Objective To explore the relationship between hypothyroidism and myocardial injury in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) by 99Tcm-MIBI SPECT/18 F-FDG PET and late-gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI-LGE).Methods Sixty-three consecutive patients (42 males and 21 females,(52±11) years) with IDC were enrolled from October 2010 to December 2012.Serum TT3,TT4,FT3,FT4 and TSH were determined using a fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay.All patients underwent 99Tcm-MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECT/18F-FDG myocardial metabolism PET imaging and cMRI-LGE.Seventeen segments model was used for segmental analysis.Patterns of perfusion/metabolism were classified as normal,mismatch,mild-to-moderate match and complete match.cMRI-LGE was classified into 3 categories (non-LGE,mid-wall LGE and transmural LGE).x2 test was used for data analysis.Results All patients were divided into euthyroid group (n =53) and hypothyroidism group (n =10) according to the levels of serum thyroid hormones.The percentage of normal perfusion/metabolism segments in the euthyroid group was apparently higher than that in the hypothyroidism group:71.8％ (647/901) vs 57.6％ (98/170),x2 =13.50,P＜0.001 ; whereas the percentage of perfusion/metabolism mismatch segments in the euthyroid group was significantly lower than that in the hypothyroidism group:17.8％ (160/901) vs 31.2％ (53/170),x2=16.20,P＜0.001.The euthyroid group had a higher percentage of non-LGE segments (88.0％ (793/901) vs 69.4％ (118/170),x2 =35.70,P＜0.001) and a lower percentage of mid-wall LGE segments (4.8 ％ (43/901) vs 24.1％ (41 / 170),x2 =74.70,P＜ 0.001) compared to hypothyroidism group.Conclusions Hypothyroidism has a detrimental effect on myocardium.99Tcm-MIBI SPECT/18F-FDG PET imaging is sensitive in detecting viable/ischemia myocardium,and cMRI-LGE is good at detecting moderate fibrosis.Combining SPECT/PET imaging and cMRI-LGE for assessing myocardial injury would provide more comprehensive information.

Objective:To observe the expression of noggin mRNA in the hippocampus of rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, and explore the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at the " baihui" and " dazhui" acupoints on their learning and memory and on hippocampal neurogenesis.Methods:In total, 120 Sprague-Dawley rats had cerebral hypoperfusion induced by permanent bilateral ligation of the common carotid artery. The 104 successfully induced were divided at random into a model group and an EA group, each of 52. The EA group was given EA on the baihui and dazhui acupoints for 20 minutes daily for seven days followed by a two-day break. The output current was 1mA at 15Hz. No special treatment was given to the model group. After one, two, four and six weeks of treatment, 6 rats were given BrdU injections to observe the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Learning and memory were assessed using the Morris Water Maze. The expression of noggin mRNA and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus were measured using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reactions and immunohistochemistry.Results:After one, two and five weeks of intervention, the average learning and memory ability of the EA group were significantly better than those of the control group. The average expression of noggin mRNA was significantly higher in the EA group than in the model group at the same time points. Compared with the model group, there were more BrdU-positive cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus in the EA group, and the number decreased with the prolongation of ischemia. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the levels of noggin mRNA in the hippocampus of both groups were positively correlated with their number of BrdU-positive cells. The correlation was stronger in the EA group than in the model group.Conclusions:Electroacupuncture can promote hippocampal neurogenesis in rats with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion by regulating the expression of hippocampal noggin mRNA, thereby improving their spatial learning and memory ability.