Objective:To study the laxative effect of Xianchang tea in mice. Methods:The mice were randomly divided into the blank control group, the model control group, the low dose group, the medium dose group and the high dose group(2. 275 g·kg-1, 4. 55 g·kg-1 and 13. 65 g·kg-1). The mice were treated with 0. 9% normal saline solution or Xianchang tea through intragastric ad-ministration once a day for 14 days. The mice in the model control group and the three dose groups were established the constipation model with compound diphenoxylate. The weight of mice, small intestine motor and defecation effect after the 6-hour administration were observed. Results:The small intestine motor experiments showed that the ink-impelling ratio of the high dose group was increased (P<0. 05) and the time of the first ink defecation was shorter (P<0. 05). The feces weight in 4. 55 and 13. 65 g·kg-1 dose groups were increased (P<0. 05). The feces quantity of the three dose groups showed no significant difference when compared with that of the control group (P>0. 05). Conclusion:Xianchang tea has a positive laxative effect in mice.

Until recently, the role of lysosomal cysteine protease cathepsins in intracellular protein degradation was believed to be mainly restricted to scavenging. However, recent studies have revealed nontraditional roles for cysteine protease cathepsins in the extracellular space during the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. Although the precise mechanisms are unknown, data from animal studies suggest that members of the cathepsin family, like other extracellular proteases, contribute to extracellular matrix protein remodeling and interstitial matrix degradation, as well as to cell signaling and cell apoptosis in heart disease. Inflammatory cytokines and hormones regulate the expression and secretion of cathepsins in cultured cardiovascular cells and macrophages. Serum levels of cathepsins L, S, and K and their endogenous inhibitor cystatin C may be useful predictive biomarkers in patients with coronary artery disease and cardiac disease. Furthermore, in vivo pharmacological intervention with a synthetic cathepsin inhibitor and cardiovascular drugs (including statins and angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists) has the potential for pharmacologic targeting of cathepsins in cardiovascular disease. This review focuses on cathepsin biology (structure, synthesis, processing, activation, secretion, activity regulation, and function) and the involvement of cysteinyl cathepsins in the pathogenesis of several heart and vessel diseases, especially with respect to their potential application as diagnostic and prognostic markers and drug targets to prevent inappropriate proteolysis in cardiovascular disease.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Biomarkers ; Biology ; Cardiovascular Agents ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cathepsins ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Cystatin C ; Cysteine Proteases ; Cytokines ; Extracellular Matrix ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Extracellular Space ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Macrophages ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Proteolysis ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1

Objectives:To investigate the clinical value of contrast echocardiography in the detection of right heart space-occupying lesions. Methods:The imaging and clinical data of 39 patients with right heart space-occupying lesions confirmed by surgery,pathology and clinical treatment in Yanbian University Hospital from January 2019 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent contrast echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance(CMR)examinations.The contrast echocardiography features of right heart neoplastic from non-neoplastic occupying lesions were summarized.The diagnostic efficacy of contrast echocardiography and CMR in right heart space-occupying lesions was compared. Results:Among the 39 patients,12 patients(30.8%)were confirmed as thrombus and vegetation,6 patients(15.4%)as benign tumors and 21 patients(53.8%)as malignant tumors.There were 8,4,4 and 17 patients of thrombus,vegetation,benign tumor and malignant tumors located in right atrium,respectively.Contrast echocardiography was used to diagnose thrombus and vegetation in 12 patients(30.8%),benign tumors in 5 patients(12.8%),malignant tumors in 22 patients(56.4%).CMR was used to diagnose thrombus and vegetation in 18 patients(46.2%),benign tumors in 5 patients(12.8%),malignant tumors in 16 patients(41.0%).The Kappa coefficient between contrast echocardiography and clinical diagnosis was 0.956(P<0.001).The Kappa coefficient between CMR and clinical diagnosis was 0.754(P<0.001). Conclusions:Contrast echocardiography can dynamically observe the degree of vascularization in the lesion tissue in real-time,accurately distinguishing the nature of the right heart space-occupying lesions.

PURPOSE: Several studies have compared the effects of coronary stenting and coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) on left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease. However, there are limited data on the long-term outcomes of these two interventions in diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 56 patients with LMCA stenosis who underwent drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation and 116 patients who underwent CABG in a single hospital in China between January 2004 and December 2006. We compared long-term major adverse cardiac events (death; a "serious outcome" composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke; and target-vessel revascularization). RESULTS: In-hospital (30-day) mortality was 0% for the DES group and 3.4% for the CABG group (p=0.31). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of risk of death [hazard ratio for stenting group, 0.49; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.13-1.63; p=0.55] or risk of serious outcome (hazard ratio for DES group, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.39-1.45; p=0.47). The target-vessel revascularization rate was higher in the DES group than in the CABG group (hazard ratio, 3.67; 95% CI, 1.24-11.06; p=0.018). CONCLUSION: In this cohort of diabetic patients with LMCA stenosis, there was no difference in composite endpoints between patients receiving DESs and those undergoing CABG. However, stenting was associated with higher rates of target-vessel revascularization than CABG. DES implantation in diabetic patients with LMCA disease was found to be at least as safe as CABG.
Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary/*methods ; Coronary Stenosis/*therapy ; Diabetes Mellitus ; *Drug-Eluting Stents ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: Cathepsin K is a potent collagenase implicated in human and animal atherosclerosis-based vascular remodeling. This study examined the hypothesis that serum CatK is associated with the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2011 and December 2012, 256 consecutive subjects were enrolled from among patients who underwent coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention treatment. A total of 129 age-matched subjects served as controls. RESULTS: The subjects' serum cathepsin K and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured. The patients with CAD had significantly higher serum cathepsin K levels compared to the controls (130.8+/-25.5 ng/mL vs. 86.9+/-25.5 ng/mL, p<0.001), and the patients with acute coronary syndrome had significantly higher serum cathepsin K levels compared to those with stable angina pectoris (137.1+/-26.9 ng/mL vs. 102.6+/-12.9 ng/mL, p<0.001). A linear regression analysis showed that overall, the cathepsin K levels were inversely correlated with the high-density lipoprotein levels (r=-0.29, p<0.01) and positively with hs-CRP levels (r=0.32, p<0.01). Multiple logistic regression analyses shows that cathepsin K levels were independent predictors of CAD (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.56; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These data indicated that elevated levels of cathepsin K are closely associated with the presence of CAD and that circulating cathepsin K serves a useful biomarker for CAD.
Aged ; Biological Markers/blood ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism ; Cathepsin K/*blood ; Coronary Artery Disease/*blood/metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

PURPOSE: Cathepsin K is a potent collagenase implicated in human and animal atherosclerosis-based vascular remodeling. This study examined the hypothesis that serum CatK is associated with the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2011 and December 2012, 256 consecutive subjects were enrolled from among patients who underwent coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention treatment. A total of 129 age-matched subjects served as controls. RESULTS: The subjects' serum cathepsin K and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured. The patients with CAD had significantly higher serum cathepsin K levels compared to the controls (130.8+/-25.5 ng/mL vs. 86.9+/-25.5 ng/mL, p<0.001), and the patients with acute coronary syndrome had significantly higher serum cathepsin K levels compared to those with stable angina pectoris (137.1+/-26.9 ng/mL vs. 102.6+/-12.9 ng/mL, p<0.001). A linear regression analysis showed that overall, the cathepsin K levels were inversely correlated with the high-density lipoprotein levels (r=-0.29, p<0.01) and positively with hs-CRP levels (r=0.32, p<0.01). Multiple logistic regression analyses shows that cathepsin K levels were independent predictors of CAD (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.56; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These data indicated that elevated levels of cathepsin K are closely associated with the presence of CAD and that circulating cathepsin K serves a useful biomarker for CAD.
Aged ; Biological Markers/blood ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism ; Cathepsin K/*blood ; Coronary Artery Disease/*blood/metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged