0.05,respectively).But most inte-restingly,the MMP-9 showed a positive relevance(r=0.686,P

Objective To determine the relationship of cytochrome P-450 epoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acids with impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in the healthy elderly. Methods A case-control study was employed.The study enrolled 60 healthy young adults (group A) and 60 healthy senior citizens (group B) of Han population in Shanghai. Serum contents of 14,15-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (14,15-DHET) (a stable metabolite of 14,15-EET), 6-Kote-PGF1a (a stable metabolite of prostaglandin) and TXB2 (a stable metabolite of thromboxane A2) were measured using ELISA kits. The endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation (EDV) and endothelium-independent vasorelaxation (NEDV) in brachial arteries were determined by color Doppler ultrasound. Results Compared with group A, group B had significant higher levels of hemoglobin A1c, triglyceride and cholesterol levels (P＜0.01), and significant lower levels of 14,15-DHET and 6-Kote-PGF1a (P＜0.001), leading to increased values of TXB2/6-Kote-PGF1a and TXB2/14,15-DHET. There was bigger basal interior diameter of brachial arterials with reduced EDV and NEDV response (P＜0.01 and P＜0.05, vs. group A respectively) in group B. Moreover, the age was negatively correlated with 14,15-DHET and TXB2/14,15-DHET. Conclusions Our results indicate that the impaired EDV and NEDV in aging are associated with reduced production of arachidonic acid metabolites through cytochrome P-450 epoxygenase pathway and cyooxygenase pathway of endothelium in the healthy elderly.

Objective To evaluate the efficiency of transcatheter closure of secundum artrial septal defect (ASD) using Amplatzer occluder device in 5 years.Methods There were 18 children with ASD.Each ASD was occluded using Amplatzer occluder device through the percutaneous procedure.The closure procedure was guided by fluoroscopy and transthoracic echocardiography.All patients were followed up by physical examination,color flow echocardiography,chest radition,electrocardiography at 48 h,1month,3 month,6 month,one year,two years,three years,four years and five years.Results Cardiac murmur disappeared or lightened.Arrhythmia and right heart volume in all patients were improved after the procedure.A case revealed a trival shunt of short duration and vanished after one month color flow echo.A case has “spring′s beat” in heart when she goes to bed in three years after the procedure.Another patient had serious headach after closure and recoved after heparin therapy.Conclusions Transcatheter closure of secundum ASD using amplatzer occluder device is safe and efficient by follow-up.In order to prevent cerebral embolism,heparin should be injected in vein in two days.

AIM To establish an LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous content determination of paeoniflorin,albiflorin,neochlorogenic acid,chlororogenic acid,catechin,epicatechin,ethyl gallate,danshensu,ferulic acid,caffeic acid,gallic acid,protocatechuic acid,protocatechualdehyde and rosmarinic acid in Yangxue Qingnao Granules (Angelicae sinensis Radix,Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Paeoniae Radix Alba,etc.).METHODS The analysis of methanol extract of this drug was performed on a 20 ℃ thermostatic Waters Symmetry Shield RP C18 column (3.9 mm × 150 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-water (containing 0.1％ formic acid) flowing at 0.4 mL/min in a gradient elution manner.RESULTS Fourteen constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges,whose average recoveries were 85.5％-107.0％ with the RSDs of 2.0％-5.0％.CONCLUSION This simple,sensitive,accurate and reproducible method can be used for the quality control of Yangxue Qingnao Granules.

Objective To explore the expression and localization of aquaporin 11(AQP11) in human term pregnancies with oligihydramnios, and its role in amniotic fluid balance.Methods We studied 55 patients who underwent elective cesarean sections, consisting of 25 patients with isolated oligohydramnios and 30 with normal amniotic fluid volume.Immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were employed to determine the expression and localization of AQP11 in the amnion, chorion and placenta.Results AQP11 protein was detected in expressed in the full-term pregnant women`s amnion, chorion and placenta.The expression in the amnion was positively correlated with amniotic fluid amount;the expression in the placenta was negatively correlated with amniotic fluid amount.The expression increased in the chorion with different amniotic fluid amount.Conclusion AQP11 plays an important role in regulating amniotic fluid balance.

OBJECTIVETo assess long term stent implantation efficacy of myocardial bridge and severe atherosclerosis lesions in the segments proximal to the myocardial bridge.

METHODSThe study population consisted of 3 groups (103 patients). Group A included 28 patients with severe atherosclerosis lesion of luminal narrowing of > or = 70% in the segments proximal to the myocardial bridge. Group B included 16 patients with symptomatic myocardial bridge lesion of systolic luminal narrowing of > or = 95%. Group C included 59 patients with severe atherosclerotic lesion of luminal narrowing of > or = 70%. All lesions were successfully treated with stent by standard interventional techniques. Quantitative coronary angiography was performed before and immediately after stent deployment. Follow-up Quantitative coronary angiography was performed at six months or later. Clinical evaluation was done at 20 months after PCI.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in luminal diameter and stent diameter among 3 groups immediately after stent implantation (P > 0.05). At six months, restenosis occurred in 4 patients in Group A (14.3%), in 7 patients in Group B (43.7%), and in 8 patients in Group C (14.8%), respectively. The rate of restenosis was significantly lower in group A and C than in group B (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found between group A and C. Additional balloon dilating of stent were performed in all restenosis patients. Clinical evaluation at 20 months showed that all patients remained free of angina and cardiac events.

CONCLUSIONThe efficacy of intracoronary stent implantation in treating severe atherosclerosis lesion in the segments proximal to the myocardial bridge is not affected by abnormal haemodynamic changes of myocardial bridges. The rate of restenosis in intracoronary stent implantation of myocardial bridges is higher than that of atherosclerotic lesions in the segments proximal to myocardial bridge.

Adult ; Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Atherosclerosis ; therapy ; Coronary Artery Disease ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Bridging ; therapy ; Stents ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of atorvastatin on the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mRNA and its protein in hypertrophic myocardium in rats. METHODS: Suprarenal abdominal aortic coarctation was performed to create the pressure overload induced left ventricular hypertrophy model in rats. RESULTS: Rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: (1) normal control group (Group A); (2) normal control group treated with atorvastatin [(5 mg/(kg.dd), Group B]; (3) sham group (Group C); (4) atorvastatin given orally by gastric gavage for 4 weeks [5 mg/(kg.dd),Group D]; (5) vehicle group (Group E). Stained pathological section was observed under light microscope to measure cardiomyocyte diameter transversa and collagen volume fraction. ACE2 mRNA and its protein expression were detected by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot. Compared with Group A,B, and C, the left ventricular mass index, cardiomyocyte diameter transversa and collagen volume fraction in Group E increased statistically (P< 0.01), ACE2 mRNA and its protein expression also elevated remarkably (P< 0.01). Compared with Group E, the above mentioned indexes in Group D reduced significantly (P< 0.01). CONCLUSION ACE2 mRNA and its protein expression increase significantly in hypertrophic myocardium in rats; atorvastatin can attenuate cardiac hypertrophy due to pressure overload in rats effectively, and part of this anti-hypertrophy effect may be attributed to decrease ACE2 mRNA and protein expression.
Animals ; Aorta ; Atorvastatin ; Heptanoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; etiology ; metabolism ; Ligation ; Male ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Pyrroles ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the elastic lamina degradation and the collagen remodeling of aortic artery as well as oxides stress and inflammation of the apolipoprotein (Apo E) deficient mice with or without experimental hypertension.

METHODSEighty male Apo E deficient mice were fed with high-fat diet beginning at six weeks of age. At 8-week old, they were randomly divided into hypertension group and control group (n=40 each), the mice in hypertension group were subjected the suprarenal aortic constriction operation and then randomly divided into two subgroups: 15 weeks age and 30 weeks age groups. At the end of experiment, the vascular elastic lamina degradation and the content of collagen were determined by morphological method, plasma ICAM-1 level was measured by ELISA, and the rennin activity measured by radioimmunoassay, the superoxide anion detected by fluorescence, the MOMA-2 observed by immunofluorescence in all animals. mRNA expression of NF-κB P65 and MMP9 was detected by real-time PCR.

RESULTIn 15-week old group, the elastic lamina degradation Grade II and the intima-media thickness in the hypertension group were significantly higher than in the control group [(5.4±3.3)% vs. (8.9±2.5)%, P<0.05; (98.66±18.90) µm vs. (70.08±11.71) µm, P<0.05]. In 30-week old group, the elastic lamina degradation Grade III, the III type of collagen and the intima-media thickness were also significantly higher than in the control group [(15.2±3.7)% vs. (8.1±3.3)%, P<0.01; (23.00±7.73)% vs. (11.00±3.82)%, P<0.05; (147.31±22.60) µm vs. (103.98±17.21) µm, P<0.01]. The level of ICAM-1 in hypertension group was significantly higher than that of control group in both 15-week old and in 30-week old mice [(46.3±3.7) µg/ml vs. (40.6±5.7) µg/ml, P<0.05; (56.0±3.1) µg/ml vs. (45.2±2.8) µg/ml, P<0.05]. The superoxide anion, the MOMA-2, mRNA expression of NF-κB P65 and MMP9 in the hypertension group were significantly higher than in the control group in both 15-week old and in the 30-week old mice. The increase in hypertension group was more pronounced in the 30-week old mice than in the 15-week old mice.

CONCLUSIONThe elastic lamina degradation and the collagen remodeling of aortic artery as well as oxides stress and inflammation are more significant in the Apo E deficient mice with hypertension than in control Apo E deficient mice.

Animals ; Aorta ; physiopathology ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Hypertension ; metabolism ; pathology ; Inflammation ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Oxidative Stress

OBJECTIVETo build an experimental method to determine the content of puerarin in plasma, observe the effect of different combinations of traditional Chinese medicine preparation active parts on metabolism of puerarin in plasma of rats suffering cerebral ischemia attack after being orally administered the main active parts of Yangyin Tongnao granules.

METHODAbsorption of puerarin in plasma was extracted by acetonitrile. Using hydroxybenzoate as interior standard, methanol-0.5% acetic acid water solution as mobile phase, ODS C(18) chromatography column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) as stationary phase, puerarin was detected at 248 nm.

RESULTThere is a good linear relationship for puerarin in the range 0.025-3.2 microg x mL-1, RSD < 10%, and the average recovery is 97.6%.

CONCLUSIONThe method is sensitive, reliable, and can be well applied in this experiment. It can provide a method for determination of active components in TCM preparation in vitro. Different compatibility influences metabolism of components.

Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Brain Ischemia ; blood ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Interactions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Flavones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Isoflavones ; blood ; metabolism ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Oils, Volatile ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pueraria ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Objective To investigate the relationship between plasma homocysteine on admission and the outcome at discharge of acute ischemic stroke.Methods A non-concurrent cohort study was performed and a total of 1 3 1 9 patients with acute is-chemic stroke were continuously included in this study.According to tertile range of plasma homocysteine,patients were di-vided into three group.Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the independent association between plasma homocys-teine on admission and poor outcome at discharge of acute ischemic stroke.Results The difference of plasma homocysteine on admission between the poor outcome and those with good outcome had statistical significance (P<0.000 1).Without the adj ustment of multiple factors,when comparing to the first group,the second and third tertile seemed to have a tendency of increasing the risk of poor outcome at discharge,the OR (95%CI)was 2.111 (1.297~3.437,P<0.05),2.113 (1.361~3.279,P<0.05).After adjustment for multivariate,the second and third tertile also seemed to have a tendency of increasing the risk of poor outcome at discharge,the OR (95%CI)was 1.876 (1.160~3.036,P<0.05),2.396 (1.414~4.062,P<0.05).Conclusion The current study indicated that higher plasma homocysteine level was an independent risk factor for poor outcome at discharge in ischemic stroke patients.It would increase the risk of the outcome at discharge in patients with acute ischemic stroke,and suggests that there is a dose-response relationship between plasma homocysteine level on admis-sion and the poor outcome at discharge.