Objective:To investigate the effect of IL-37 on oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL)-induced calcification in human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells(HA-SMCs)and the influence of toll-like receptor(TLR)/nuclear transcription factor(NF-κB)pathway and osteogenic transcription factors,to demonstrate the mechanism of IL-37 in calcification.Methods:The calcifica-tion model of HA-SMCs was treated with ox-LDL,and the model group was pretreated with 100 ng/ml IL-37 or 100 μmol/L PDTC.CCK8 was used to detect cell proliferation activity;flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis.Alizarin red staining was used to detect calcified nodules.The mRNA levels of smooth muscle actin(SMA),bone morphogenetic protein(BMP2)and IL-37 were detected by qPCR;mRNA and protein expression levels of TLR,NF-κB,p-NF-κB,RUNX-associated transcription factor(RUNX2),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),SMA and smooth muscle 22α(SM22α)were detected by qPCR and Western blot.Results:Compared with the control group,ox-LDL treatment enhanced cellular proliferation activity and was concentration-dependent(P<0.05),and apoptosis rate was increased,while the model group produced significant orange-red calcified nodules,up-regulated mRNA and protein expres-sion of inflammatory factors such as TLR and NF-κB,up-regulated mRNA expression of IL-37,RUNX2,BMP2,ALP,while SMA and SM22α mRNA expressions were decreased,and the protein expressions of p-NF-κB and RUNX2 were increased significantly;compared with the modeling group,the IL-37 pretreatment group showed lower viability and decreased apoptosis rate(P<0.05),sig-nificantly reduced calcified nodules,and the mRNA and protein expression of inflammatory factors such as TLR and NF-κB,and mRNA of RUNX2,BMP2,ALP expressions were downregulated,mRNA expression of SMA and SM22α were elevated,and protein expressions of p-NF-κB and RUNX2 were significantly decreased,showing the same trend as the inhibitor PDTC group in cytokines.Conclusion:IL-37 inhibits calcification of HA-SMCs,which may be related to the inhibition of NF-κB pathway and osteogenic pheno-type transformation.

Objective:To investigate the effect of IL-37 on oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL)-induced calcification in human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells(HA-SMCs)and the influence of toll-like receptor(TLR)/nuclear transcription factor(NF-κB)pathway and osteogenic transcription factors,to demonstrate the mechanism of IL-37 in calcification.Methods:The calcifica-tion model of HA-SMCs was treated with ox-LDL,and the model group was pretreated with 100 ng/ml IL-37 or 100 μmol/L PDTC.CCK8 was used to detect cell proliferation activity;flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis.Alizarin red staining was used to detect calcified nodules.The mRNA levels of smooth muscle actin(SMA),bone morphogenetic protein(BMP2)and IL-37 were detected by qPCR;mRNA and protein expression levels of TLR,NF-κB,p-NF-κB,RUNX-associated transcription factor(RUNX2),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),SMA and smooth muscle 22α(SM22α)were detected by qPCR and Western blot.Results:Compared with the control group,ox-LDL treatment enhanced cellular proliferation activity and was concentration-dependent(P<0.05),and apoptosis rate was increased,while the model group produced significant orange-red calcified nodules,up-regulated mRNA and protein expres-sion of inflammatory factors such as TLR and NF-κB,up-regulated mRNA expression of IL-37,RUNX2,BMP2,ALP,while SMA and SM22α mRNA expressions were decreased,and the protein expressions of p-NF-κB and RUNX2 were increased significantly;compared with the modeling group,the IL-37 pretreatment group showed lower viability and decreased apoptosis rate(P<0.05),sig-nificantly reduced calcified nodules,and the mRNA and protein expression of inflammatory factors such as TLR and NF-κB,and mRNA of RUNX2,BMP2,ALP expressions were downregulated,mRNA expression of SMA and SM22α were elevated,and protein expressions of p-NF-κB and RUNX2 were significantly decreased,showing the same trend as the inhibitor PDTC group in cytokines.Conclusion:IL-37 inhibits calcification of HA-SMCs,which may be related to the inhibition of NF-κB pathway and osteogenic pheno-type transformation.

Objective To analyze the antihypertensive compliance rate,drug use and complication distribution among very old hypertensive inpatients under the antihypertensive standard of 150/90 mm Hg in our country(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa).Methods A total of 409 hospitalized patients aged ≥80 years and diagnosed with hypertension in all departments of Air Force Medical Center of PLA were enrolled,and according to their clinical outcomes,they were divided into intensive antihypertensive group(106 cases,SBP＜130 mm Hg),standard antihypertensive group(155 ca-ses,SBP 130-149 mm Hg)and non-standard blood pressure group(148 cases,SBP ≥150 mm Hg).The status of blood pressure control was analyze in each group.Results When 150/90 mm Hg was used as the blood pressure standard,25.9％were in the intensive blood pressure group,37.9％were in the standard blood pressure group,36.2％were in the non-standard blood pressure group.The proportion of patients aged＞90 years was significantly lower in the non-standard blood pressure group than the intensive antihypertensive group and the standard anti-hypertensive group(4.1％vs 7.5％and 12.3％,P＜0.05).The ratio of single-drug therapy was significantly higher in the standard antihypertensive group than the intensive antihypertensive group(46.5％vs 32.1％,P＜0.05),and that of dual combination therapy was obviously higher in the intensive antihypertensive group than the standard antihypertensive group(35.8％vs 22.6％,P＜0.05).The proportions of heart damage and cerebrovascular damage were significantly higher(43.4％vs 21.9％,26.4％vs 14.8％),and the proportion of complicated retinopathy was notably lower(11.3％vs 23.9％)in the intensive antihypertensive group than the standard antihypertens-ive group(P＜0.05).Conclusion For very old hypertensive patients in our country,it is more sci-entific and practical to use 150/90 mm Hg as the starting standard for blood pressure reduction.Intensified blood pressure reduction increases cardiovascular and cerebrovascular damages in them instead.

Objective:To explore the application value of quantitative flow ratio (QFR) in the hemodynamic evaluation of myocardial bridge and to preliminarily evaluate the correlation and related influencing factors between deformation quantitative flow ratio (D-QFR) and QFR.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study. Patients with CAG-confirmed simple myocardial bridge of the middle anterior descending coronary artery from June 2012 to June 2022 at the Air Force Medical Center were retrospectively included in this study. Systolic stenosis of mural coronary arteries (MCA) and myocardial bridge length were measured using quantitative coronary angiography. The patients were divided into mild stenosis group (<50% systolic stenosis) and moderate-to-severe stenosis group (≥50% systolic stenosis) according to the Nobel grading criteria. At different time periods (systolic and diastolic), the QFR values were measured at 3 locations (1 to 2 cm before the MCA entrance, the middle segment of the MCA, and 1 to 2 cm after the MCA exit), denoted as QFRa, QFRb, and QFRc, respectively, and the D-QFR values, incorporating vessel deformation information, were recorded. The MCA distal QFR≤0.8 in either stage was defined as an abnormal QFR value. QFR values were compared between the two groups at different locations and within each group. Factors associated with abnormal QFR values were analysed using multifactorial logistic regression. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between D-QFR values and systolic and diastolic QFR values.Multiple linear regression was used to analyse the factors associated with D-QFR.Results:A total of 83 patients were enrolled, including 58 males, aged (57.1±13.1) years. There were 48 cases in the mild stenosis group and 35 cases in the moderate-to-severe stenosis group, and the differences in systolic and diastolic QFRb and QFRc values between the two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Within-group comparisons showed the values of QFRb and QFRc in the systolic phase were lower than those in the diastolic phase; QFRb and QFRc were both lower than QFRa during the same period (all P<0.05). Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that MCA systolic stenosis ( OR=1.225, 95% CI 1.093-1.372, P<0.001) was an influential factor for abnormal QFR. D-QFR values were positively correlated with both systolic and diastolic QFR values (correlation coefficients were 0.849 and 0.675, respectively, both P<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that D-QFR values were negatively correlated with age ( β=-0.208, P=0.029), systolic stenosis ( β=-0.500, P<0.001), and myocardial bridge length ( β=-0.211, P=0.036). Conclusions:The QFR values in middle and distal of myocardial bridge decrease. The systolic stenosis rate of myocardial bridge is an important factor affecting QFR value. D-QFR is positively correlated with both systolic and diastolic QFR values. Age, myocardial bridge systolic stenosis rate and length are factors influencing the D-QFR values.