Animals ; Cognition ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Phytotherapy ; methods

ObjectiveTo explore the value of simvastatin in improving endothelial function in the patients with acute coronary syndromes in shorter time.Methods60 patients with acute coronary syndrome(acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina/non-ST elevation myocardial infarction) were randomized to be treated with placebo(n=30) or simvastatin 20 mg daily(n=30) for 3～5 d.At the admission and endpoint,Brachial ultrasound was used to measure endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation(FMD) and response to endothelium-independent nitroglycerin. ResultsFMD was unchanged with placebo,but increased with simvasatin,from(2.65±2.95)% to(4.19±2.59)%(P=0.027).Responses to nitroglycerin were similar during the time course of the study in the 2 groups.The improvement of FMD was not correlated with the level of TC(R2=0.081,P=0.37),LDL-C(R2=0.056,P=0.46) or HDL-C(R2=0.073,P=0.40).ConclusionSimvastatin initiated early after acute coronary syndromes rapidly improves endothelial function in short course.No correlation has been detected between the pharmacological effects of simvastatin with the fall in TC and LDL-C.

Objective To evaluate the influence of self-etch adhesive,total-etch adhesive and glass ionomer cement on the marginal microleakage of class II restorations. Methods Thirty human premolars were randomly divided into 3 groups(n=10),and cuboid class II cavities(4.0 mm?3.5 mm?2.5 mm) were prepared.Restoration was performed using self-etch adhesive+nano-resin(self-etch group),total-etch adhesive + nano-resin(total-etch group) or glass ionomer cement(glass ionomer group).Half of each group underwent 200 thermocyclings and the other half underwent 500 thermocyclings.The specimens were immersed in 0.5% basic fuchsin for staining.Each tooth was then evaluated the microleakage at the axial wall and the gingival wall section by section under a stereomicroscope.The data were statistically analyzed. ResultsSelf-etch group had significantly more miroleakage than total-etch group and glass ionomer group after 200 and 500 thermocyclings(P

Objective:To explore the feasibility and application value of three dimensional (3D) printing technology in creating models of abnormal fetal aortic arch and its branches.Methods:Eleven cases of abnormal fetuses confirmed fetal aortic arch and its branches anomalies from March 2019 to July 2020 in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University were prospectively enrolled. All the fetuses underwent two dimensional(2D) echocardiography and spatio-temporal image correlation (STIC) technology examination. The 3D volume images of fetal heart were post-processed by Mimics software to create images of the great vessels and their branches in standard tessellation language format (STL) file. The STL file was output to the 3D printer and the 3D printing models of fetal great vessels and their branches were obtained. Compared with conventional ultrasound, the characteristics and application value of 3D printed models of abnormal fetal aortic arch and its branches were analyzed.Results:Eleven fetuses were successfully modeled and printed out large blood vessels and their branch models. The 3D printing model had its own advantages in displaying large blood vessels and their branch abnormalities. It could provide high quality imaging anatomical details and visualize great vessels origin, branch and position and can better display vascular ring spatial relations.Conclusions:It is feasible to use 3D printing technology to make the fetal aortic arch and its branch abnormal model. The 3D printing model can directly display its characteristic changes and provide a certain reference basis for accurately determining the type of vascular ring in the prenatal stage.

Objective:To evaluate the changes of left ventricular (LV) myocardial systolic strain and twist motion including global longitudinal strain(GLS), global circumferential strain(GCS), global radial strain(GRS), global area strain(GAS), LV basal segment rotation angle (Rotation-basal), LV apical segment rotation angle (Rotation-apical), LV twist angle (Twist), LV torsion(Torsion) by three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(3D-STI) in adult patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and further to analyze the correlations between LV twist and its morphology and global systolic function.Methods:A total of 45 patients with HCM from the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from September 2017 to June 2019 were enrolled. In addition, 50 healthy subjects were recruited as a control group. Left atrial dimension(LAD), interventricular septal end-diastole dimension(IVSD), LV posterior wall end-diastole dimension (LVPWD), LV mass index(LVMI) and other parameters were respectively measured by conventional two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. LV end-diastole volume(EDV), LV end-systole volume(ESV), calculated stroke volume(SV) and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were respectively measured by 3D transthoracic echocardiography. Full-volume 3D dynamic images were performed using matrix transducer X5-1. LV Rotation-basal, Rotation-apical, Twist and Torsion, GLS, GCS, GRS and GAS were respectively analyzed by off-line TomTec software. The differences of those parameters between the two groups were compared. The correlations between 3D-Torsion parameters and those parameters by two-dimensional echocardiography was further analyzed.Results:Compared with control group, LAD, IVSD, LVPWD and LVMI of HCM group were increased(all P<0.01), EDV, ESV, SV, LVEF and E/A were decreased(all P<0.01). Compared with control group, GLS, GCS and GRS of HCM group were decreased(all P<0.01). Rotation-basal, Rotation-apical, Twist and Torsion were increased(all P<0.01), and there was no significant difference of GAS between the two groups( P>0.05). In HCM group, IVSD was not correlated with Rotation-basal ( P>0.05), but negatively correlated with Rotation-apical, Twist and Torsion ( r=-0.327, -0.439, -0.374; all P<0.05); LVEF and LVMI were not correlated with Rotation-basal, Rotation-apical, Twist and Torsion (all P>0.05). Conclusions:①3D-STI can detect the earlier subtle changes of left ventricular three-dimensional systolic strain in HCM patients; ②LV three-dimensional Twist inereases considerably in HCM patients; ③LV Twist, Torsion and Rotation-apical are significantly decreased with the increase of IVSD in HCM patients; However, LVEF and LVMI are not significantly correlated with Rotation-basal, Rotation-apical, Twist and Torsion.

Objective To investigate the expression of hypoxia-inducible 1 alpha(HIF-lα)and glucose transporter 1(Glut1)in human breast cancer and its relationship to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)protein and clinical pathologic factors.Methods Immunohistochemical staining was used to measure the expression of HIF-lα.Glut1 and PCNA in human breast fibroadenoma,usual hyperplasia and breast carcinoma.Results HIF-1α expression was not found in breast fibroadenoma and hyperplastic Iesions.In contrast.the positive rate of HIF-1α was found in the ductal carcinoma in situ 55%(DCIS,11/20)and the invasive breast carcinoma 85%(51/60).Glut1 positivity in breast carcinoma was 58.8%(47/80).The totsl positive rate of PCNA in breast carcinoma was 75%(60/80),that in DCIS was 65%(13/20)and that in invasive carcinoma was 78.3%(47/60).There was a positive correlation between HIF-lα and Glut 1 level (r=0.653,P＜0.01),a positive correlation between HIF-1α and PCNA level(r=0.693,P＜0.01);and also a positive correlation between Glutl and PCNA level(t=0.742.P＜0.01).conclusion The overexpression of HIF-lα and its target gene Glut1 played important roles in carcinogenesis and progression of breast carcinoma and closely correlated with cell proliferation of breast carcinoma and may become a new target for treatment of breast carcinoma.

Arginine Deiminase(ADI) was purified to homogeneity using ammonium sulfate precipitation,Q-Sepharose Fast Flow anion exchange chromatography and SephadexG-75 gel filtration chromatography. This purification protocol resulted in a 34.5-fold purification of ADI with 31.4% final yield. A molecular weight of about 190 kD determined by native gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme has only one kind of 46 kD subunit determined by SDS-PAGE. Combining the results from the two kinds of electrophoresis,the authors deduce that the enzyme may be a tetramer. The optimum pH and temperature for lipolytic activity of ADI was pH 6.5 and 50℃,respectively. It was extremely stable at 45℃ and retained 97.9% of its original activity for 30 min. The stability declined rapidly as soon as the temperature rose over 50℃. ADI was highly stable in the pH range from pH 5-8. ADI acted on L-arginine but not on D-arginine. ADI catabolism was dependent on metal ions. At their adequate concentration,Mn2+,Mg2+ and Co2+ were the effective promoter,while superfluous Zn2+and Co2+ inhibited ADI activity. L-citrulline did not act on ADI,but L-ornithine inhibited ADI activity. The degradation of L-arginine with ADI catalysis was according to simple Michaelis-Menten equation. The Michaelis constant was 3.2686 mmol/L and the maxi-mum velocity was 2.44 ?mol/min.

Objective To explore protective effect of Heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) on irradiation-induced endothelial cell apoptosis.Methods Human endothelial cell line EA.hy926 were administered with or without HO-1 activator Copp and/or HO-1 inhibitor Znpp,respectively.Then,cells were treated with or without 8 Gy radiation.The HO-1 protein expression of cells were assessed with Western blotting and apoptosis of cells treated with irradiation were evaluated with flow cytometry.Moreover,cytochrome C releasing into cytosol were also determined by Western blotting. Results In PBS+R group,HO-1 protein expression of EA.hy926 was low posterior to irradiation.When cells were preconditioned with Copp and/or Znpp,then recieved with 8Gy irradiation,the HO-1 protein expression of EA.hy926 increased significantly in comparision with the PBS+R group(P

AIMTo observe the injured effect of homocysteine (HCY) on cardiomyocytes and investigate its signal transduction mechanism as well as the key regulatory link.

METHODSCardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal Wistar rats. After incubation with HCY, the survival rate of cardiomyocytes was determined by trypan blue stained assay, while the apoptosis rate was measured by TUNEL and FCM. Western blot and EMSA were used to tested ERK2 protein phosphorylation and NF-kappaB active expression in cardiomyocytes, respectively.

RESULTSThe survival rate of cardiomyocytes treated with HCY was reduced significantly in dose- and time- dependent manner. It was found that 10(-3) mol/L HCY could increase the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes to the peak (7.65%) at 4 h stress. Several HCY levels revealed the strong inhibitory effect on ERK2 protein phosphorylation, especially, 10(-3) mol/L HCY decreased the level of active ERK2 expression to 3.04% of control at 4 h (P < 0.01). NF-kappaB activation was also inhibited significantly by several HCY level for different time in cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSIONHCY plays an important role in injury of cardiomyocytes and apoptosis is a form of HCY-induced injury to cardiomyocytes. HCY can block ERK2 protein phosphorylation and NF-kappaB activation, which contribute to the injury of cardiomyocytes.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Homocysteine ; pharmacology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Signal Transduction

To investigate the effect of stress on homocysteine metabolism in the rat and explore the mechanism as well as the key regulatory link of stress-induced hyperhomocysteinemia, male Wistar rats were treated with restraint stress while control rats received routine treatment. By HPLC-fluorometry, the homocysteine level in rat plasma was determined. Cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) activity in blood, heart, liver and kidney was measured by radioisotope assay using [(14)C]-serine as the labeled substrate. Total RNA was isolated from rat liver after restraint stress. RT-PCR and Northern blot were used to estimate the level of CBS mRNA. The results showed that hyperhomocysteinemia was induced by restraint stress. The highest CBS enzyme activity was seen in rat livers. A decrease in hepatic activities of CBS was found in restraint stress rats. The 29.4% +/-2.5% reduction in the activity of CBS was accompanied by a 44.1% +/-3.4% decrease in its mRNA level. CBS enzyme activity was slightly elevated in the kidney of stressed rats while it was almost undeterminable in the cardiovascular system. The study suggests that stress leads to an inhibition of the transsulfuration pathway in homocysteine metabolism. The hepatic CBS influenced by stress at the level of transcription exerts a profound effect on the circulating levels of homocysteine. The liver is the key organ where stress affects homocysteine metabolism.
Animals ; Down-Regulation ; Homocysteine ; metabolism ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; blood ; etiology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Restraint, Physical ; Stress, Physiological ; complications ; metabolism