**Author details**

12 Neuroendocrinology and Behavior

congenital heart diseases

presence of those cells within myocardium Fig.3.

Recent research indicates that in the mature hearts of the mammalians there is a population of the cells capable of mitotic divisions named cardiac stem cells (CSC). They are pluripotential, clonogenic, and self-replicable. Their location in the herat seems to be related to the mechanical load of given segment of the heart muscle and is inversely proportional to hemodynamic load. The number of CSC depends on the methodology of counting and ranges from 1/8000 to 1/20 000 cardiomyocytes or 1/ 32 000 – 1/80 000 all cells of the heart.

**Figure 2.** Flow cytometry – mobilization of VSELs in children undergoing heart surgery due to

In population of our patients we've obtained blood specimens before the operation and during the hospitalization to determine the level of VSELs mobilization. Using the flow cytometry it has been shown that VSELs appears in peripheral blood with a specified pattern of mobilization during surgery and directly after it (Fig.2.) and confirmed the

The acute phase of stress response is characterized by increased release of neuroendocrine mediators from the hypothalamus and pituitary. This is aimed on the blood pressure maintenance and mobilization of fuel substrates at the expense of deregulation of homeostatic mechanisms, immunologic response, growth, development and regeneration. If

During the prolonged phase of critical illness, the effects of the stress response mediators, may be harmful. Decreased levels of anterior pituitary hormones and loss of the normal

stress response is insufficient to maintain tissue perfusion, shock appears.

Jacek Kolcz *Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Polish - American Children's Hospital, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland* 
