Effects of Periodic Acceleration (pGz) on Cardiovascular Health

Effects of Periodic Acceleration (pGz) on Cardiovascular Health

Heart disease is among the leading killers of both men and women in the United States. Periodic acceleration (pGz) is a promising non-invasive treatment that induces the expr ess io n o f mult ip le ca rd iop rotec t ive med ia tors t hat funct io n i n myocard ia l preservation, ischemia and reperfusion, and post-ischemic injuries. In this literature review the expression of nitric oxide synthase in endomyocardium and the implications of periodic acceleration on overall cardiovascular health were examined. Periodic acceleration increases pulsatile sheer stress on the vascular endothelium leading to the release of certain mediators into the circulation. This treatment utilizes a motion platform that moves the supine body sinusoidally in a continuous head-ward to toe-ward manner. It was discovered that periodic acceleration increases the expression of the multiple isoforms of nitric oxide synthase as well as prostaglandins, tissue plasminogen activator and other cardioprotective mediators. Additionally, as part of an original lab-based internship at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, FL, post-ischemic tissue damage was quantified in rat hearts that were exposed to periodic acceleration and compared to those that served as time controls and received no such treatments. It was found that pGz-treated hearts had a greater percentage of living tissue following induced ischemic injury.