To evaluate a serial change of plasma levels of immunoreactive atrial natriuretic factor in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI), we studied 23 patients and 16 normal subjects. The results showed that the average plasma ANF levels in the patients with AMI was higher than that in the normal subjects (544.36?90.81pg/ml and 293.88?39.94pg/ml, respectively, P

Objective The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of homocysteine (Hcy) on the expression and secretion of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) in endothelial cells (Ecs). Methods Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) (ECV-304 strain) were incubated with homocysteine (Hcy) in different concentrations of 0, 25, 50, 100?mol/L, and 1,5,10mmol/L, respectively, for 24 hours. Cell viability was then determined by MTT assay, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released into the culture medium was measured to assess cell damage. Antigen levels of the free form of TFPI after Hcy exposure were measured in culture media with ELISA (Diagnostica Stago, France). Furthermore, the total content of TFPI was assessed with cellular ELISA. Results Hcy in concentrations of 0～1mmol/L did not produce cell toxicity as shown by cell viability and LDH determination in culture media after 24 hours of incubation. When the endothelial cells were exposed to concentrations up to 5mmol/L, cell viability decreased, and a higher concentration of Hcy (10mmol/L) elicited a significant cytotoxic effect, as shown by a decreased cell viability and a higher amount of LDH in culture supernatants compared with the control cells. All the TFPI absorbance values in Hcy-treated cells and the free TFPI levels in culture supernatants were significantly increased, especially in the 50?mol/L group. Conclusion A lower concentration of Hcy did not show signs of cell toxicity but it could promote the expression and secretion of TFPI. The results can help us partly explain why the TFPI level was increased in some patients with hyperhomocysteinemia. They also suggested that Hcy could play an important role in the modulation of coagulation processes in blood circulation.

Objective To investigate the relationship between of the serum homocysteine (Hcy) level and the occurrence and severity of diseased coronary arteries in patients. Methods The total serum Hcy content was determined in sixty-seven patients with diseased coronary arteries and forty-three normal subjects. They were all subjected to coronary artery angiography for evaluation. Using the Gensini's scoring system the degree of severity of of pathology the coronary arteries were assessed. Other risk factors were analyzed in addition to Hcy and Gemini's scores. Results The total serum level of Hcy in patients with diseased coronary artery was significantly higher compared with the normal controls (P

0 05). The levels of TC, LDL-C and apoB in the patients with CSX were significantly higher than those in the patients with CN(P

Objective:To observe the clinical effects of oral Tedral SA on the elderly patients with sinus bradycardia. 　　Methods:Tedral SA(1/2 to one tablet/day in two divided doses)was administered orally to 14 elderly patients with sinus bradycardia.Twenty-four-hour Holter monitoring was performed before and one month after oral Tedral SA. 　　Results:After oral Tedral SA,resting heart rate of 14 patients was maitained between 50 to 70 beats/min.The minimum heart rates before and during therapy has significant difference statistically(34.93±2.79 vs.44.21±2.91,p＜0.001).The heart rate during oral Tedral SA was significantly increased.A few patients complained of palpitation,which disappeared as the dosage of Tedral SA was decreased.Subjective symptoms associated with sinus bradycardia such as dizziness,faintness disappeared completely in 14 patients. 　　Conclusion:Tedral SA was a effective and safe drug for treatment of elderly patients with severe sinus bradycardia.

To investigate the changes in nitric oxide (NO) and angiotensin (AⅡ) in rat with spontaneous hypertension (SHR) and the effect of benazepril on production of NO/AⅡ. The animals were divided into three groups: normotensive (WKY) group, SHR control group and benazepril group. Blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method. NO - 3 concentration in serum was assayed by activated cadmium reduction method; cGMP and AⅡ levels in vascular tissue were assayed by RIA (radioimmunoassay). The results showed that blood NO - 3 concentration and vascular cGMP level were all lower in SHR group compared with WKY rats(P

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism on endothelial dysfunction of spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR).MethodsThe animals were divided into two groups: SHRs (n=8) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats (n=7) all aged 17 months. Blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method. NO3- concentration in serum was assayed by activated cadmium reduction method; endothelin (ET) and cGMP levels were assayed by RIA.ResultsCompared with WKY rats, blood NO3- concentration, ET level and vascular cGMP level of SHRs were all reduced significantly (P<0.01); vascular ET level was only uplifted slightly with no significant difference (P>0.05).ConclusionIt indicates that the vascular endothelial dysfunction in SHR is induced possibly by a diminished synthesis or release of NO, not by changes of ET level.

Background and objective The value of D-dimer in the risk stratification of patients with coronary artery diseas(CAD)and the relationship between D-dimer and the diseased coronary arteries remains controversial or unclear.especially in the elderly.Thisstudy was to evaluate the usefulness of D-djmer as a biomarker in assessing the vuinerable blood in the elderly patients with coronarydisease.Methods Sixty elderly (≥60 years old)male patients with suspected CAD were enrolled in this prospective study.Patients were divided into CAD group(n=41,10 with stable angina and 31 with unstable angina)and control group(n=19)according to their coronary angiography Results Clinicalinformation including age,body mass index(BMI),smoking index,and thecomplications of Primary hypertension or diabetes.and CAD family history was collected.Venous blood was sampled serially for thedetermination of total cholesterol,HDL cholesterol,LDL cholesterol,triglycerides,apoAl,apoB,glucose,uric acid,homocysteine(Hey),hs-CRP,soluble thrombomodulin(sTM),and marker of fibrinolytic system and hypercoagulability,such as D-dimer,fibrinogen,etc.The extent of coronary atherosclerosis was assessed.using the Gensini scoring system on the basis of coronary angiography.Results Compared with the controls.the patients with CAD had significantly higher levels of D-dimer.D-dimer level wassignificantly correlated to age.hs-CR P.Hcy,and PAI-1.Patients with D-dimer levels in the top triplicate of D-dimer level hadsignificantly higher prevalence of unstable angina compared with patients in the lowest triplicate(OR=4.8,Z=3.28,P=0.001).In anordinal logistic regression.the OR value ofdeveloping more serious CAD augmented 3.1-foid with each increasing triplicate of D-dimer.Patients with unstable angina had a significantly higher level of D-dimer than the controls(P=0.005),and an increasing trend comparedwith patients with stable angina (P=0.059).whereas there was no difference between the patients with stable angina and the controls(P=0.885).D-dimer was significantly correlated with Gensini scores(r=0.3930,P=0.0019).Ordinal logistic regression showed that theOR value ofincreasing one or two triplicates of Gensini's scores augmented 1.44.fold with each increasing triplicate of D-dimer(OR=2.44,Z=2.87,P=0.004). Conclusions D-dimer may be a helpful biomarker in identifying the severity of vulnerable blood in elderlypatients with CAD.