This study was aimed to evaluate the relationship between the changes of plasma intermedin (IMD) and atrial fibrosis in hypertensive patients with atrial fibrillation. During the period from 2010 to 2011, appropriate 150 subjects of out-patients (female 50%, male 50%) were selected in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and were divided into three groups: the hypertension-only group, the hypertension combined with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation group and the hypertension combined with persistent atrial fibrillation group. Firstly, we collected the Physical examination results and medical history records of the patients. We then performed ultrasound cardiogram and blood biochemical tests on the patients. We also detected the plasma IMD and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) using ELISA. The results showed that compared with the hypertensive group, the plasma level of IMD, TGF-β1 and left atrium director (LAD) in the hypertensive combined with atrial fibrillation group were higher significantly. Compared with the paroxymal atrial fibrillation group, the levels of IMD, TGF-β1 and LAD were higher significantly in persistent atrial fibrillation group. Analysis of correlation and partial correlation showed that IMD was positively correlated with TGF-p1 (r=0.51, P<0. 001), IMD was positively correlated with LAD(r=0.59, P< 0.001), and TGF-β1 was positively correlated with LAD (r = 0.57, P < 0.001). The results suggest that IMD might suppress the pathophysiological process of atrial fibrillation.
Atrial Fibrillation ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Peptide Hormones ; blood ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; blood

Arteriosclerosis ; physiopathology ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; physiopathology ; Coronary Disease ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Pulse

Endothelium, Vascular ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; physiopathology ; Lung ; blood supply ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Mesoderm ; pathology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and catecholamine levels.

METHODSCatecholamines levels in maternal and fetal blood were determined in 116 patients with PIH and 40 normal control subjects using high performance liquid chromatography. The normal control subjects and PIH cases were selected from patients at term pregnancy receiving elective cesarean section.

RESULTSPlasma norepinephrine (NE) levels were significantly higher in patients with severe PIH than those in control subjects (P < 0.05). Both patients and control subjects had higher NE levels in the umbilical artery blood than in the umbilical vein blood (P < 0.05). NE levels in the umbilical artery blood were five times higher than those in the maternal blood.

CONCLUSIONThe pathogenesis of PIH may relate to catecholamine concentrations in fetus.

Catecholamines ; blood ; Female ; Fetus ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; blood ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular ; blood

Activation of peripheral respiratory chemoreceptors provokes respiratory and cardiovascular reflexes, providing a novel understanding of pathogenic mechanism of hypertension. Here we hypothesize that activation of peripheral respiratory chemoreceptors by hypoxia causes enhanced cardiorespiratory activity in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Using whole body plethysmography in combination with radio telemetry, pulmonary ventilation, arterial blood pressure and heart rate were examined in SHRs and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. We found that exposure to hypoxia induced greater increases in tidal volume and minute ventilation volume in SHRs compared to WKY rats. In addition, hypoxia caused a robust increase in arterial blood pressure and heart rate in SHRs relative to WKY counterparts. After carotid body denervation, the hypoxic ventilatory response was significantly decreased in both SHRs and WKY rats, but without significant difference between the two strains; moreover, the differences of arterial blood pressure and heart rate changes during hypoxic exposure were statistically insignificant between SHRs and WKY rats. It is concluded that hypoxia remarkably potentiates cardiorespiratory activity in the SHRs, suggesting an enhanced sensitivity of carotid bodies to hypoxia.
Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Inbred WKY

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effects of acupuncture method of "Huoxue Sanfeng, Shugan Jianpi" (activating blood and eliminating wind, soothing liver and strengthening spleen) on morning blood pressure in patients with cerebral infraction combined with essential hypertension.

METHODSSixty-eight patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 34 cases in each one. The patients in the two groups were treated with acupuncture method of "Xingnao Kaiqiao" (consciousness-restoring resuscitation) and oral administration of nifedipine. In addition, patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture method of "Huoxue Sanfeng, Shugan Jianpi" that met the criteria of standard manipulation, in which bilateral Renying (ST 9), Quchi (LI 11), Hegu (LI 4), Zusanli (ST 36) and Taichong (LR 3) were selected. The treatment was given once a day, five times a week, for totally six weeks. The improvement and control rate of morning blood pressure in the two groups were observed.

RESULTS(1) After treatment, the morning blood pressures were decreased significantly in the two groups (all P < 0.05); after 15 treatments, the reduction of systolic pressure and diastolic pressure in the observation group was superior to that in the control group, but the difference was not significant (both P > 0.05); after 30 treatments, the reduction of systolic pressure and diastolic pressure in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group (both P < 0.05). (2) After 30 treatments, the control rate of morning blood pressure in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [82.4% (28/34) vs 58.8% (20/34), P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture method of "Huoxue Sanfeng, Shugan Jianpi", characterized with standard manipulation criteria, can effectively control morning blood pressure in patients with cerebral infraction combined with essential hypertension.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Cerebral Infarction ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Essential Hypertension ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Liver ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spleen ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of cardiac functional indicators in spontaneously hypertension rats (SHR) suffered by struck injuries of soft tissues, form which to discuss the significance in relationship between injury and disease. METHODS: SHRs were divided into four groups according to the degree, and whose thigh was struck with the homemade hit instrument. Then the blood pressure, heart rate as well as serum biochemical indicators (CK, CK-Mb, LDH, Cr, BUN, HBDH and AST) were examined. In addition, the morphological changes of heart, brain and kidney were also observed. RESULTS: The observe values of heart rate and blood pressure of SHRs seemed have relation to the degree of damage, but there were no statistically significance between different hit degree groups. In terms of serum biochemical indicators, all seven indicators of the hit group had significant difference with that of the control group, and the AST CK, CK-MB levels were difference between the group of different strike degree. CONCLUSIONS Struck injuries of soft tissues can result in forepart damage of cardiac muscle. The biochemical indicators reflect the degree of injury, and they could be used as a type of objective enzymology indicators for analysis of the relationship between injury and disease in forensic practice.
Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Blood Pressure ; Creatine Kinase/blood* ; Female ; Heart/physiopathology* ; Heart Rate ; Hindlimb/injuries* ; Hypertension/physiopathology* ; Kidney/physiopathology* ; Male ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Random Allocation ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo study the influences of hypertension and diabetes on arterial compliances and endothelial microparticle level.

METHODSFifty patients with hypertension and diabetes, 46 with hypertension, and 48 with diabetes were enrolled in this study, with 50 healthy volunteers group serving as the normal control. Large arterial compliance (C1) and small arterial compliance (C2) were measured using CVProfilor DO2020 cardiovascular profiling system, and the levels of CD31+/CD42- endothelial microparticles (EMPs) were determined by flow cytometry in these subjects.

RESULTSCompared with the hypertensive patients, diabetic patients and healthy volunteers, the patients with both hypertension and diabetes showed significantly decreased C1 and C2. C1 and C2 were significantly decreased in the hypertensive patients in comparison with those in the diabetic patients and the healthy volunteers. Compared with the healthy volunteers group, the diabetic patients showed markedly decreased C2 but normal C1. The levels of CD31+/CD42- EMPs were significantly increased in patients with both hypertension and diabetes compared with the other groups, and the diabetic patients had higher EMPs levels than the hypertensive patients. Pearson regression analysis indicated that C1 and C2 were inversely, while the levels of EMPs positively, correlated to the pulse pressure and 2 h plasma glucose; the levels of EMPs were not related with fasting glycemia.

CONCLUSIONHypertension appears to have greater impact on arterial compliance, especially C1, while diabetes is the major factor responsible for increased release of EMPs.

Arteries ; physiopathology ; Blood Pressure ; Case-Control Studies ; Compliance ; Diabetes Mellitus ; physiopathology ; Elasticity ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged

INTRODUCTIONAdults with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are well documented to be at high risk for cardiovascular abnormalities. Growing evidence suggests that OSA is also associated with cardiovascular consequences in children. The purpose of this review is to examine the available data on this association in children.

METHODSPrimary studies were extracted from a MEDLINE search limited to those published between 1970 and 2008. The keywords used included child, sleep disordered breathing, sleep apnoea, snoring, blood pressure and hearts. The relevant articles were selected by consensus between 2 authors.

RESULTSThe results suggested that OSA was consistently associated with hypertension. Meta-analysis of risk of hypertension in those with high apnoea-hypopnoea index was undertaken. A combined odds ratio equal to 3.15 was found (95% confidence interval, 2.01 to 4.93). There was evidence for increased sympathetic activation, decreased arterial distensibility and ventricular hypertrophy in children with OSA.

CONCLUSIONChildhood OSA is associated with blood pressure dysregulation. The association of OSA with other cardiovascular morbidities requires further study in view of the limited data available currently.

Atherosclerosis ; physiopathology ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Cardiovascular System ; physiopathology ; Cerebral Arteries ; physiopathology ; Child ; Endothelium, Vascular ; physiopathology ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; physiopathology ; Pulmonary Heart Disease ; physiopathology ; Regional Blood Flow ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; complications ; physiopathology ; Ventricular Function

According to the pulse-wave theory, the authors developed a new non-invasive instrument for measuring arterial elastic function. It collects the pulse waveforms from the arteries of four limbs as well as from the radial arteries of carpus. After signal pre-processing, it calculates the arterial elastic parameters by the pre-prepared algorithm and program. Individual parameters such as pulse wave velocity (PWV), ankle-brachial index (ABI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR)can be obtained. At the same time, a series of clinical trials were conducted with reference to PWV and ABI, which confirmed the validity, accuracy and reliability of the instrument. The instrument can be used to determine the differences between cardiovascular patients and normal persons, as well as the extent of atherosclerosis. At the same time it can reflect the situation of vascular obstruction and screen the peripheral arterial disease. Therefore, it is of some value to the epidemiological study, prevention and early detection of cardiovascular disease.
Aging ; physiology ; Ankle ; blood supply ; Arteries ; physiopathology ; Arteriosclerosis ; physiopathology ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Brachial Artery ; physiopathology ; Elasticity ; physiology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Pulsatile Flow ; physiology ; Pulse ; Systole