Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia despite substantial efforts to understand the pathophysiology of the condition and develop improved treatments. Identifying the underlying causative mechanisms of AF in individual patients is difficult and the efficacy of current therapies is suboptimal. Consequently, the incidence of AF is steadily rising and there is a pressing need for novel therapies. Research has revealed that defects in specific molecular pathways underlie AF pathogenesis, resulting in electrical conduction disorders that drive AF. The severity of this so-called electropathology correlates with the stage of AF disease progression and determines the response to AF treatment. Therefore, unravelling the molecular mechanisms underlying electropathology is expected to fuel the development of innovative personalized diagnostic tools and mechanism-based therapies. Moreover, the co-creation of AF studies with patients to implement novel diagnostic tools and therapies is a prerequisite for successful personalized AF management. Currently, various treatment modalities targeting AF-related electropathology, including lifestyle changes, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical therapy, substrate-based ablative therapy, and neuromodulation, are available to maintain sinus rhythm and might offer a novel holistic strategy to treat AF. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is increasing in prevalence as populations age. This Primer provides an overview of AF epidemiology, the mechanisms underlying electropathology in AF, and the diagnostic approaches and treatments, and highlights important directions to improve understanding and management of AF in co-creation with patients. 

Atrial fibrillation

Summary

Enzymes profiles of liver, lung, heart and skeletal muscles from geese and roosters are described, based on the activity of glutamate-oxalacetate transaminase, glutamate-pyruvate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, cholinesterase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase. The importance and potential of knowing the enzyme profile in veterinary clinical biochemistry is discussed.



Zusammenfassung

Enzymprofile von Herz und Skelettmuskel sowie von Leber und Lunge von Hahnen und Gansen



Basierend auf der Aktivitit der Glutamat-Oxalacetat Transaminase, der Glutamat-Pyruvat Transaminase, der Laktatdehydrogenase, der alkalischen Phosphatase, der Cholinesterase und der Isozitratdehydrogenase wurden die Enzymprofile von Leber, Lunge, Herz und Skelettmuskeln von Gansen und Hahnen bestimmt. Die klinische Bedeutung solcher Enzymprofile wird besprochen.



Resume

Profils enzymatiques du muscle squelettique et cardiaque ainsi que du foie et des poumons chez des coqs et des oies



Les profils enzymatiques du foie, des poumons, du muscle squelettique et cardiaque d'oies et de cogs ont ete determines sur la basse de l'activite de la transaminase, glutamo-oxalacetique, de la transaminase glutamo-pyruvique, de la lactino-dehydrogenase, de la phosphatase alcaline, de la cholinesterase et de 'lisocitrate-dehydrogenase. On discute la signification clinique de ces profils enzymatiques.



Resumen

Perfiles enzimaticos del corazon, musculos esqueleticos, higado y pulmon de pollos y gansos



Basandose en las actividades de la transaminasa glutamato-oxalacetato, transminasa glutamato-piruvato, lactatodehidrogenasa, fosfatasa alcalina, colinesterasa e isocitratodehidrogenasa, se valoraron los perfiles enzimaticos de higado, pulmon, corazon y musculos esqueleticos de gansos y gallos. Se discute la importancia y potencial de conocimientos en bioquimica veterinaria clinica de estos perfiles de fermentos.

Enzyme Profile of Heart and Skeletal Muscles, Liver and Lung of Roosters and Geese

Development and specialization in muscle and the biochemistry of the dystrophies.

It has taken a long time, indeed, for biochemical research on metals to become respectable. Substantial experimental difficulties have beset the field for a long time and overenthusiastic claims, at times based on uncertain facts, were not altogether reassuring to the rank and file of interested biochemists.

Cobalt substituted zinc metalloenzymes

Atomic absorption spectroscopy has proved to be an extremely effective and quite simple tool for the analysis of metals and several nonmetals in medical and biological materials. At present, only about one half of those trace elements that occur in the body have been analyzed at the physiological level by this technique, but it will probably be only a matter of time before methods are described for these elements. Other elements of interest include vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, aluminum, arsenic, bismuth, and selenium. Also, the use of high temperature flames for flame emission spectroscopy 11 302, 303) will undoubtedly find use for the analysis of more trace elements, using similar techniques described here. The application of atomic fluorescence spectroscopy should prove extremely interesting, particularly for such elements as cadmium. Nonflame atom reservoirs show great promise for ultratrace analysis, requiring only small samples with little or no sample preparation.

T L Coombs

Papers

Clinical Biochemistry: Enzymatic Methods: Automation and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy