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Objective:To explore the application value of four-dimensional automatic left ventricular quantitation(4D Auto LVQ) technology, in evaluating the myocardial mechanics in patients with different risk stratifications of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM).Methods:A total of 88 HCM patients and 20 healthy volunteers were selected from February 2020 to February 2022 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. According to the HCM Risk-SCD score, HCM patients were divided into 3 groups: low-risk group( n=49), intermediate-risk group( n=21), and high-risk group( n=18). Conventional ultrasound parameters were collected, and 4D Auto LVQ technology was used to obtain the mechanical parameters of left ventricular myocardium, including global longitudinal strain(GLS) , global circumferential strain(GCS), global area strain(GAS), global radial strain(GRS), twist and torsion. The differences in these parameters among the four groups were compared. The predictive values of conventional ultrasound parameters and myocardial mechanical parameters in patients with intermediate- and high-risk HCM patients were analyzed by ROC curve. Results:①Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, left ventricular end-systolic volume, and peak systolic velocity of mitral annulus in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups were lower than those in the control group while left ventricular maximal wall thickness(LVMWT) and early diastolic peak velocity of mitral value orifice/early diastolic peak velocity of mitral annulus(E/e′) were higher, left atrial diameter(LAD) and left ventricular outflow tract gradients(LVOTG) in the intermediate- and high-risk groups were higher than the low-risk group(all P<0.05). ②Compared with the control group, the GLS of HCM patients was lower, and the GLS of the intermediate- and high-risk groups was lower than the low-risk group. GCS and GRS in the intermediate- and high-risk groups were lower than those in the low-risk group. GAS in the high-risk group was lower than the low-risk and the control group, but higher than the intermediate-risk group(all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the twist and torsion in the intermediate- and high-risk groups were higher, but lower than the low-risk group, and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). ③The ROC results showed that the area under the curve(AUC) of the model containing conventional ultrasound parameters(LVWMT, LAD, and LVOTG) for predicting intermediate- and high-risk HCM patients was 0.811, with a sensitivity of 0.769 and a specificity of 0.755. The AUC of the conventional ultrasound parameters combined with myocardial mechanical parameters was 0.904, as the sensitivity was 0.667 and the specificity was 0.980. Conclusions:4D Auto LVQ can evaluate the mechanical characteristics of LV myocardium in HCM patients with different risk stratifications. Myocardial mechanical parameters combined with conventional ultrasound parameters can improve the diagnostic performance of patients with intermediate- and high-risk HCM.

Objective:To evaluate the value of the ratio of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion to pulmonary artery systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) in evaluating right ventricular function of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).Methods:A total of 74 patients with HCM and HFpEF and 22 healthy individuals who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to January 2023 were included in this study. The HCM patients with HFpEF were divided into three groups based on the tertiles of the TAPSE/PASP (low group: <0.280 0 mm/mmHg; middle group: 0.280 0-0.476 2 mm/mmHg; high group: >0.476 2 mm/mmHg). Conventional echocardiographic parameters were collected, and two-dimensional speckle tracking technology was used to obtain right ventricular strain parameters. The differences in parameters among the groups were compared, and the correlations between TAPSE/PASP and clinical parameters and right ventricular function parameters were analyzed.Results:The results of difference analysis showed that there were significant differences in 6-minute walking test, New York Heart Association grade (NYHA grade), incidence of atrial fibrillation, left atrial area (LAA), left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), TAPSE, PASP, right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC), right ventricular global longitudinal strain (RVGLS), right ventricular free wall strain (RVFWST) and cardiac magnetic resonance right ventricular ejection fraction (CMR-RVEF) among the three groups. The results of correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis showed that the TAPSE/PASP was positively correlated with 6-minute walking distance, RVFAC, tricuspid annulus peak systolic velocity (RV s′), and CMR-RVEF ( r=0.449, 0.284, 0.358, 0.577; all P<0.05). It was negatively correlated with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), NYHA grade, LAA, mitral early diastolic peak velocity / mitral annulus early diastolic peak velocity (LV E/e′), LVGLS, RVGLS, RVFWST and tricuspid early diastolic peak velocity / tricuspid annulus early diastolic peak velocity (RV E/e′) (r/ rs=-0.336, -0.349, -0.468, -0.452, -0.444, -0.339, -0.405, -0.320; all P<0.05). The LAA and CMR-RVEF correlated independently with TAPSE/PASP(all P<0.05). Conclusions:The TAPSE/PASP can provide an early, simple, rapid, and convenient evaluation of right ventricular function in patients with HCM and HFpEF, so as to guide clinical treatment and monitoring disease progression.

Biodegradable vascular stents have better biocompatibility than drug-eluting stents. The blood vessels are rebuilt and degraded after normal physiological functions are restored. Due to it will not stay in the body for a long time and the patients don't need taking anti-rejection drugs all the time, it becomes the focus of attention in the treatment of coronary heart disease. This article introduced the development history of biodegradable stents and reviewed the research status of several different materials of vascular stents (animals or humans)
Absorbable Implants ; Animals ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Humans ; Stents

BACKGROUNDDyslipidemia caused by liver injury is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular complications. Previous studies have shown that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) protects against multiple cardiovascular disease states in a similar manner as nitric oxide (NO), and NO/endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway is the key route of NO production. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether H2S can ameliorate the high blood pressure and plasma lipid profile in Nw-nitro-L-argininemethyl ester (L-NAME)-induced hypertensive rats by NO/eNOS pathway.

METHODSThirty-six 4-week old Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats were randomly assigned to 6 groups (n = 6): control group, L-NAME group, control + glibenclamide group, control + NaHS group, L-NAME + NaHS group, and L-NAME + NaHS + glibenclamide group. Measurements were made of plasma triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (CHO), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT) levels after 5 weeks. Then measurements of NO level and proteins expression of eNOS, P-eNOS, AKT, P-AKT were made in liver tissue.

RESULTSAfter 5 weeks of L-NAME treatment, the blood pressure, plasma TG ((1.22±0.12) mmol/L in L-NAME group vs. (0.68±0.09) mmol/L in control group; P < 0.05) and LDL ((0.54±0.04) mmol/L in L-NAME group vs. (0.28±0.02) mmol/L in control group; P < 0.05) concentration were significantly increased, and the plasma HDL ((0.26±0.02) mmol/L in L-NAME group vs. (0.69±0.07) mmol/L in control group; P < 0.05) concentration significantly decreased. Meanwhile the rats treated with L-NAME exhibit dysfunctional eNOS, diminished NO levels ((1.36±0.09) mmol/g protein in L-NAME group vs. (2.34±0.06) mmol/g protein in control group; P < 0.05) and pathological changes of the liver. H2S therapy can markedly decrease the blood pressure ((37.25±4.46) mmHg at the fifth week; P < 0.05), and ameliorate the plasma TG ((0.59±0.06) mmHg), LDL ((0.32±0.04) mmHg), and HDL ((0.46±0.03) mmHg) concentration in L-NAME + NaHS group (all P < 0.05). H2S therapy can also restore eNOS function and NO bioavailability and attenuate the pathological changes in the liver in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats.

CONCLUSIONH2S protects the L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats against liver injury via NO/ eNOS pathway, therefore decreases the cardiovascular risk.

Animals ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; therapeutic use ; Hypertension ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; toxicity ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and pathogen types of viral diarrhea in children under 5 years of age in Shandong province, and provide reference for the prevention and control of viral diarrhea. Methods: A total of 1 017 fecal samples were collected from all children aged 5 years and younger with diarrhea who were admitted to the sentinel hospital of Shandong province from 2012 to 2017 within 3 days. Rotavirus antigen was detected by using an ELISA method . Rotavirus G/P typing was performed by RT-PCR; Norovirus (GI and GII), Sapovirus, and Astrovirus were detected by multiplex RT-PCR, and adenovirus was detected by PCR. Results: In the 1 017 fecal specimens, the overall positive rate was 51.62% (525/1017), and viral nucleic acids were detected in at least 421 samples, and mixed virus infection was found in 104 sampes. The mixed infection accounted for 10.23% (104/1017) of all infections. The positive detection rates of Rotavirus, Calicivirus, Adenovirus and Astrovirus were 34.22% (348/1017), 16.91% (172/1017), 2.56% (26/1017), and 9.64% (98/1017)). The total detection rate of diarrhea virus and the detection rate of Rotavirus were the highest at 12 to 17 months of age, which was 51.72% (105/203) and 20.20% (41/203), respectively. The positive rate of diarrhea in children aged 2 years and younger was 49.36% (502/1017), which was much higher than the positive rate of diarrhea in children over 2 years old (2.26% (23/1017)). The peak of viral diarrhea was found to occur between November and April of the following year. The genotype of rotavirus was dominated by G9 (82.76%), the P genotype was dominated by P[8] (80.46%), and the G/P combination was dominated by G9P[8] (83.87%). Norovirus was the main infection in the Calicivirus (87.21%). Conclusions From 2012 to 2017, viral diarrhea in children under 5 years of age in Shandong Province was mainly caused by Rotavirus infection, followed by Norovirus. The overall prevalence of viral diarrhea in Shandong was moderate in China, and autumn and winter were the main epidemic season for viral diarrhea.