Objective To study the functional connectivity (FC) pattern of anterior cingulated cortex in patients with vascular cognitive impairment with no dementia (VCIND) after subcortical ischemic vascular disease,and to analyze the relationship between FC and cognitive function.Methods Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were acquired from 14 patients with VCIND and 16 healthy volunteers with normal cognition.The altered functional connectivity pattern in VCIND was valuated by comparing to normal control.Then a correlation analysis was performed between the strength of FC and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores in patients with VCICD.Results (1) The visual space or executive function (3.14 ± 0.29),attention or computing power (3.79 ± 0.37),language (1.14 ± 0.21),directional power (4.14 ± 0.53) items,and the total points of MoCA (17.29 ± 1.53) in VCIND were significantly lower than that in the normal control group (4.93 ± 0.07,5.93 ± 0.07,2.93 ± 0.26,5.93 ± 0.07,27.57 ± 0.33 ; t =31.62,32.50,28.51,12.00,39.71,all P ＜ 0.05).While the abstract ability or memory (4.36 ± 0.74),the naming (2.79 ± 0.11) items in VCIND were not significantly different with that in the control group (4.79 ± 0.80,2.93 ± 0.07 ; t =1.76,1.00,both P ＞ 0.05).(2) Compared with the control group,the patients showed FC decrease between the anterior cingulated cortex and several brain regions,including the left middle temporal gyrus/left superior temporal gyrus,the left superior frontal gyrus/left middle frontal gyrus/left inferior frontal gyrus,the left posterior cingulated cortex/left precuneus,the left inferior parietal lobule/left angular gyrus,the right middle temporal gyrus/right superior temporal gyrus,the right orbit frontal cortex/right inferior frontal gyrus,the right inferior parietal lobule/right angular gyrums,and the right superior frontal gyrus/right middle frontal gyrus.There were also some regions that showed increased FC,which included the right posterior lobe of the cerebellum,the calcarine fissure,the left middle frontal gyrus,and the left precentral gyrus.(3) In the VCIND patients,the brain regions which positively correlated with the MoCA scores were the left inferior parietal lobule,the right middle temporal gyrus,the right superior frontal gyrus,and the left superior temporal gyrus.The negativerelated brain regions were the right posterior limb of internal capsule,the left middle temporal gyrus,the left precuneus,and the right anterior limb of internal capsule.Conclusions VCIND patients show abnormal FC pattern of anterior cingulated cortex,which could be the pathological basis of VCIND,and have certain predictive value for VCIND.

OBJECTIVESTo compare the effects of losartan, enalapril and their combination in the prevention of left ventricular remodeling (LVRM) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the rat.

METHODSAMI model was induced in female SD rats by ligating left coronary artery. Forty-eight hours after the procedure, 83 surviving rats were randomized into one of the following 4 groups : 1) AMI control group (n = 19), 2) losartan group (n = 22, 3 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), 3) enalapril group (n = 20, 1 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), 4) losartan-enalapril combinative group (n = 22, 3 and 1 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) respectively). 5) Sham-operated group (n = 10) and 6) normal rats group (n = 10) were selected randomly to serve as non-infarction controls. Losartan and enalapril were delivered by direct gastric gavage. After 4 weeks of medical therapy, hemodynamic studies were performed in each group, then the rat hearts were fixed with 10% formalin and pathologic analysis on them was performed. Complete experimental data was obtained in 56 rats, comprising 1) AMI controls (n = 11), 2) losartan group (n = 10), 3) enalapril group (n = 10), 4) the combination of losartan and enalapril group (n = 11), 5) sham-operated group (n = 6) and 6) normal controls (n = 8).

RESULTSThere were no significant differences among the 4 AMI groups in MI size (41.7% to approximately 43.4%, all P > 0.05). Compared with sham group, the left ventricular (LV) end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), volume (LVV), long and short axis length (L and D), as well as LV absolute and relative weight (LVAW and LVRW) in AMI group were all significantly increased (P < 0.05 to approximately 0.001); whereas the maximum left ventricular pressure rising and dropping rates (+/- dp/dt) and their corrected values by LV systolic pressure (+/- dp/dt/LVSP) were significantly reduced (all P < 0.001), indicating LVRM occurred and LV systolic and diastolic function impaired after AMI. Compared with AMI group, LVEDP, LVV, LVAW and LVRW were all significantly decreased (P < 0.05 to approximately 0.001); while +/- dp/dt/LVSP were significantly enhanced in all 3 treatment groups (P < 0.05 to approximately 0.001) except -dp/dt/LVSP in losartan group (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the above indices among the 3 treatment groups (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONBoth losartan and enalapril can prevent from LVRM after AMI in the rat and improve LV function with equivalent effects. There seems no additive effect when the 2 drugs are used in combination.

Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Drug Synergism ; Enalapril ; pharmacology ; Female ; Losartan ; pharmacology ; Myocardial Infarction ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ventricular Function, Left ; drug effects ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects