Objective The effect of left atrial (LA) dimension on the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been examined in some small studies.Less is known about the relationship of LA dimension,hemodynamic with AF during echocardiographic evaluation,especially,the flow dynamics in LA poorly described.The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between LA dimension and the occurrence of AE Methods Two hundred and forty-five consecutive patients with heart disease scheduled to undergo open heart surgery were prospectively enrolled in the study.Patients were divided into 2 groups according to atrial fibrillation:AF group (n=148,99 men and 49 women,with a mean age 59.3+8.4 years),and no-AF group (n= 97,60 men and 37 womem).Echocardiography was performed before surgery.All measurements were performed following the American Society of Echocardiography recommendations.Results There were more patients with congestive heart failure in AF group than in no-AF group (45.9% vs 39.1%,P ＜0.05).The mean LA volume was 49.2±12.2 ml/m2 in AF group and 33.1±10.8 ml/m2 in no-AF group.There were also significant differences between two groups in left atrial end systolic dimension (LAESD) (50±13mm vs 27±14mm),left atrial end diastolic dimension (LAEDD) (79±17mm vs 53±13mm),PA pressure ( 41.3+11.6 mmHg vs 37.5±10.4 mmHg),and ratio of mitral E velocity and septal mitral annulus motion velocity (E/E') .The percentage of abnormal diastolic function grades (DGF) was also higher in AF than in no-AF group (89.9% versus 59.8% );.Conclusion Atrial fibrillation is associated more frequently with an increased LA dimension and more severe atrial hemodynamics disorder.(J Geriatr Cardiol 2008;5:11-4)

Objective:To investigate the current situation of the use of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for portal hypertension, which should aid the development of TIPS in China.Methods:The China Portal Hypertension Alliance (CHESS) initiated this study that comprehensively investigated the basic situation of TIPS for portal hypertension in China through network research. The survey included the following: the number of surgical cases, main indications, the development of Early-TIPS, TIPS for portal vein cavernous transformation, collateral circulation embolization, intraoperative portal pressure gradient measurement, commonly used stent types, conventional anticoagulation and time, postoperative follow-up, obstacles, and the application of domestic instruments.Results:According to the survey, a total of 13 527 TIPS operations were carried out in 545 hospitals participating in the survey in 2021, and 94.1% of the hospital had the habit of routine follow-up after TIPS. Most hospitals believed that the main indications of TIPS were the control of acute bleeding (42.6%) and the prevention of rebleeding (40.7%). 48.1% of the teams carried out early or priority TIPS, 53.0% of the teams carried out TIPS for the cavernous transformation of the portal vein, and 81.0% chose routine embolization of collateral circulation during operation. Most of them used coils and biological glue as embolic materials, and 78.5% of the team routinely performed intraoperative portal pressure gradient measurements. In selecting TIPS stents, 57.1% of the hospitals woulel choose Viator-specific stents, 57.2% woulel choose conventional anticoagulation after TIPS, and the duration of anticoagulation was between 3-6 months (55.4%). The limitation of TIPS surgery was mainly due to cost (72.3%) and insufficient understanding of doctors in related departments (77.4%). Most teams accepted the domestic instruments used in TIPS (92.7%).Conclusions:This survey shows that TIPS treatment is an essential part of treating portal hypertension in China. The total number of TIPS cases is far from that of patients with portal hypertension. In the future, it is still necessary to popularize TIPS technology and further standardize surgical indications, routine operations, and instrument application.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of a dual-crosslinked injectable hydrogel derived from acellular musclar matrix (AMM) for promoting myoblasts proliferation and myogenic differentiation. METHODS: Firstly, hyaluronic acid was oxidized with NaIO ₄ and methylated to prepare methacrylamidated oxidized hyaluronic acid (MOHA). Then, AMM obtained by washing enzymatically treated muscle tissue was aminolyzed to prepare aminated AMM (AAMM). MOHA hydrogel and AAMM were crosslinked using Schiff based reaction and UV radiation to prepare a dual-crosslinked MOHA/AAMM injectable hydrogel. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to characterize MOHA, AAMM, and MOHA/AAMM hydrogels. The injectability of MOHA/AAMM hydrogel were evaluated by manual injection, and the gelation performance was assessed by UV crosslinking. The rheological properties and Young's modulus of the hydrogel were examined through mechanical tests. The degradation rate of the hydrogel was assessed by immersing it in PBS. The active components of the hydrogel were verified using immunofluorescence staining and ELISA assay kits. The promotion of cell proliferation by the hydrogel was tested using live/dead staining and cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assays after co-culturing with C2C12 myoblasts for 9 days. The effect of the hydrogel on myogenic differentiation was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining and real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: FTIR spectra confirmed the successful preparation of MOHA/AAMM hydrogel. The hydrogel exhibited good injectability and gelation ability. Compared to MOHA hydrogel, MOHA/AAMM hydrogel exhibited higher viscosity and Young's modulus, a reduced degradation rate, and contained a higher amount of collagen (including collagen type Ⅰ and collagen type Ⅲ) as well as bioactive factors (including epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor 2, vascular endothelial growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor 1). The live/dead cell staining and CCK-8 assay indicated that with prolonged incubation time, there was a significant increase in viable cells and a decrease in dead cells in the C2C12 myoblasts within the MOHA/AAMM hydrogel. Compared with MOHA hydrogel, the difference was significant at each time point ( P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining and RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that the deposition of IGF-1 and expression levels of myogenic-related genes (including Myogenin, Troponin T, and myosin heavy chain) in the MOHA/AAMM group were significantly higher than those in the MOHA group ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION The MOHA/AAMM hydrogel prepared based on AMM can promote myoblasts proliferation and myogenic differentiation, providing a novel dual-crosslinked injectable hydrogel for muscle tissue engineering.
Hydrogels ; Hyaluronic Acid/pharmacology* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Cell Differentiation ; Myoblasts/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation