Failure Patients: Hemodynamic and Biomarker Correlates

Mental stress can trigger myocardial ischemia, but the prevalence of mental stress-induced ischemia in congestive heart failure (CHF) patients is unknown. We characterized mental stress-induced and adenosine-induced changes in myocardial perfusion and neurohormonal activation in CHF patients with reduced left-ventricular function using SPECT to precisely quantify segment-level myocardial perfusion.

METHODS

Thirty-four coronary artery disease patients (mean age±SD, 62±10 y) with CHF longer than 3 mo and ejection fraction less than 40% underwent both adenosine and mental stress myocardial perfusion SPECT on consecutive days. Mental stress consisted of anger recall (anger-provoking speech) followed by subtraction of serial sevens. The presence and extent of myocardial ischemia was quantified using the conventional 17-segment model.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight percent of patients had 1 ischemic segment or more during mental stress and 81% during adenosine. On segment-by-segment analysis, perfusion with mental stress and adenosine were highly correlated. No significant differences were found between any 2 time points for B-type natriuretic peptide, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1b, troponin, vascular endothelin growth factor, IL-17a, matrix metallopeptidase-9, or C-reactive protein. However, endothelin-1 and IL-6 increased, and IL-10 decreased, between the stressor and 30 min after stress. Left-ventricular end diastolic dimension was 179±65 mL at rest and increased to 217±71 after mental stress and 229±86 after adenosine (P<0.01 for both). Resting end systolic volume was 129±60 mL at rest and increased to 158±66 after mental stress (P<0.05) and 171±87 after adenosine (P<0.07), with no significant differences between adenosine and mental stress. Ejection fraction was 30±12 at baseline, 29±11 with mental stress, and 28±10 with adenosine (P=not significant).

CONCLUSION

There was high concordance between ischemic perfusion defects induced by adenosine and mental stress, suggesting that mental stress is equivalent to pharmacologic stress in eliciting clinically significant myocardial perfusion defects in CHF patients. Cardiac dilatation suggests clinically important changes with both conditions. Psychosocial stressors during daily life may contribute to the ischemic burden of CHF patients with coronary artery disease.

Severe depressive symptoms are associated with elevated endothelin-1 in younger patients with acute coronary syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship of depressive symptom severity to circulating endothelin (ET)-1 in younger patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Younger patients report greater depressive symptom severity, which predicts poorer post-ACS prognosis. The pathways linking depression to post-ACS prognosis require further elucidation. ET-1 is a potent endogenous vasoconstrictor which has been previously linked to adverse post-ACS outcomes.

METHODS

The sample (n=153) included males ≤ 50 years of age and females ≤ 55 years of age who participated in a larger study. Blood samples for ET-1 assessment were collected within 2-3h of ACS admission. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) II within 2-5 days of admission. ET-1 was treated as a transformed continuous variable (ET-1T). BDI-II scores were classified into four categories using conventional thresholds demarcating mild, moderate, and severe levels of depressive symptoms. The relationship of classified BDI-II score to ET-1T was examined in simple and multivariable linear regression models.

RESULTS

Classified BDI-II score was related to ET-1T in both unadjusted (χ(2)=9.469, p=0.024) and multivariable (χ(2)=8.430, p=0.038) models, with ET-1T being significantly higher in patients with severe depressive symptoms than in those with mild and moderate depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

In this sample of younger post-ACS patients, severe depressive symptoms were associated with elevated ET-1. We acknowledge that the observed association could be eliminated by the inclusion of some unmeasured variable(s). Longitudinal research should examine whether ET-1 mediates the relationship of depressive symptoms to long-term post-ACS outcomes.

Confluence of depression and acute psychological stress among patients with stable coronary heart disease: effects on myocardial perfusion

Background

Depression is prevalent in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients and increases risk for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) recurrence and mortality despite optimal medical care. The pathways underlying this risk remain elusive. Psychological stress (PS) can provoke impairment in myocardial perfusion and trigger ACS. A confluence of acute PS with depression might reveal coronary vascular mechanisms of risk. We tested whether depression increased risk for impaired myocardial perfusion during acute PS among patients with stable CHD.

Methods and Results

Patients (N=146) completed the Beck Depression Inventory‐I (BDI‐I), a measure of depression linked to recurrent ACS and post‐ACS mortality, and underwent single‐photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging at rest and during acute PS. The likelihood of new/worsening impairment in myocardial perfusion from baseline to PS as a function of depression severity was tested. On the BDI‐I, 41 patients scored in the normal range, 48 in the high normal range, and 57 in the depressed range previously linked to CHD prognosis. A BDI‐I score in the depressed range was associated with a significantly greater likelihood of new/worsening impairment in myocardial perfusion from baseline to PS (odds ratio =2.89, 95% CI: 1.26 to 6.63, P=0.012). This remained significant in models controlling ACS recurrence/mortality risk factors and medications. There was no effect for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications.

Conclusions

Depressed patients with CHD are particularly susceptible to impairment in myocardial perfusion during PS. The confluence of PS with depression may contribute to a better understanding of the depression‐associated risk for ACS recurrence and mortality.

Epigenetics and social context: implications for disparity in cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND

Although it is well established that African Americans (AA) experience greater social stressors than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), the extent to which early life adversity and cumulative social stressors such as perceived discrimination, neighborhood violence, subjective social status, and socioeconomic status contribute to disparity in coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke between AA and NHW are not well understood.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual model based upon McEwen's Allostatic Load Model suggesting how the relationships among social context, early life adversity, psychological stress, inflammation, adaptation, and epigenetic signature may contribute to the development of CHD and ischemic stroke. We hypothesize that social context and prior life adversity are associated with genome-wide as well as gene-specific epigenetic modifications that confer a proinflammatory epigenetic signature that mediates an enhanced proinflammatory state. Exposure to early life adversity, coupled with an increased allostatic load places individuals at greater risk for inflammatory based diseases, such as CHD and ischemic stroke.

RESULTS

Based on a review of the literature, we propose a novel model in which social context and psychological stress, particularly during early life, engenders a proinflammatory epigenetic signature, which drives a heightened inflammatory state that increases risk for CHD and stroke. In the proposed model, a proinflammatory epigenetic signature and adaptation serve as mediator variables.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the extent to which epigenetic signature bridges the psycho-social environment with inflammation and risk for CHD may yield novel biomarkers that can be used to assess risk, development, and progression of CHD/stroke. Epigenetic biomarkers may be used to inform preventive and treatment strategies that can be targeted to those most vulnerable, or to those with early signs of CHD, such as endothelial dysfunction. Furthermore, epigenetic approaches, including lifestyle modification and stress reduction programs, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, offer promise to reduce health inequity linked to social disadvantage, as emerging evidence demonstrates that adverse epigenetic marks can be reversed.

Endothelin-1 and psychosocial risk factors for cardiovascular disease: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Psychosocial factors (i.e., social environment and emotional factors) contribute to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Perturbation in a potent vasoconstrictive peptide endothelin (ET)-1 could be one of the mechanisms linking psychosocial factors to CVD. Our aim was to evaluate the literature on the relationship between plasma ET-1 and psychosocial risk factors for CVD.

METHODS

MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were searched for articles on human studies published in peer-reviewed English-language journals through September 2012.

RESULTS

Of the 20 studies that met the inclusion criteria, 14 were experimental studies of acute psychological/mental challenges and 6 were observational studies of psychological and social factors. The inferences drawn from this review were as follows: a) laboratory-induced acute psychological/mental stress may result in exaggerated plasma ET-1 release in those with CVD and those at risk for CVD (positive studies: 5/10); b) chronic/episodic psychosocial factors may have a positive relationship to plasma ET-1 (positive studies: 3/5); and c) race (African American), sex (male), and individual differences in autonomic and hemodynamic responses to stress (parasympathetic withdrawal and elevated blood pressure responsiveness) may moderate the relationship between psychosocial factors and plasma ET-1.

CONCLUSIONS

This review indicates that psychosocial risk factors for CVD are associated with elevated plasma ET-1; however, the relatively small number of studies, methodological differences, and variable assessment tools preclude definitive conclusions about the strength of the association. Specific suggestions regarding the selection of psychosocial factors, optimization of acute challenge protocols, and standardization of methods and timing of the ET-1 measures are provided.

Anger and the heart: perspectives on cardiac risk, mechanisms and interventions

In the popular imagination, anger has long been linked to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but empirical validation from case-control and prospective studies emerged only in the 1970's. After describing the multidimensional nature of anger and its assessment (via self-report or observed in structured interviews), this paper selectively reviews evidence in (a) behavioral epidemiology, (b) stress and biological processes with implications for cardiopathogenesis, and (c) behavioral/pharmacological interventions for anger/hostility reduction. Although evidence is inconsistent, chronic feelings of anger, cynical distrust and antagonistic behavior are at least modestly associated with risk of both initiation and progression of CVD. Anger/hostility also is linked to stress exposure and reactivity, exaggerated autonomic function, reduced heart rate variability, platelet aggregation and inflammation. Clinical and pharmacologic treatment of anger/hostility has the potential to reduce anger and its health-damaging effects. Limitations, including third-variable explanations and overlap among the negative emotions, and implications for cardiology and behavioral medicine research and practice are discussed.

Targeting activation of specific NF-κB subunits prevents stress-dependent atherothrombotic gene expression

Psychosocial stress has been shown to be a contributing factor in the development of atherosclerosis. Although the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated entirely, it has been shown previously that the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is an important component of stress-activated signaling pathway. In this study, we aimed to decipher the mechanisms of stress-induced NF-κB-mediated gene expression, using an in vitro and in vivo model of psychosocial stress. Induction of stress led to NF-κB-dependent expression of proinflammatory (tissue factor, intracellular adhesive molecule 1 [ICAM-1]) and protective genes (manganese superoxide dismutase [MnSOD]) via p50, p65 or cRel. Selective inhibition of the different subunits and the respective kinases showed that inhibition of cRel leads to the reduction of atherosclerotic lesions in apolipoprotein(-/-) (ApoE(-/-)) mice via suppression of proinflammatory gene expression. This observation may therefore provide a possible explanation for ineffectiveness of antioxidant therapies and suggests that selective targeting of cRel activation may provide a novel approach for the treatment of stress-related inflammatory vascular disease.