Objective To observe the clinical feasibility and effects of regional nerve blockade in patients with heart failure.Methods The study enrolled a total of 10 patients,age range from 55 to 75 years old(average 64?11 years old).The subject includes 8 males and 2 females,among which 6 cases were ischemic cardiomyopathy and 4 cases were dilated cardiomyopathy.All the patients met the criteria of NYHA class Ⅲ-Ⅳ heart function with heavy fluid load unresponsive to optimal medical therapy.Patients with diabetes and renal failure were ruled out from the study.After application of local anesthesia,15 mL of 0.25% Naropin was injected inside Gerota's fascia to achieve regional nerve blockade under CT guidance.Serum and urine electrolytes,neurohormones,renal clearance of sodium and 24-hour urine volume were recorded 24 h before and after the operation.Variartions in heart rate,blood pressure and symptons of dyspnea and edema were also under monitor.Results After nerve blockade,the 24-hour urine volume and renal sodium clearance increased obviously while the level of neurohormones decreased compared with that before operation.No obvious changes in heart rate and blood pressure were recorded and the symptons of heart failure were improved in the patients after operation. No complication was recorded in the study. Conclusion Regional nerve blockade may be a feasible,safe and effective treatment for congestive heart failure patients who do not respond well to the existing optimal medical therapy.

Objective To summarize the nursing methods for patients with chronic congestive heart failure treated with local renal nerve block. Methods 10 cases of patients with chronic congestive heart failure were treated with renal nerve block. The blood and urine electrolytes, plasma neuroendocrine hor-mones, the 24-hour urine volume were measured before and after the renal nerve block to calculate the rate of excretion of urinary sodium. The changes of the heart rate and blood pressure and the improvement of the dyspnoea, swelling and other symptoms of heart failure were monitored continuously before and after the re-nal nerve block. Results There was a significant increase in the 24-hour urine volume and the rate of excretion of urinary sodium in the patients with heart failure after the renal nerve block (P<0.05),and there was a significant decrease in the amount of plasma neuroendocrine hormones after the renal nerve block (P<0.01);there was no signifieant changes in the heart rate and the average blood pressure with improvement of dyspnoea, swelling and other symptoms of heart failure. No significant complications were found. Conclusions The nursing measures taken by the nurses in the clinical application of local renal nerve block as a new treatment modality to the treatment of patients with chronic congestive heart failure are safe, effective and feasible.

Objective To analyze the changes of heart rate turbulence (HRT) and heart rate variability (HRV) in coronary heart disease (CHD), and evaluate the relationship between CHD and coronary artery disease (CAD) and two parameters of HRT and HRV, and investigate the correlation between the 2 parameters.Methods We performed coronary angiography in all 103 patients with CHD (group A), who were classified into 3 subgroups: 35 patients of stable angina pectoris ( group A1 ), 28 patients of unstable angina pectoris ( group A2 ) and 40 patients of AMI ( group A3 ), and 30 structurally normal patients with ventricular premature contraction who were included in healthy control group ( group B).The 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram was performed in all the patients, and the parameters of HRT and HRV were obtained.Results The value of the TO onset of group A was significantly higher than that of group B( -4.17± 2.75, - 3.16 ± 3.18, - 0.96 ± 2.92; - 6.30 ± 3.47 ), the value of TS of group A was lower than that of groupB(6.81±3.18,5.12±3.31,3.20±1.71;9.52±3.85) (P ＜0.05 orP ＜0.01).The values of SDNN, PNN50, and HF of group A were significantly lower than those of group B (P＜ 0.05).TO was positively correlated with Gensinies score, while TS, SDNN, PNN50 and HF were negatively correlated with Gensinies score, and TS showed the strongest negative correlation with Gensini score (r=-0.45).TO was negatively correlated with SDNN, PNN50, and HF, while TS was positively correlated with SDNN, PNN50 and HF, and TS showed much stronger correlation with HF (r=0.47).Conclusions HRT was dramatically blunted and HRV in patients with CHD was significantly lower;.HRT and HRV of group A1 were significantly correlated with Gensini score, and TS had the strongest correlation with Gensini score.TO and TS were correlated with SDNN, PNN50 and HF, and TS had much stronger relationship with HF.

An HPLC-UV method has been developed for the determination of valibose, miglitol, voglibose and acarbose, the four anti-diabetic drugs. The separation was accomplished successfully by using reversed phase chromatography (Prevail carbohydrate column, 250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) with a gradient acetonitrile-phosphate buffer solution (pH 8.0) at a wavelength of 210 nm. Furthermore, the method of a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ESI-MS in positive ionization mode has been established. These two methods were successfully applied to the assay and qualitative detection of four alpha-glucosidase inhibitors in the potential counterfeit anti-diabetic drugs.

Objective To test synchronization of cardiac mechanical contraction by means of advanced echocardiography and investigate the correlation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony, and the relationship between DTI, STI and RT-3DE.Methods Control group (20 cases), chronic heart failure with a widened QRS complex (12 cases) and chronic heart failure with a shortened QRS duration (10 cases) were selected. We evaluated mechanical dyssynchrony with the DTI, the STI and the RT-3DE, and analyzed the correlation between the improvement degree of cardiac function and indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony, and the correlation between DTI, STI and RT-3DE. Results (1) In CHF groups (including shortened QRS group and widened QRS group), the indexes of synchronization of cardiac mechanical contraction were higher than control group ( <0.05) . (2) However, the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony before operation showed no statistically significant difference between the widened QRS group and the shortened QRS group (>0.05) . (3) In CHF groups (including shortened QRS group and widened QRS group), the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony before operation were higher more than after operation ( <0.05) . (4) In postoperation, the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony showed no statistically significant difference between the widened QRS group and the shortened QRS group ( >0.05) . (5) There was a significant negative correlation between the LVEF and the indexes of mechanical dyssynchrony (<0.01) . (6) .In the indexes of synchronization of cardiac mechanical contractions, there are significant positive correlations between the DTI, the STI and the RT-3DE ( <0.01) . Conclusion Echocardiography can be used to screen CHF patients,and patients with left ventricular synchronous (including shortened QRS duration) can also be benefited from CRT.

Catalpol,an iridoid glucoside isolated from Rehmannia glutinosa,has gained attention due to its potential use in treating cardio-cerebrovascular diseases(CVDs).This extensive review delves into recent studies on catalpol's protective properties in relation to various CVDs,such as atherosclerosis,myocardial ischemia,infarction,cardiac hypertrophy,and heart failure.The review also explores the compound's anti-oxidant,anti-inflammatory,and anti-apoptotic characteristics,emphasizing the role of vital signaling pathways,including PGC-1a/TERT,PI3K/Akt,AMPK,Nrf2/HO-1,estrogen receptor(ER),Nox4/NF-κB,and GRP78/PERK.The article discusses emerging findings on catalpol's ability to alleviate diabetic cardiovascular complications,thrombosis,and other cardiovascular-related conditions.Although clinical studies specifically addressing catalpol's impact on CVDs are scarce,the compound's established safety and well-tolerated nature suggest that it could be a valuable treatment alternative for CVD patients.Further investigation into catalpol and related iridoid derivatives may unveil new opportunities for devising natural and efficacious CVD therapies.

Objective To investigate the hemodynamic changes in a tortuous coronary to elucidate the effects of tortuosity on coronary perfusion and wall shear stress (WSS). Methods A single tortuous and non-tortuous patient-specific left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery cases were selected. Two LAD models with and without coronary tortuosity were reconstructed in Mimics software and then transferred to the ANSYS Fluent software for performing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The hemodynamic characteristics of both the LAD models were compared. Results The vessel WSS of the tortuous coronary artery clearly decreased in the bend section where the maximum curvature was larger than 1 mm-1.Such a scenario could led to an inadequate blood supply in the downstream vessels. A low WSS (0-26 Pa) acted on the outer wall of the bend, whereas the inner wall of the bend had a high WSS (>100 Pa). The mean WSS of the non-tortuous and tortuous models was 10.79 Pa and 36.12 Pa, respectively. The overall WSS of the tortuous model was larger compared with that of the non-tortuous model. Conclusions Coronary tortuosity increased the overall WSS, which could delay the progress of coronary atherosclerosis.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Banxia Xiexintang containing intestinal absorption solution （BXCIAS） on migration and invasion of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells （PMN-MDSCs） in gastric cancer microenvironment. MethodThe complex solution （containing 0.63 g·mL^-1 crude drug） was prepared. Gastric cancer cells were subjected to non-contact co-culture with PMN-MDSCs in Transwell chamber to create gastric cancer microenvironment. Cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to screen the optimal intervention concentration and time of BXCIAS on PMN-MDSCs for subsequent experiment. The blank group， model group， FAK inhibitor group， and BXCIAS groups （26%， 18%， and 10%） were designed. Scratch assay and Transwell assay were employed to detect the migration and invasion ability of PMN-MDSCs， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） to measure the expression of vascular endothelial cell growth factor （VEGF） and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） in tumor microenvironment. The expression levels of PMN-MDSCs pathway-related proteins FAK， phosphorylated （p）-FAK， protein tyrosine kinase （Src）， and p-Src were detected by Western blot. ResultThe inhibition rates of PMN-MDSCs by 5%， 50%， 75%， and 100% BXCIAS at 48 h were higher than those at 24 h （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The inhibition rate of PMN-MDSCs by 50% BXCIAS at 72 h was lower than that at 48 h （P<0.01）， and the inhibition rates by 5% and 100% BXCIAS at 72 h were higher than those at 48 h （P<0.05， P<0.01）. There was no significant difference in the inhibition rate by other concentration levels at 48 h. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） at 48 h was 18.09%， indicating that 18% BXCIAS and 48 h were the optimal concentration and time， respectively. The migration distance of PMN-MDSCs was large （P<0.01）， and the number of migrating and invading cells increased （P<0.01） in the mode group compared with those in the blank group. Compared with model group， FAK inhibitor and BXCIAS at different concentration decreased the migration distance of PMN-MDSCs （P<0.01）， and the number of migrating and invading cells （P<0.01）， especially the 26% BXCIAS （P<0.01）. The expression of PMN-MDSCs pathway-related proteins FAK， p-FAK， Src and p-Src （P<0.01） and the expression of VEGF and MMP-9 （P<0.01） were higher in the model group than in the blank group. Compared with model group， FAK inhibitor and BXCIAS （26%， 18%， 10%） decreased the expression of FAK， p-FAK， and Src （P<0.01）， and FAK inhibitor and 18% BXCIAS reduced the expression of p-Src （P<0.01）， and the expression of VEGF and MMP-9 （P<0.01）. ConclusionBXCIAS can inhibit the migration and invasion of PMN-MDSCs by down-regulating the expression of FAK， p-FAK， Src， and p-Src proteins in the FAK signaling pathway of PMN-MDSCs in gastric cancer microenvironment.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Banxia Xiexintang （BXT）-containing intestinal absorption solution on the apoptosis of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells （PMN-MDSCs） in gastric cancer microenvironment. MethodBXT-containing intestinal absorption solution was prepared， and gastric cancer cells and PMN-MDSCs were non-contact co-cultured in Transwell chamber to establish gastric cancer microenvironment. Cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to screen the optimal intervention concentration and time of 0-100% BXT-containing intestinal absorption solution prepared by 0.63 g·mL^-1 reconstitution solution. Cells were classified into blank group， model group， oxaliplatin group （10 mg·L^-1）， and BXT （26%， 18%， 10% BXT-containing intestinal absorption solution） group， and the apoptosis of PMN-MDSCs was detected by flow cytometry. The expression of apoptosis-related B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， and cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 （Caspase-3） in PMN-MDSCs was detected by Western blot. ResultAfter treatment for 24 h and 48 h， the PMN-MDSCs-inhibiting rate was increased by 5%， 50%， 75%， and 100% BXT-containing intestinal absorption solution compared with that in the blank group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. At 72 h， the PMN-MDSCs-inhibiting rate by 50% BXT-containing intestinal absorption solution was lower than that at 48 h （P<0.01）， and the PMN-MDSCs-inhibiting rate by 5%， 75%， and 100% BXT-containing intestinal absorption solution showed no significant difference from that at 48 h. Moreover， the half-maximal inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） at 48 h was 18.40%. Thus， 18% BXT-containing intestinal absorption solution and 48 h were the optimal intervention concentration and time. The survival rate of PMN-MDSCs in model group was higher than that in the blank group （P<0.05）， and the apoptosis rate was lower than that in the blank group （P<0.05）. Compared with model group， BXT containing intestinal absorption solution lowered the survival rate and raised apoptosis rate of PMN-MDSCs （P<0.05）， particularly the 26% BXT-containing intestinal absorption solution （P<0.05）. The expression of Bax and Caspase-3 in PMN-MDSCs was lower in the model group than in the blank group （P<0.05）， and the expression of Bcl-2 was higher in the model group than in the blank group （P<0.05）. The expression of Caspase-3 in PMN-MDSCs increased （P<0.05） and the expression of Bcl-2 decreased （P<0.05） in oxaliplatin group and BXT group compared with those in the model group. The expression of Bax rose in oxaliplatin group and BXT group （10% BXT-containing intestinal absorption solution） （P<0.05）. ConclusionBXT can induce the apoptosis of PMN-MDSCs by regulating the expression of apoptosis-related proteins Bax， Caspase-3， and Bcl-2 in gastric cancer microenvironment.