Objectives:In situ coronary calcium is a specific anatomic marker of coronary atheroma. Electron beam CT is the first noninvasive method to determine coronary artery calcium. The aim of this study was to investigate the coronary artery calcium(CAC) in Chinese. Methods:Nine hundred and fifty-nine Chinese cases undergoing electron beam screening were divided into six age groups: ①younger than 29,②30～39,③40～49,④50～59,⑤60～69,⑥older than 70 years old, and were divided into another three groups according to coronary artery disease(CAD) symptoms.①symptomatic group: symptomatic patients with CAD;②doubtful symptom group: patients had atypical chest pain, but without sufficient information of angina,③asymptomatic group: patients without CAD symptoms. Results:① Prevalence of CAC and the total scores of CAC in asymptomatic men and women increased significantly with increased ages. ② There was a large increase in the prevalence of CAC in asymptomatic women between the age of 40～49 and 50～59. Conclusions: ①Coronary artery calcium prevalence increases with age in both men and women.②There is a marked difference in the prevalence of calcium between men and women.③The noninvasive detection of CAC by EBCT has certain prognostic and predictive value for coronary artery disease.

It is important to establish successfully animal models in the study of pathogenesis,diagnosis and treatment of heart failure.This article reviewe drecent animal models of heart failure.

Human recombinant B type natriuretic peptide(hBNP) binds to receptor in the vasculature, kidney, and other organs to mimic the action of endogenous natriuretic peptides. Intravenous infusion of hBNP has been studied with acute decompensated heart failure. It causes potent, dose related vasodilation that is rapid in onset and sustained for the duration of drug infusion, reflected by decreases in systemic vascular resistance, systemic arterial pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, right atrial pressure, and mean pulmonary arterial pressure. Vasodilation occurs without a change in heart rate and is associated with increases in stroke volume and cardiac output. hBNP may promote diuresis because of a direct natriuretic action, increased cardiac output, and decreased aldosterone levels. For decompensated heart failure, hBNP improves symptoms and is well tolerated. The major adverse effect is dose related hypotension. As a new vasodilator, it should be valuable in treatment of patients hospitalized for decompensated heart failure.

Brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) emerges as another cardiac hormone after atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). It plays a prominent role in natriuresis, diuresis, vasorelaxation and decreasing blood pressure. The plasma levels of BNP are closely related to the left ventricular function. In this review, the author highlights the latest progress of BNP in the diagnosis, risk stratification, prognosis and therapeutic monitoring of patients with congestive heart failure and other cardiac dysfunction.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a type of specific cardiomyopathy which be relevant to metabolic derangement of diabetes mellitus. The exact mechanism is still questionable and has been the focus of much interest and debate in the cardiovascular domain . In this review, we aim to summarize the update advances of its pathogeneses and physiopathologic mechanisms at the histological, molecular and cytologic levels.

Objective Diabetic mellitus is one of the major threats to human health.The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is growing rapidly worldwide.Patients with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for cardiovascular diseases.Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC) is related to diabetes-specific metabolism,but the mechanism is not entirely clear.Recent studies suggest that abnormal myocardial energy metabolism and reduced number of myocardial cells may be the important pathophysiological mechanism that leads to heart function impairment of diabetes patients.Mitochondria are not only an important place generating cellular energy,also involved in the apoptotic and death process of cells.Therefore,mitochondrial dysfunctions play a key role in the process of DC.Mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) is a center for information exchange within and outside the mitochondria and plays a key role in the maintenance of mitochondrial function.MPT works through the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP).In our recent studies,it was found that MPTP function changed in DC and its abnormality could be corrected by specific AT I receptor antagonist.These findings are important for better understanding DC.

Objective To describe clinical and functional features of patients with left main coronary artery (LM) stenosis. Methods Significant stenosis was defined as ≥ 50%.One hundred and eighty-eight patients with LM stenosis and 200 patients with clinically suspected coronary heart disease (CHD) without LM stenosis were enrolled. Results (1) The incidence rate of LM stenosis was 5.59%.(2) Patients with LM stenosis all had risk factors.Furthermore,featured older age,higher incidence of angina pectoris,and the same incidence of myocardial infarction history when compared with the patients without LM stenosis.(3) The left ventricular ejection fraction was lower in patients with LM stenosis than that in patients without LM stenosis,and it was lower too in patients with isolated LM stenosis than in patients with LM stenosis accompanied by triple vessel stenosis.The left ventricular end diastolic pressure showed no significant difference among various groups. Conclusion Patients with LM stenosis feature older age,severe angina pectoris.Furthermore, most of them are accompanied by other vessel lesions.Most LM stenosis are located at the ostium and the crotch of LM is presented as stenosis

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), a member of the mitochondrial inner membrane carrier family, partly dissipate the proton electrochemical gradient, decrease ATP production. UCP2 limits production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibits insulin secretion and regulates fatty acid oxidation. FFA, PPAR?,leptin, thyroid hormones and so on could regulate the UCP2 expression. The function of UCP2 in myocardial energy metabolism remains unknown.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is one of the main causes of death in diabetic patients.Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy,and mitochondrial function depends on the stabilization of the mitochondrial membrane structure.Studies on the molecular alteration and the underlying mechanism of the cardiocyte mitochondrial membrane of the diabetic heart may give us deeper insights into diabetic cardiomyopathy,and help us make a breakthrough in the therapeutic strategies.

Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease for which the molecular etiology of many of the risk factors is still unknown.Reactive oxygen species(ROS) mediate various signaling pathways that underlie vascular inflammation in atherogenesis: from the initiation of fatty streak development through lesion progress to ultimate plaque rupture.The mitochondrial respiratory chain is the major source of reactive oxygen species as byproducts of normal cell respiration.Mitochondria may also be important target for reactive oxygen species,which may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction.Moreover,in patients with mitochondrial diseases,vascular complications are commonly observed at an early age,often in the absence of traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis.The aim of this review is to summarize the data linking mitochondrial dysfunction to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.