In 2023, six decades have elapsed since the first experimental work on the heart muscle was published, in which a member of the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences participated as an author; Professor Otakar Poupa was the founder and protagonist of this research domain. Sixty years - more than half of the century - is certainly significant enough anniversary that is worth looking back and reflecting on what was achieved during sometimes very complicated periods of life. It represents the history of an entire generation of experimental cardiologists; it is possible to learn from its successes and mistakes. The objective of this review is to succinctly illuminate the scientific trajectory of an experimental cardiological department over a 60-year span, from its inaugural publication to the present. The old truth - historia magistra vitae - is still valid. Keywords: Heart, Adaptation, Development, Hypoxia, Protection.

• MeSH
• Academies and Institutes * history   MeSH
• Biomedical Research * history   trends   MeSH
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• History, 21st Century MeSH
• Physiology history   MeSH
• Cardiology history   trends   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Heart physiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• History, 21st Century MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Historical Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

The aim was to determine whether treatment of rats with cyclosporin A (CsA) leads to deleterious side effects on heterotopically iso- or allotransplanted hearts when compared with recipient native in situ hearts. Four experimental groups were employed: inbred (Lewis) rats receiving either no immunosuppression or CsA at a dose of 15 mg.kg-1 per day for 7 days after surgery, and outbred (Wistar) rats receiving CsA at the same daily dose for either 7 or 21 days. One month following surgery, the mass of all transplanted hearts decreased and resulting atrophy was associated with relative myocardial fibrosis. Treatment with CsA significantly increased the concentration and content of collagen in the right and left ventricles of all transplanted and recipient hearts. No appreciable difference was observed between corresponding hearts of inbred and outbred groups receiving the identical dose of CsA, and between hearts in outbred groups treated for either 7 or 21 days. No signs of right ventricular mechanical dysfunction, as assessed on the isolated perfused "working' preparation, were observed after CsA treatment in both transplanted and recipient hearts. The maximal steady state developed pressure (RVDevP) and the rate of its development [(+dP/dt)max] were slightly higher in transplants than in the corresponding recipients, and in CsA-treated versus untreated hearts, while the index of contractile state [(+dP/dt)/P] was similar in all groups. The data suggest that treatment of rats with CsA can induce a similar degree of fibrosis both in heterotopic cardiac transplants and in recipient native hearts without impairment of their contractile performance.

• MeSH
• Cyclosporine therapeutic use   MeSH
• Endomyocardial Fibrosis physiopathology   MeSH
• Hydroxyproline metabolism   MeSH
• Blood Pressure MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Rats, Wistar MeSH
• Heart physiopathology   MeSH
• Heart Ventricles physiopathology   MeSH
• Heart-Lung Transplantation * MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Cyclosporine MeSH
• Hydroxyproline MeSH

The effect of chronic administration of beta-guanidinopropionic acid (GPA) on the protein profiling, energy metabolism and right ventricular (RV) function was studied in the rat heart during the weaning and adolescence period. GPA was given in tap water (1-1.5%) using pair drink controls. The feeding of animals with GPA solution for a six week period resulted in elevation of heart to body weight ratio due to body growth retardation. GPA accumulated in the myocardium up to 67.37 +/- 5.3 mumoles.g dry weight and the tissue content of total creatine, phosphocreatine and ATP was significantly decreased to 15%, 9% and 65% of control values respectively. Total activity of creatine kinase (CK) was not changed, but the proportion of mitochondrial (Mi) CK isoenzyme was decreased; the percentage of MB isoenzyme of CK was significantly higher. GPA treatment resulted in an elevation of the content of cardiac collagenous proteins and decrease of non-collagenous proteins in the heart; in parallel, a decrease of the collagen I to collagen III ratio was detected. The function of the RV was assessed using an isolated perfused heart with RV performing pressure-volume work. As compared to pair-drink controls, RV function was significantly impaired the GPA group: at any given right atrial filling pressure, the RV systolic pressure and the rate of pressure development were decreased by almost a factor of two. Elevation of the RV diastolic pressure with increasing pulmonary artery diastolic pressure was also significantly steeper in the GPA group which also showed decrease of cardiac output, especially at high outflow resistance. It may be assumed that chronic administration of GPA deeply influenced metabolic parameters, protein profiles and contractile function of the developing heart. On the other hand, concentrations of glucose, total lipids and triglycerides in blood plasma were not affected. All these data confirm the concept that the CK system is of central importance both for heart function and for the regulation of normal growth of cardiac myocytes.

• MeSH
• Phosphocreatine deficiency   MeSH
• Guanidines pharmacology   MeSH
• Isoenzymes MeSH
• Coronary Circulation MeSH
• Creatine Kinase metabolism   MeSH
• Blood Pressure MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Myocardium metabolism   MeSH
• Carbon Monoxide metabolism   MeSH
• Rats, Wistar MeSH
• Propionates pharmacology   MeSH
• Sarcoplasmic Reticulum drug effects   metabolism   MeSH
• Heart drug effects   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Phosphocreatine MeSH
• guanidinopropionic acid MeSH Browser
• Guanidines MeSH
• Isoenzymes MeSH
• Creatine Kinase MeSH
• Carbon Monoxide MeSH
• Propionates MeSH