Objective To evaluate the carotid and left ventricular function changes in patients with subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) using echo-tracking (ET) and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE).Methods Eighty patients with SA were divided into low-risk group (27 cases),middle-risk group (26 cases) and high-risk group (27 cases) according to the Framingham risk score (FRS).Each of them was examined by echocardiography and carotid ultrasound to obtain the parameters including carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT),stiffness parameter (β),Pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep),pulse wave conducting velocity(PWVβ),LV peak systolic global longitudinal strain (GLS),LV peak systolic global circumferential strain (GCS),myocardial wall stress (MWS) and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) for analysis.The study got approval from the Ethics Committee of Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology (NO:IORG00371).Results Ep,left atrial volume (LAV) and MWS had significantly differences among the three groups (all P ＜0.05).Compared with low-risk group,cIMT,β,PWVβ were higher and GLS was lower in high-risk group (all P ＜0.05).There were no statistical difference in LVEF and GCS among the three groups (all P ＞ 0.05).β was positively correlated with age and FRS,and negatively correlated with GLS (all P ＜ 0.05).LAV was positively correlated with age and E/e (all P ＜0.05).GLS was negatively correlated with FRS and β (all P ＜ 0.05).MWS was positively correlated with β and SBP,and negatively correlated with LVEF (all P ＜0.01).Conclusions ET combined with 3D-STE could be applied to evaluate the carotid and left ventricular function accurately in patients with subclinical atherosclerosis,and provide scientific bases for establishing intervention strategy.

Objective To reveal the protective effects of atorvastatin against atherosclerosis independent of cholesterol-lowering effect, we investigated the effects of atorvastation on the expression of protein kinase C (PKC) and C-reactive protein in experimental atherosclerosis of rats.Method Fifty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal diet group (n = 10, control group), vitamin D3 injection and high cholesterol diet group (n = 40). After 8 weeks, vitamin D3 injection and high cholesterol diet rats were randomized to receive either atorvastatin (5 mg. kg-1. d-1) (n = 20, atorvastatin group) or normal diet (n = 20, model group). Another eight weeks later, all rats were killed and part of their aortas were examined by light and electron microscope and the left were removed for western blot analysis to measure PKC; At the begin and end of experiment, serumcollected for lipid and C-reactive protein determining determination.Results Cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride levels in atorvastatin group were significantly lower than those in model group but higher than control group. The pathologic changes in atorvastatin group were less severe than those in model group, there showed no any pathological changes in control group. The levels of C-reactive protein in model group[(18.64 ± 0.94) mg/L] were higher than those in control group [(9.21 ± 0.21)mg/L] (P<0.05). C-reactive protein levels also differed significantly between control and atorvastatin group (12.52 ± 0.65 mg/L)( P<0.05). PKC levels were significantly higher in model group (7786.12 ± 264.75)and atorvastatin group (4267.57 ± 233.94) than in control group (2468.75 ± 145.53)(all P<0.05). But compared with model group, PKC levels were markedly lower in the atorvastatin group ( P<0.01 ).Conclusions Atorvastatin may be useful not only as a cholesterol-lowering agents but also as anti-arteriosclerotic agent that provide vascular protection by inhibition PKC expression and inflammatory reaction.

Objective To identify the histopathological characteristics of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) with V. vulnificus in mice. Methods Sixteen healthy KM mice (6～8 week old ) divided randomly into two groups, study group ( n =12) and control group ( n =4) The animal model of MODS was established by received either an intraperitioneal, intramuscular subcuneous inoculum of 4.34?10 6 cfu/0.2 ml of V.vulnificus or intraperitioneal injection of a sterile physiological salt solution (control group). Pathological changes of the man organs were individually obsenved in under election microscope (EM). Results Mortality rates exced 100%, 12/12) in study group after inoculums of mice within 4～8 h, while in 0% (0/0) in the control . The detection rate of V. vulnificus were in 100%(12/12) from blood, hearts, lungs, livers, intramuscularly, subcutaneous in the study group, while in 0% (0/4) after sterile saline intraperitioneal injection. The man histopathological changes were :degeneration and necrosis of the parenchyma cells in the different organs;interstitial swelling, mitochondriondrial injure of multiple organs.These changes were especially obvious in the lungs and myocardeum. Conclusions Above pathological changes suggested that results of MODS caused by V. vulnificus septicemia,the multiple organs failure as an important feature of the fatality of V. vulnificus infections,and my be helpful for researchers investigating of V.vulnificus.