A 63-year-old diabetic and hypertensive lady presented in New York Heart Association class III-IV dyspnea on exertion. Echocardiography showed a large mass attached to the anterior mitral leaflet and the base of the interatrial septum. After removal of the mass and excision of the anterior and posterior mitral leaflets, a bioprosthetic valve was deployed. The postoperative course was uneventful. Histopathology showed that the tumor was a high-grade rhabdomyosarcoma. Although it is a highly lethal tumor, surgical removal was indicated to relieve dyspnea, clarify the diagnosis, and improve short-term survival. Our patient survived for 8 months after surgical excision. Although it has long been recognized that smooth muscle Na/K ATPase modulates vascular tone and blood pressure (BP), the role of its accessory protein phospholemman has not been characterized. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that phospholemman phosphorylation regulates vascular tone in vitro and that this mechanism plays an important role in modulation of vascular function and BP in experimental models in vivo and in humans. In mouse studies, phospholemman knock-in mice (PLM ; phospholemman [FXYD1] in which the 3 phosphorylation sites on serines 63, 68, and 69 are mutated to alanines), in which phospholemman is rendered unphosphorylatable, were used to assess the role of phospholemman phosphorylation in vitro in aortic and mesenteric vessels using wire myography and membrane potential measurements. In vivo BP and regional blood flow were assessed using Doppler flow and telemetry in young (14-16 weeks) and old (57-60 weeks) wild-type and transgenic mice. In human studies, we searched humasubstitution R70C in phospholemman. In human embryonic kidney cells, the R70C mutation prevented phospholemman phosphorylation at Ser68. This variant's rare allele is significantly associated with increased BP in middle-aged men. These studies demonstrate the importance of phospholemman phosphorylation in the regulation of vascular tone and BP and suggest a novel mechanism, and therapeutic target, for aging-induced essential hypertension in humans. These studies demonstrate the importance of phospholemman phosphorylation in the regulation of vascular tone and BP and suggest a novel mechanism, and therapeutic target, for aging-induced essential hypertension in humans. Whether electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation at different frequencies has a similar effect on spared nerve injury (SNI) as other neuropathic pain models, and how EA at different frequencies causes distinct analgesic effects on neuropathic pain is still not clear. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham SNI, SNI, 2 Hz, 100 Hz and sham EA groups. Paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) were measured. EA was performed once a day on days 1 to 14 after SNI. The expressions of transient receptor potential cation subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) and peripheral purinergic P2X receptor 3 (P2X3) were determined by western blotting and immunofluorescence. TRPV1 siRNA and P2X3 siRNA were administered by intrathecal injection. TRPV1 or P2X3 agonists were combined with EA. There were significant decreases in PWT, but no changes in PWL in the 14 days after SNI. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/rimiducid-ap1903.html EA using 2- or 100-Hz stimulation similarly increased PWT at every time point. The cytosol protein expression of P2X3 in the L4-L6 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) increased, but the expression of TRPV1 decreased in the SNI model. Both these effects were ameliorated by EA, with 2-Hz stimulation having a stronger effect than 100-Hz stimulation. Blocking either TRPV1 or P2X3 specific siRNAs attenuated the decreased PWT induced by SNI. Administration of either a TRPV1 or P2X3 agonist inhibited EA analgesia. 2- and 100-Hz EA similarly induced analgesic effects in SNI. This effect was related to up-regulation and down-regulation, respectively, of cytosol protein expression of P2X3 and TRPV1 in L4-L6 DRG, with 2 Hz having a better effect than 100 Hz. 2- and 100-Hz EA similarly induced analgesic effects in SNI. This effect was related to up-regulation and down-regulation, respectively, of cytosol protein expression of P2X3 and TRPV1 in L4-L6 DRG, with 2 Hz having a better effect than 100 Hz. We recently discovered pivotal contributions of stress kinase JNK2 (c-Jun N-terminal kinase isoform 2) in increased risk of atrial fibrillation through enhanced diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium (Ca ) leak via RyR2 (ryanodine receptor isoform 2). However, the role of JNK2 in the function of the SERCA2 (SR Ca -ATPase), essential in maintaining SR Ca content cycling during each heartbeat, is completely unknown. To test the hypothesis that JNK2 increases SERCA2 activity SR Ca content and exacerbates an arrhythmic SR Ca content leak-load relationship. We used confocal Ca imaging in myocytes and HEK-RyR2 (ryanodine receptor isoform 2-expressing human embryonic kidney 293 cells) cells, biochemistry, dual Ca /voltage optical mapping in intact hearts from alcohol-exposed or aged mice (where JNK2 is activated). We found that JNK2, but not JNK1 (c-Jun N-terminal kinase isoform 1), increased SERCA2 uptake and consequently elevated SR Ca content load. JNK2 also associates with and phosphorynicity, while helping to maintain normal levels of Ca transients and heart function. JNK2 modulation may be a novel therapeutic target for atrial fibrillation prevention and treatment. We have identified a novel JNK2-induced activation of SERCA2. The dual action of JNK2 in CaMKII-dependent arrhythmic SR Ca2+ leak and a CaMKII-independent uptake exacerbates atrial arrhythmogenicity, while helping to maintain normal levels of Ca2+ transients and heart function. JNK2 modulation may be a novel therapeutic target for atrial fibrillation prevention and treatment. Cardiac aging is an important contributing factor for heart failure, which affects a large population but remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether Klotho plays a role in cardiac aging. Heart function declined in old mice (24 months), as evidenced by decreases in fractional shortening, ejection fraction, and cardiac output. Heart size and weight, cardiomyocyte size, and cardiac fibrosis were increased in old mice, indicating that aging causes cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling. Circulating Klotho levels were dramatically decreased in old mice, which prompted us to investigate whether the Klotho decline may cause heart aging. We found that gene mutation (KL-/-) largely decreased serum klotho levels and impaired heart function. Interestingly, supplement of exogenous secreted Klotho prevented heart failure, hypertrophy, and remodeling in both old mice and KL (-/-) mice. Secreted Klotho treatment inhibited excessive cardiac oxidative stress, senescence and apoptosis in old mice and KL (-/-) mice.