Objective To explore the value of plaque-to-aorta CT value ratio(standardized CT value)in differentiating coronary lipid and fibrous plaques,and to preliminarily analyze the stability of the cutoff.Methods Patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA)and intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)within 1 week were included.The plaque CT value was obtained by measuring the all,four and two short-axis planes,respectively.The CT value of the ascending aorta was measured and standardized(plaque-to-aorta CT value ratio).The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves of the standardized and the traditional CT values were drawn.Results A total of 60 patients with 74 plaques were included,35 lipid and 39 fibrous plaques were diagnosed by IVUS.The aorta CT value was significantly correlated with the plaque(r=0.420,P<0.01);the cutoffs for the CT value of all,four and two plaque slices were 55 HU,48 HU and 52 HU,respectively,and all there of the cutoffs of standardized CT value were 0.149;the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value(PPV)and negative predictive value(NPV)of four-slice traditional and standardized CT values to differentiate lipid and fibrous plaques were 69%,87%,83%,76%and 91%,82%,82%,91%,respectively.Conclusion Compared with traditional CT value,the standardized CT value can greatly improve the sensitivity and NPV in differentiating coronary lipid and fibrous plaques,while maintaining modest to high specificity and PPV.Furthermore,the cutoff is stable.

Recent insights collectively suggest the important roles of lysyl oxidase (LysOX) in the pathological processes of several acute and chronic neurological diseases, but the molecular regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Herein, we explore the regulatory role of LysOX in the seizure-induced ferroptotic cell death of neurons. Mechanistically, LysOX promotes ferroptosis-associated lipid peroxidation in neurons via activating extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK)-dependent 5-lipoxygenase (Alox5) signaling. In addition, overexpression of LysOX via adeno-associated viral vector (AAV)-based gene transfer enhances ferroptosis sensitivity and aggravates seizure-induced hippocampal damage. Our studies show that pharmacological inhibition of LysOX with β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) significantly blocks seizure-induced ferroptosis and thereby alleviates neuronal damage, while the BAPN-associated cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity could further be reduced through encapsulation with bioresponsive amorphous calcium carbonate-based nanocarriers. These findings unveil a previously unrecognized LysOX-ERK-Alox5 pathway for ferroptosis regulation during seizure-induced neuronal damage. Suppressing this pathway may yield therapeutic implications for restoring seizure-induced neuronal injury.

Objective To explore the significance of abnormal lipid metabolism induced by hypoxia in mice with pulmonary hypertension.Methods Thirty male C57BL/6 mice were chosen and were randomly divided into the model group and the control group, each consisting of 15 animals.The mice in the model group were exposed to chronic hypoxia for the development of hypoxic pul -monary hypertension model , and the mice in the control group were housed in the chamber at the normal ambient air .Right heart cathe-terization was used to measure right ventricular systolic pressure in the 2 groups, Masson method was used to observe the small pulmona-ry vascular vessel remodeling , and the ELISA method was used to detect levels of high density lipoprotein ( HDL-C) , cholesterol ( TC) and low density lipoprotein (LDL-C).The expressions of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR), low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) gene in the liver tissue were detected by real-time quantitative PCR.Results The right ventricular systolic pressure (40.12 ±8.22) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and right ventricular hypertrophy index (0.352 ± 0.050) in the model group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05).The pulmonary artery vascular wall of the model group was significantly thicker than that of the control group .The HDL-C level of the model group was (26.20 ±3.73) mg/dl, which was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05).There was no statistical significance in the levels of TC and

Objective: To study the features of spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection (SISMAD) by unexpected detection of renal artery dual-source CT (DSCT) imaging in hypertension patients. Methods: A total of 4107 patients with suspected secondary hypertension received renal artery DSCT examination in our hospital from 2010-03 to 2015-04 were studied and SISMAD was unexpectedly found in 12 patients. There were 3 patients with mild abdominal pain and the rest without obvious abdominal symptoms. The position and length, true and false lumens, detached tunica intimal flap and branch involvement of dissection, intestinal wall edema and ileus were recorded. Results: SISMAD in all 12 (0.3%) patients were found unexpectedly. Axial CT with post-processing technique clearly displayed the ruptured tunica intimal orifice, true and false lumens, detached intimal flap; the branches were all originated from true lumen. According to Sakamoto classification, all 12 patients were belong to Type I as the true and false lumens were with an entry and re-entry respectively, no filling defect in false lumen. The distance from orifice of dissection to root of abdominal aorta was (26.7 ± 11.3) mm and the length of dissection was (35.1 ± 11.7) mm.There were 10 patients with aneurysmal expansion with the diameter of (11.9 ± 2.5) mm. Conclusion: Unexpected detection of SISMAD by renal artery CT imaging was about 0.3%, radiologist should pay special attention to find superior mesenteric artery dissection in hypertension patients.

Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinal Cyst