AIM:To study the effect of captopril on calcineurin and NF-?B p65 in the signal transduction pathway of the cardiovascular remodeling in hypertensive rats.METHODS:Using a animal model of hypertension induced by abdominal aortic banding,the rats were treated with captopril for 10 weeks.The blood pressure was observed with a tail cuff method.The heart weight and heart weight/body weight were measured.The expression of calcineurin and NF-?B p65 were studied by using immunohistochemistry.RESULTS:After treated with captopril,the blood pressure of the model rats was decreased(P

Objective To evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of renal artery stent treatment for severe atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) in the elderly. Methods In a prospective nonrandomized study in our hospital from January 2003 to April 2008, 147 consecutive elderly patients with ARAS (diameter reduction ≥ 65％) underwent percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty and stenting (PTRAS) for resistant hypertension or reserving renal function. They were followed up for 6- 66 months and the effects of the procedure on renal function, blood pressure and cardiovascular events were observed. Results The success rate of PTRAS was 100％. During 6-66 months of follow up, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly decreased, and less antihypertensive medication was taken (P<0.01). Serum creatinine was significantly decreased during 6-48 months of follow up (P<0. 05) and did not change significantly during 54-66 months of follow up (P>0. 05). Blood urea nitrogen was significantly decreased during 6-24 months of follow up (P<0.05) and did not change significantly during 30-66 months of follow up (P>0.05). Complications related with the procedure occurred in 7 cases (4.8％). 17 patients failed to follow up (11.6％) and in 18 cases cardiovascular events occurred (12.2％), including 4 cases of renal events (2. 7％), 4 cases of myocardial infarction (2.7％), 2 cases of stroke (1.4％) and 8 cases of cerebral and cardiovascular events (5.4％) during 6-66 months of follow up. The survival rates of free-of-events at year 1, 2, 3, 4 and5 were 91.0%(121/133), 90.2%(83/92), 78.5%(51/65), 73.8%(31/42) and 54.8%(17/ 31), respectively. The survival rates at year 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were 94.0% (125/133), 90. 2% (83/ 92), 84.6%(55/65), 73. 8%(31/42) and 61.3%(19/31), respectively. Conclusions Renal artery stent as treatment for ARAS in the elderly has a beneficial effect on blood pressure control and on renal function during middle and long term follow up. The treatment may be helpful in reduction of cardiovascular events and mortality, which should be investigated further.

Objective To investigate the association between elevated levels of hsCRP and prognosis after stroke in Chinese patients.Methods Two hundred and ninety consecutive patients with firstonset stroke(197 ischemic and 93 hemorrhagic)and 290 age-and sex-matched control subjects without any cerebrovascular disease were studied.Plasma hsCRP level was measured and subsequent vascular events and death were determined in both groups over a 5-year period.Results Compared to control group,patients with stroke had higher plasma hsCRP level((3.3 ±3.8)vs(1.3±2.2)mg/L,t=8.048,P<0.01).Furthermore.within the group of patients with stroke,the mean plasma hsCRP level was higher in patients who experienced subsequent vascular events or death compared to patients without further complications ((4.4±4.3)vs(2.7±3.3)mg/L,t=3.496,P=0.001).Compared to the patients with lower hsCRP level(<1 mg/L),the relative risk for vascular events and death in stroke patients was 2.807(95%CI 1.544-5.495,P=0.001)in the hish hsCRP(>3 mg/L)patients.This increase of relative risk for vascular events and death in stroke patients persisted after the adjustment for age,sex and other cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes(OR 2.661,95%CI 1.323-5.352.P=0.006).Conclusions Patients presenting with stroke have higher levels of hsCRP compared to agematched controls.The degree of hsCRP elevation is correlated with the likelihood of subsequent VasCular events and death.These findings indicate that inerease of hsCRP level is associated with worsening prognosis after stroke in Chinese patients.

Objective To analyze the clinical features of takayasu's arteritis in elderly patients for improving their general management.Methods Twenty-six patients,aged over 60 years,with takayasu's arteritis were enrolled.The clinical manifestations and medical records were collected in detail and analyzed retrospectively.Results The mean age of the patients in our study was 64.0±3.8 years,four males and twenty-two females.Of all patients,nine were accompanied by coronary heart disease,seven by primary hypertension,four by diabetes mellitus,two by arrhythmia and one by subacute infective endocarditis.The frequent clinical manifestations were hypertension (n = 21,81%),dizzy (n=12.46%),chest pain (n=9,35%),pulselessness or weak pulse (n=7,27%).The clinical classification of this group showed brachiocephalic artery type (n = 8,30%),abdominal aorta type (n=4,15%),extensive type (n=11,58%) and pulmonary artery type (n=3,12%).Ten patients had elevated ESR level,six had elevated CRP level and fourteen had elevated ASO level.Two patients with diabetes mellitus died of serious complications.Conclusions Takayasu's arteritis in the elderly is usually accompanied by other cardiovascular diseases and risk factors.It is important to enhance the comprehensive treatment of these patients.

Objective To find whether CX3CR1 V249I and T280M are associated with CAD. Methods Database in English and Chinese, including PUBMED, EMbase, were searched to get the case-control studies on the associa-tion between V249I, T280M and CAD. Results Six studies were reviewed. The pooled OR of V249I compared to wild type allele was OR =0. 85(95% CI =0. 67 ～ 1. 08,P >0. 05). The pooled OR of T280M compared to wild type allele was OR =0. 82(95% CI =0. 70 ～ 0. 96, P < 0. 05). Conclusion The T280M is a protective factor of CAD, while the V249I is not associated with CAD.

To explore the clinical features and common complications of fast resting heart rate (RHR) in hypertensionpatients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the entire rest electrocardiogram data of Qingdao study 2000 and Xinyang study2005 in community population elder than 18 years including hypertension patients and non-hypertension subjects. Clinical complications as diabetes, coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia and stroke, laboratory findings, RHR in ECG, body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio and office blood pressure were collected in all participants. Results: A total of 18183 participants were enrolled including 61.6% male, the average age was (45.2±12.7) years including 6763 hypertension patients. Compared with normal BP subjects, hypertension patients had the faster RHR (73.5±11.6) times/min vs (70.6±9.6) times/min, P<0.001 and more hypertension patients combining fast RHR (14.5% vs 6.4%), P<0.001. In hypertension patients, compared with normal RHR patients, fast RHR patients had the elder age (53.9±12.2) years vs (51.8±11.2) years, lower BMI (25.8±3.6) kg/m2 vs (26.4±3.4) kg/m2 and higher ratio of grade 3 hypertension (68.2%vs 59.0%), all P<0.001; higher levels of fasting blood glucose (6.0±2.4) mmol/L vs (5.6±1.5) mmol/L and triglyceride (2.0±1.8) mmol/L vs (1.7±1.3) mmol/L, both P<0.001, higher LDL-C (3.2±0.9) mmol/L vs (3.1±0.8) mmol/L, P=0.001;more patients with diabetes (6.6% vs 3.9%), P=0.007 and stroke (11.1% vs 8.3%), P=0.005. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that with adjusted traditional risk factors, fast RHR was positively related to stroke occurrence in hypertension patients (OR=1.306, 95% CI 1.021-1.671). Conclusion: Fast RHR happened more in hypertension patients than in normal BP subjects; it had the increased risk for stroke occurrence in hypertension patients.

Objective: To explore the clinical features and prognosis in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA) combining neurological symptoms. Methods: We retrospectively studied 274 TA patients combining neurological symptoms who admitted to our hospital from 2002-01 to 2013-10 for their clinical and imaging features with prognosis. Results: The ratio of male to female was 1:4.3 and the mean age of disease onset was at (28.2±11.2) years. The most common neurological symptom was dizziness (214/274 cases, 78.1%), most frequent type was type III TA (112 cases, 40.9%), most common affected artery was left subclavian artery (147 cases, 53.6%), and there were 77 cases (28.1%) with (3-4) branches of the aortic arch involvement. For stroke conditions, ischemic stroke was more frequently observed in patients with steno-occlusive lesions in subclavian artery and common carotid artery, while hemorrhagic stroke was more frequently found in patients with steno-occlusive lesions in descending aorta, abdominal aorta and/or renal artery. Heart failure was the most common cause of death, it was also the most common cardiovascular event in surviving cohorts. Conclusion: TA patients could have many neurological symptoms, which were related to the number and site of artery involvement.

Objective: To explore a single center large cohort of patients with Takayasu’s arteritis for their clinical manifestation and long-term outcome in China. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 566 patients with Takayasu’s arteritis admitted in our hospital from 2002-01 to 2013-11 for their clinical characteristics, laboratory ifndings, angiographic features, treatment and long-term outcomes. Results: The patient’s ratio for female to male gender was 1 to 3.8 and the average onset age was (28.9 ± 12.0) years. The most common non-speciifc symptom, initial symptom and complication were fever (52/566 patients, 9.2%), dizziness (214 patients, 37.8%) and hypertension (392 patients, 69.3%) respectively. The patients with pulmonary artery and coronary artery involvement were 83 (14.7%) and 66 (11.7%) respectively, and 131 (23.1%) patients had faster erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The major vascular damage was steno-occlusive lesion and the most common involvement was left sub-clavian artery, which was observed in 278 (49.1%) patients. The treatments were mainly included in medication, interventional therapy, autologous blood vessel transplantation, artiifcial blood vessel transplantation and aortic valve replacement. There were 32 patients died during the mean follow-up period of (5.0 ± 0.2) years. Hypertension, complication and the progressive stage of disease were the major factors affecting prognosis in relevant patients (regression coefifcients: 4.664, 1.959 and 1.870 respectively, allP<0.05). Conclusion: Hypertension was the leading reason for patients’ hospital visit. Takayasu’s arteritis was closely related to cardiovascular disease, the early diagnosis and treatment were really important in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of environmental risk factors on the development of stroke.

METHODSWith the use of cold-stimuli plus high-salt intake as environmental risk factors, a hypertension model with the complication of stroke was established in rats, then, a new technique, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH), was used to identify the differential genes which specifically expressed in total cerebrum tissue of rat in each group. Comparison was made between control group and stroke group.

RESULTSBy the application of SSH, a total of 576 clones were generated in this study from two subtractive libraries, among them 456 clones were usable and were analyzed. Genes for cell/organs defense were down-regulated in stroke group and metabolism transcripts were shown to be up-regulated (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONCell/organs defense genes may play important roles in the development of stroke. The above findings suggested that environmental risk factors could genetically alter individual sensitivity to stroke.

Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Division ; genetics ; Cold Temperature ; DNA, Complementary ; chemistry ; genetics ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Immunity, Innate ; genetics ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Signal Transduction ; genetics ; Sodium Chloride, Dietary ; administration & dosage ; Stroke ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo identify the casual mutation of a Chinese pedigree with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and to analyze the genotype-phenotype relationship.

METHODSThe coding exons of 26 reported disease genes were sequenced by targeted resequencing in the proband and the identified mutation were detected with bi-directional Sanger sequencing in all family members and 307 healthy controls. The genotype-phenotype correlation was analyzed in the family.

RESULTSA missense mutation (c.2191C > T, p. Pro731Ser) in the 20th exon of MYH7 gene was identified. This mutation was absent in 307 healthy controls and predicted to be pathogenic by PolyPhen-HCM. Totally 13 family members carried this mutation, including 10 patients with HCM and 3 asymptomatic mutation carriers. The proband manifested severe congestive heart failure and 8 patients expressed various clinical manifestations of heart failure, including dyspnea, palpitations, chest pain, amaurosis or syncope. Five patients were diagnosed as HCM at the age of 16 or younger. One family member suffered sudden cardiac death.

CONCLUSIONSThe Pro731Ser of MYH7 gene mutation is a causal and malignant mutation linked with familiar HCM.

Adolescent ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Base Sequence ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; ethnology ; genetics ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Exons ; Humans ; Mutation, Missense ; Myosin Heavy Chains ; genetics ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Research Design ; Ventricular Myosins