Objective: Recent evidence demonstrates that epicardial adipose tissue, including coronary periadventitial adipose tissue (tunica adiposa), are paracrine sources of bioactive mediators (adipokines, NO, H2S) which may be involved in coronary atherogenesis. Because of the increasing interest for extra-neuronal effects (inflammation, wound healing, lipid and glucose metabolism) of the neurotrophins nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), including in human coronary atherosclerosis in autopsy samples, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the expression of NGF and BDNF and their receptors (TrkA and TrkB, respectively) in cardiosurgery biopsy samples of pericoronary adipose tissue. Method: Immunohistochemistry of NGF, BDNF and their Trk receptors. Results: NGF, BDNF, Trk A and TrkB expression was lower in periadventitial adipose tissue of atherosclerotic coronary arteries as compared to non-affected coronaries. Conclusion: We provide the first evidence for a possible role of neurotrophins in the molecular remodeling of tunica adiposa in human coronary atherosclerosis. This study is dedicated to 103rd Anniversary of Rita Levi-Montalcini, the Nobel laureate for the discovery of NGF. Objective: In normal myocardium, apoptotic myocytes are usually absent, or if affected, with most of 28 positive cells per million. Method: The apoptosis was measured by the TUNEL method in 60 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and myocarditis (MC), and expresed by apoptotic index (AI) in 30 patients within both groups, and to correlated with ejection fraction (EF) and with different morphological stages of these entities. Statistical analisys was performed, and p values ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: AI in MC cases was 4,23+12,16, and in DCM cases the value was significantly higher 5,41+9,33 (p= 0.005). In the group MC patients, we didn't found statistically significant correlation between AI and different values of EF (p=0.701). The analysis of the value of AI between patients with different morphological stages of MC didn't show statistically significant correlation (p=0.535), as well as in DCM (p=0.312). Conclusion: Apoptosis play a significant role in DCM and MC but its significance in the progression to heart failure has still to be established. Objective: Cardiac lesions following blunt chest trauma are multiple and of various degrees of severity. "Cardiac Contusion" is a difficult diagnosis, especially antemortem and if signs of thoracic trauma are not evident on external habitus and on the underlying internal plans of cardiac area. Is the contusion a cause of death per se? Method: The authors present two cases of road accident male victims, aged 43 and 50 year-old, submited to complete postmortem examination with ancillary diagnostic methods. Results: No traumatic lesions or underlying pathology was found at the autopsy. Epicardial and myocardial haemorrhagic foci were histologicaly documented. Toxicology was negative. Conclusion: Cardiac Contusions are caused by one of the following mechanisms: 1) heart compression between bone structures, 2) sudden acceleration-deceleration movements and 3) sudden thoracic/abdominal pressure increase. They may be asymptomatic or lead to rhythm disturbances responsible for unexpected death (10 %) . They seem to be underdiagnosed, thus suspecting the entity "Contusio Cordis" is crucial, not only antemortem for correct surveillance and treatment, but also postmortem to adequately establish causality nexus in cases of post-thoracic trauma deaths.