To investigate the protective effects of Tangxinping Capsule, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats.

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical value of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) detection in the diagnosis of diastolic heart dysfunction.

METHODSNinety patients with diastolic heart dysfunction and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)>or=45% were divided into 3 groups according to the findings by conventional echocardiography and/or tissue Doppler imaging, namely impaired relaxation pattern group (n=58), pseudonormal pattern group (n=22) and restrictive filling pattern group (n=10). Ten patients with normal heart function served as the control group. Plasma NT-proBNP level was determined in all the subjects and its correlation to diastolic heart dysfunction was analyzed.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, all the 3 case groups had significantly higher plasma NT-proBNP level (P<0.01). Plasma NT-proBNP level increased gradually with the severity of diastolic dysfunction. Spearman rank correlation analysis indicated that lg(NT-proBNP) was positively correlated to the severity of diastolic dysfunction. Simple linear regression showed that 52.7% of the total variation of lg(NT-proBNP) was correlated to the severity of the condition. The ROC curve demonstrated a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 90%, positive predictive value of 84.2% and the negative predictive value of 87.1% for NT-proBNP level of 133 ng/L in predicting diastolic heart dysfunction regardless of the clinical manifestations, and the sensitivity was 81.7% and specificity was 75% for NT-proBNP level at 280.25 ng/L in predicting symptomatic diastolic heart dysfunction; the sensitivity was 81.2% and the specificity was 92.6% for NT-proBNP at 655 ng/L in predicting moderate to severe diastolic heart dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONPlasma NT-proBNP level increases gradually with the severity of diastolic dysfunction and has a high clinical value in severity rating and assisting the diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction.

Aged ; Diastole ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; blood ; Peptide Fragments ; blood ; Stroke Volume

A 90-year-old Chinese man was transferred to the Emergency Department of the Affiliated Shantou Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University for treatment of an acute myocardial infarction. He suffered chest pain with three days of cough, dyspnea and fever. A diagnosis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was made in normal coronary arteries from urgent coronary angiography and characteristic apical dyskinesis and basal hyper contractility in left ventriculography. The patient died from severe multi-organ failure on the second day of hospitalization.
Aged, 80 and over ; Coronary Angiography ; Fatal Outcome ; Humans ; Male ; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging

RNA binding protein (RBP) plays a key role in gene regulation and participate in RNA translation, modification, splicing, transport and other important biological processes. Studies have shown that abnormal expression of RBP is associated with a variety of diseases. The Musashi (Msi) family of mammals is an evolutionarily conserved and powerful RBP, whose members Msi1 and Msi2 play important roles in the regulation of stem cell activity and tumor development. The Msi family members regulate a variety of biological processes by binding and regulating mRNA translation, stability and downstream cell signaling pathways, and among them, Msi2 is closely related to embryonic growth and development, maintenance of tumor stem cells and development of hematological tumors. Accumulating evidence has shown that Msi2 also plays a crucial role in the development of solid tumors, mainly by affecting the proliferation, invasion, metastasis and drug resistance of tumors, involving Wnt/β-catenin, TGF-β/SMAD3, Akt/mTOR, JAK/STAT, Numb and their related signaling pathways (Notch, p53, and Hedgehog pathway). Preclinical studies of Msi2 gene as a therapeutic target for tumor have achieved preliminary results. This review summarizes the molecular structure, physiological function, role of Msi2 in the development and progression of various solid tumors and the signaling pathways involved.
Animals ; Hedgehog Proteins ; Mammals/metabolism* ; Neoplasms/genetics* ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

As an outstanding representative of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions accumulated from famous TCM doctors' clinical experiences in past dynasties, classical TCM excellent prescriptions (cTCMeP) are the most valuable part of TCM system. To support the research and development of cTCMeP, a series of regulations and measures were issued to encourage its simplified registration. There is still a long-way to go because many key problems and puzzles about technology, registration and administration in cTCMeP R&D process are not resolved. Based on the analysis of registration and management regulations of botanical drug products in FDA of USA and Japan, and EMA of Europe, the possible key problems and countermeasures in chemistry, manufacture and control (CMC) of simplified registration of cTCMeP were analyzed on the consideration of its actual situation. The method of "reference decoction extract by traditional prescription" (RDETP) was firstly proposed as standard to evaluate the quality and preparation uniformity between the new developing product under simplified registration and traditional original usages of cTCMeP, instead of Standard Decoction method in Japan. "Totality of the evidence" approach, mass balance and bioassay/biological assay of cTCMeP were emphatically suggested to introduce to the quality uniformity evaluation system in the raw drug material, drug substance and final product between the modern product and traditional decoction.

The mammalian epididymis not only plays a fundamental role in the maturation of spermatozoa, but also provides protection against various stressors. The foremost among these is the threat posed by oxidative stress, which arises from an imbalance in reactive oxygen species and can elicit damage to cellular lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. In mice, the risk of oxidative damage to spermatozoa is mitigated through the expression and secretion of glutathione peroxidase 5 (GPX5) as a major luminal scavenger in the proximal caput epididymidal segment. Accordingly, the loss of GPX5-mediated protection leads to impaired DNA integrity in the spermatozoa of aged Gpx5