Adrenaline speeds up the heart by binding to beta-adrenergic receptors on heart cells. But continued fast pounding leads to heart failure. Koch, an associate professor of experimental surgery, had found that failing heart tissue contains levels of BARK three times higher than normal. But because no chemical inhibitors exist to do that, Koch says, the researchers looked to a genetic solution to boost the heart's ability to pump blood. They then directed it into the coronary arteries of the left ventricles of rabbits that had experienced a heart attack.
Details appear in today's issue of the journal Circulation .
Koch, who hopes to begin testing the technique in people within three years, believes it could have concrete clinical uses. Drugs known as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers have been proven effective, and Koch says he's currently comparing the effects of BARKct vs. these drugs in mice. And ultimately, he says, the procedure has the potential to reduce the need for transplants. What To Do To learn more about congestive heart failure, visit the American Heart Association , the Heart Information Network or the Heart Failure Society of America online. Or, you might want to read previous HealthScout articles on congestive heart failure .