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Objective To explore the risk factors of prehypertension and the relationship between blood pressure and atherosclerosis.Methods The data of 456 cases in the Department of General Medicine were cross-sectional analyzed,including 174 subjects with normotension and 282 with prehypertension.The information was consisted of demographic characteristics,blood pressure,blood biochemical metabolism index,brachia-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV),ankle-brachial index (ABI) and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT).Results Compared to normotension group,the levels of systolic pressure,diastolic pressure,pulse pressure,body mass index,fasting blood glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,triglyceride,uric acid,and C-reactive protein in prehypertension group were significantly increased (P ＜ 0.05) ; and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly decreased (P ＜0.05) ; the body mass index(OR =1.185),triglyceride(OR =1.302),and fasting blood sugar (OR =1.690) were the independent risk factors of prehypertension ; baPWV and CIMT in prehypertension group were higher,but ABI and artery atheromatous plaque rate were not obvious changed.When baPWV or CIMT were set as the dependent variables,multiple linear regression analysis showed that systolic blood pressure(β =0.226,P =0.007),fasting blood glucose(β =0.209,P =0.018),and age(β =0.279,P =0.002) were risk factors of baPWV;systolic blood pressure(β =0.118,P =0.015),body mass index(β =0.109,P =0.001),and age(β =0.396,P =0.001) were risk factors of CIMT.Conclusions Body mass index,triglycerides,and fasting blood sugar were the independent risk factors of prehypertension.The early subclinical damage of hardening of the arteries was occurred in the prehypertension cases,and systolic blood pressure was closely related with baPWV or CIMT.

Objective To assess the association between helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and dyslipidemia in different gender population.Methods We conducted cross-sectional analysis using data of 1921 cases of demographic characteristics,anthropometry,life style,lipid profile,etc.,from the subjects who received health examination from January 2010 to June 2012 in Department of Geriatrics,Tongji Hospital.Diagnosis of HP infection was achieved by using 14C-Urea Breath Test (14C-UBT).The participants were divided into HP infection positive group and HP infection negative group by 14C-UBT.Results In female subjects,the levels of total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC/HDL-c) were higher in HP positive group than HP negative group (P ＜ 0.05),but there was no obvious difference between the levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in HP positive group and HP negative group.However,in the male subjects,the levels of LDL-c and TC/HDL-c were significantly increased in HP positive group than HP negative group (P ＜ 0.05).HP positive group had a greater risk for high TC/HDL-c both in female and male subjects.In female subjects,the risk for high TC/HDL-c in HP positive group was 1.90 times of that in HP negative group (95％ CI,1.06 ～ 3.38).In male subjects,the risk for high TC/HDLc in HP positive group was 1.56 times of that in HP negative group (95％ CI,1.21 ～ 2.00).But only in male subjects,the risk for high LDL-c in HP positive group was 2.33 times of that in HP negative group (95 ％ CI,1.34 ～ 4.06).Conclusions We observed that HP infection was probability associated with dyslipidemia.

Objective To study the intervention effect of tanshinone on electrophysiological abnormality of hypertrophic cardicoyte in order to illuminate the underlying mechanism of tanshinone in preventing the arrhythmia induced by myocardial hypertrophy. Method Twenty-week-rid SD rats (200～250 g) were divided into 4 groups (8 in each group) randomly. Of 4 groups, rats of three groups were operated on by a procedure of 'one kidney one clamp' to make renal artery constriction. The rest group served as sham operation group (control group). When the blood pressure increased,rats of operation groups were divided into tanshinone group, captopril group and hyper-trophic group. The effects of tanshinoe and captopril were observed and compared on the action potential duration (APD),L-type calcium current (ICa, L) and transient outward potassium current (Ito) density in cellular membrane of hypertrophic myocardium by using patch clamp and intra-cellular calcium survey technique. Results The blood pressure in operation groups was obviously higher than that in sham-operation group (P<0.01), but there was no difference between operation groups (P>0.05). The ratio of ventricle weight to body weight (VW/BW) was much higher in hypertrophic group than in control group (P<0.01), and it significantly decreased after interven-tion with tanshinone or captopril (P<0.01). Compared with hypertrophic group, tanshinone markedly shortened the prolongation of action potential duration (P<0.01), decreased membrane capacity and peak amplitude of ICa,L(P<0.01), but had no effect on the density of ICa,L. Tanshinone also significantly increased Ito current density and peak amplitude, which were completely different from hypertrophic group (P<0.05). There were similar results foundin captopril intervention. Conclusions Tanshinone could reduce calcium influx and resume the activity of ho ion channels, and thus shorten the first phase and the plateau phase of repolarization and decrease the prolongation of APD in hypertrophic cadiocyte. So tanshinone can prevent the onset of arrhythmia attributed to the myocardial hypertrophy.

In order to confirm the hypothesis that during acute hypoxia, the antiarrhythmic peptide (AAP10) could improve conductance by changing the phosphorylation state of connexin43 (Cx43), isolated perfused rat hearts were randomly divided into three groups: control, hypoxia and AAP10 (n=9 in each group). The change in Cx43 phosphorylation was tested by Western-blot; the distribution of Cx43 was observed by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Western-blot analysis revealed that the expression of total Cx43 protein was significantly decreased during acute hypoxia, while nonphosphorylated Cx43 (NP-Cx43) was unchanged. AAP10 could increase the expression of total Cx43 protein, but had no effects on the NP-Cx43 protein. Immunofluorescence study showed that during acute hypoxia, both total Cx43 and NP-Cx43 proteins were greatly decreased, while AAP10 only increased the expression of total Cx43 protein, but had no effect of the NP-Cx43 protein expression. These findings suggested that the decrease of intercellular communication may be associated with the reduction of phosphorylated Cx43 (p-Cx43) and translocation of NP-Cx43 from the surface of gap junction into intracellular pools during acute hypoxia. AAP10 can improve intercellular communication by enhancing phosphorylation of Cx43.

The possibility of rats mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) modified with murine hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated 2 (mHCN2) gene as biological pacemakers in vitro was studied. The cultured MSCs were transfected with pIRES2-EGFP plasmid carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene and mHCN2 gene. The identification using restriction enzyme and sequencing indicated that the mHCN2 gene was inserted to the pIRES2-EGFP. Green fluorescence could be seen in MSCs after transfection for 24-48 h. The expression of mHCN2 mRNA and protein in the transfected cells was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot, and the quantity of mHCN2 mRNA and protein expression in transfected MSCs was 5.31 times and 7.55 times higher than that of the non-transfected MSCs respectively (P<0.05, P<0.05). I(HCN2) was recorded by whole-cell patch clamp method. The effect of Cs(+), a specific blocker of pacemaker current, was measured after perfusion by patch clamp. The results of inward current indicated that there was no inward current recording in non-transfected MSCs and a large voltage-dependent inward and Cs(+)-sensitive current activated on hyperpolarizations presented in the transfected MSCs. I(HCN2) was fully activated around -140 mV with an activation threshold of -60 mV. The midpoint (V(50)) was -95.1+/-0.9 mV (n=9). The study demonstrates that mHCN2 mRNA and protein can be expressed and the currents of HCN2 channels can be detected in genetically modified MSCs. The gene-modified MSCs present a novel method for pacemaker genes into the heart or other electrical syncytia.

Case teaching method has been widely used in clinical medicine teaching.Because of the complicated diseases in elderly patients and the individual differences,it is difficult to achieve the goal of teaching only through several cases.Typical cases of different level are selected according to students' different learning stages and difficulty degree in longitudinal stepped case teaching.The students can gradually understand and master the theoretical knowledge through this method.In addition,their clinical thinking and the ability of solving practical problems can also be trained continuously.Preliminary practice shows that this teaching method is more suitable for the development of modern medical education and the needs of teaching.

The clinical teaching of geriatrics is difficult to arouse the students' interest. The flipped classroom teaching method can improve it through the interaction. We used WeChat as a platform for flipped classes and designed a variety of micro lessons. The participation and study interests of students were obvi-ously increased through exchanging teaching, answering questions and discussing. The teaching efficiency was also improved after strengthening practice. The preliminary practice shows that this teaching method can provide students a virtual teaching platform. It not only can enhance the teaching effect, but also can share teaching resources in network even for the long-term cross hospital and cross school exchange promotion.

The expression and significance of osteopontin (OPN) and NF-κB in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) were investigated. Thirteen TAA specimens, 20 AAA specimens and 6 normal aortic specimens were collected. The expression of OPN, nuclear factor-κB P65 (NF-κB P65), urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were detected by using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting was employed to determine the expression of OPN and NF-κB P65. Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression of OPN, NF-κB P65, uPA, MMP-2 and MMP-9 was positive in all TAA and AAA specimens and negative in normal specimens, with the difference being statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no difference in the expression between TAA and AAA specimens (P>0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that there existed a positive correlation between the expression of OPN and that of NF-κB P65, uPA, MMP-2 and MMP-9 and between the expression of NF-κB P65 and that of uPA, MMP-2, MMP-9 (P<0.05). Western blotting demonstrated that OPN and NF-κB P65 were positive in AAA and TAA specimens, and negative in normal specimens with the differences being statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the expression of OPN and NF-κB P65 between AAA and TAA specimens (P>0.05). It was concluded that OPN and NF-κB P65 were involved in the pathogenesis of TAA and AAA. OPN can up-regulate the expression of MMP and uPA via NF-κB signaling pathway thereby accelerating the degradation of extracellular matrix and playing an important role in the pathogenesis and development of TAA and AAA.