Objective:Percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)is one of the most important treatments for coronary artery disease(CAD).However,in-stent restenosis(ISR)after PCI is a serious complication without effective measures for prevention and treatment.This study aims to investigate the Ras-related protein 1A(Rap1A)level in ISR patients and in the tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)-induced inflammatory injury model of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs),to explore the role of Rap1A in regulating TNF-α-induced inflammation in HUVECs and to provide a new potential target for ISR prevention and treatment. Methods:A total of 60 CAD patients,who underwent PCI between December 2020 and July 2022 from the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of Xiangya Hospital,Central South University,and re-examined coronary angiography(CAG)1 year after the operation,were included.After admission,27 patients were diagnosed with ISR and 33 patients were diagnosed with non-in-stent restenosis(non-ISR)according to the CAG.Clinical data were collected,and the plasma Rap1A level was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).In cell experiments,an inflammatory injury model was established with TNF-α treatment(10 ng/mL,24 h)in HUVECs.The mRNA and protein expression levels of Rap1A,interlukin-6(IL-6),and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1)were measured by real-time reverse transcription PCR and Western blotting.Small interfering RNA(siRNA)was used to explore the role of Rap1A in regulating TNF-α-induced inflammation in HUVECs. Results:Compared with the non-ISR patients,a higher proportion of ISR patients had a history of smoking(P=0.005)and diabetes(P=0.028),and higher levels of glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)(P=0.012),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c)(P=0.014),and hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)(P=0.027).The remaining projects did not show significant differences(all P＞0.05).The plasma level of Rap1A in the ISR group was significantly higher than that in the non-ISR group[942.14(873.28 to 1 133.81)μg/mL vs 886.93(812.61 to 930.98)μg/mL;P=0.004].Diabetes,LDL-c,and Rap1A were risk factors for ISR by univariate logistic regression analysis(all P＜0.05).The mRNA and protein expression levels of inflammatory factors IL-6 and VCAM-1 were increased in HUVECs after 10 ng/mL TNF-α treatment for 24 h compared with the control group(all P＜0.05),while the mRNA and protein levels of Rap1A were increased(both P＜0.05).After inhibition of Rap1A in HUVECs,the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-6 and VCAM-1 were significantly decreased(all P＜0.05). Conclusion:The plasma Rap1A level was significantly elevated in patients with ISR,suggesting that Rap1A may be a potential biomarker for predicting ISR.In the TNF-α-induced HUVECs inflammatory injury model,the expression level of Rap1A was increased.The level of TNF-α-induced endothelial cell inflammation was decreased after inhibition of Rap1A expression,suggesting that Rap1A may be a potential target for the treatment of endothelial cell inflammation in ISR.

To investigate changes in the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and angiotensin (1-7) [Ang (1-7)] and to explore the role of ACE2-Ang (1-7)-Mas receptor axis in hypertension with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF).
 Methods: A total of 70 patients with primary hypertension and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF>50%) were recruited and patients were divided into a hypertension group (HBP) and a heart failure with preserved ejection fraction group (HFpEF) according to the diagnostic criteria of HFpEF. Thirty-five healthy participants were selected randomly as a control group. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) method was used to detect concentration of Ang (1-7), ACE2, angiotensin II (Ang II), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in plasma. Male Sprague- Dawley (SD) rats was randomly divided into 2 groups: An HFpEF group (n=16) and a sham group (n=8). Rats (n=8) in the AAC group were given Ang (1-7) [0.5 mg/(kg.d), intraperitoneally] for 6 weeks, and the rest were given equal dose normal saline. Then all the rats were killed, and the hearts were taken out for hematoxylineosin (HE) staining. The protein expressions of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, and Mas receptor were detected by Western blot.
 Results: The BNP and Ang II were significantly increased in the HBP group and the HFpEF group compared with the control group (P<0.01). There were not significantly different in levels of ACE2 and Ang (1-7) between the HBP group and control group (P>0.05), whereas those levels were significantly increased in the HFpEF group compared with the HBP group and control group (P<0.01). HE staining showed obvious hypertrophy of myocardial cell in the AAC group compared with the sham group. Hypertrophy of myocardial cell in the AAC+Ang (1-7) group was significantly higher than that in the AAC group. Expressions of ACE, ACE2, and Mas receptor proteins were significantly higher in the AAC group than those in the sham group (P<0.05), while the expressions of ACE2 and Mas receptor proteins in the AAC+Ang (1-7) group were significantly higher than those in the AAC group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the ACE protein expression between groups (P>0.05).
 Conclusion: ACE2 and Ang (1-7) are important predictive factors for the severity of heart failure and myocardial remodeling of HFpEF with hypertension; ACE2-Ang (1-7)-Mas receptor axis may play a protective role in preventing myocardial remodeling in HFpEF with hypertension.
Angiotensin I ; physiology ; Angiotensin II ; Animals ; Atrial Remodeling ; physiology ; Case-Control Studies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Heart Failure ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Peptide Fragments ; physiology ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; physiology ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Function, Left ; physiology ; Ventricular Remodeling ; physiology

OBJECTIVES: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the important methods for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). In-sent restenosis (ISR) after PCI for patients suffered from CAD is considered to be an essential factor affecting long-term outcomes and prognosis of this disease. This study aims to investigate the correlation between plasma Quaking (QKI) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) levels and ISR in patients with CAD. METHODS: A total of 218 consecutive CAD patients who underwent coronary angiography and coronary arterial stenting from September 2019 to September 2020 in the Department of Cardiology of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were enrolled in this study, and 35 matched individuals from the physical examination center were served as a control group. After admission, clinical data of these 2 groups were collected. Plasma QKI and COX-2 levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Follow-up angiography was performed 12 months after PCI. CAD patients were divided into a NISR group (n=160) and an ISR group (n=58) according to the occurrence of ISR based on the coronary angiography. The clinical data, coronary angiography, and stent features between the NISR group and the ISR group were compared, and multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the factors influencing ISR. The occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) 1 year after operation was recorded. Fifty-eight patients with ISR were divided into an MACE group (n=24) and a non-MACE group (n=34), classified according to the occurrence of MACE, and the plasma levels of QKI and COX-2 were compared between the 2 groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to analyze the diagnostic value of plamsa levels of QKI and COX-2 for ISR and MACE occurrences in patients after PCI. RESULTS: Compared with control group, plasma levels of QKI and COX-2 in the CAD group decreased significantly (all P<0.001). Compared with the NISR group, the plasma levels of QKI and COX-2 also decreased obviously in the ISR group (all P<0.001), while the levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc) significantly increased (all P<0.001). The level of COX-2 was negatively correlated with hs-CRP (r=-0.385, P=0.003). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that high level of plasma QKI and COX-2 were protective factors for in-stent restenosis after PCI, while hs-CRP was a risk factor. ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of plasma QKI for evaluating the predictive value of ISR were 77.5% and 66.5%, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of plasma COX-2 for evaluating the predictive value of ISR were 80.0% and 70.7%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of plasma QKI combined with COX-2 for evaluating the predictive value of ISR were 81.3% and 74.1%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of plasma QKI for evaluating the prognosis of ISR were 75.0% and 64.7%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of plasma COX-2 for evaluating the prognosis of ISR were 75.0% and 70.6%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of plasma QKI combined with COX-2 for prognostic evaluation of ISR were 81.7% and 79.4%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of plasma COX-2 combined with QKI for evaluating ISR and MACE occurrences in patients after PCI were better than those of COX-2 or QKI alone (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS High level of plasma QKI and COX-2 might be a protective factor for ISR, which can also predict ISR patient's prognosis.
C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Constriction, Pathologic/etiology* ; Coronary Angiography/adverse effects* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Restenosis/therapy* ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects* ; Risk Factors ; Stents/adverse effects*