Objective To explore the relationship between the extent of coronary artery lesions and plasma brain natriurefic peptide(BNP)levels in the patients with coronary artery disease(CAD)except for congestive heart failure(CHF).Method Seventy CAD patients without CHF evidenced by dinical manifestation and coronary arte- riography(CAG)from Cardiology Depamnent of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine,China,were enrolled in the study.These patients were diagnozed under coronary arteriography(CAG) during March to May of 2007.They were divided into 3 groups:stable angina goup(24 patients),unstable angina group(25 patients),myocardial infarction group(21 patients).Twenty patients without coronary history and with normal CAG served as controls.Plasma BNP concentrations were measured with ELASA before CAG.The coronary lesion vessels and scores were estimated after CAG.The relationship between BNP levels and the coronary lesion vessels,as well as scores in CAD was analyzed.The data were expressed as(x±s)and was analyzed by using 2 independent samples test and spearman correlation with SPSS 13.0.A P value less than 0.01 indicated statistical significance.Results The plasma BNP concentrations in the patients,especially in the patients with myocardial infarction,were significantly higher than those in the controls.Spearman analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between the BNP levels and coronary lesion vessels(r1=0.309,P=0.01),also between BNP and coronary lesion score(r2=0.279,P=0.01).Conclusions In the patients without congestive heart failure,the more serious the coronary artery lesions,the higher the plasma BNP concentrations were.The degree of myocardial ischemia caused by coronary artery lesions was correlated with the plasma BNP level.Plasma BNP concentration could be valuable for the extent of coronary artery lesions in the patients of coronary artery disease.

To improve the stability and gene-carried capability of gene-attached microbubbles, the method for manufacture of albumin microbubbles was modified and new gene-loaded microbubbles were synthesized by incorporated gene-PEI complex into the shell of microbubbles. Agarose gel electrophoresis and bacteria transformation showed that PEI had the ability to provide the protection of plasmid DNA from ultrasonic degradation. The new gene-loaded microbubbles exhibited excellent acoustical and hemorheological properties. Moreover, they could carry more plasmid DNA than gene-attached microbubbles. beta-galactosidase plasmid transfection into cardiac myocytes was performed by using ultrasound targeted destruction of new gene-loaded microbubbles or gene-attached microbubbles. Gene expression in cardiac myocytes was detected by beta-galactosidase in situ staining and quantitive assay. It was shown that beta-galactosidase activity in cardiac myocytes was enhanced 107-fold by ultrasonic destruction of gene-loaded microbubbles compared with naked plasmid transfection and new gene-loaded microbubbles resulted in 6.85-fold increase in beta-galactosidase activity compared with optimal transfection mediated by gene-attached microbubbles. These results suggested that ultrasonic destruction of the gene-loaded microbubbles can enhance the cardiac myocytes exogenous gene transfer efficiency significantly and new gene-loaded microbubbles is an efficient and safe gene delivery vehicle.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Genes, Reporter ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Imines ; Microbubbles ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Polyethylenes ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sonication ; Transfection ; methods ; beta-Galactosidase ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in patients with renal insufficiencies.

METHODSHRV blood and 24-hour urine prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) detection were detected in the following 4 groups of people: group A was a control group comprised of 20 normal individuals; group B had 20 patients with renal disease but exhibiting normal renal function; group C contained 20 patients with renal disease and compensatory renal function; group D had 20 patients demonstrating renal insufficiencies. The indices standard deviation of all NN intervals (SDNN), index of standard deviation of the averages of NN intervals (SDANN), mean of the standard deviation of all NN intervals performed on all 5-minute segments of the entire recording (SDNNindex), square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals (rMSSD) and NN50 count divided by the total number of all NN intervals (PNN50) were used to evaluate HRV, blood and 24-hour urine were determined by specific radioimmunoassay (RIA).

RESULTSPGE2 in blood and urine and HRV exactly within 24 hours in patients with renal insufficiencies, negatively correlated with worsening damage to renal function. There was a slight or moderate correlation between blood and urine PGE2 and the SDNNindex, SDANNindex, SDNN, rMSSD and PNN50 indices (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHRV and cardiac autonomic regulatory functions are decreased in the patients with renal insufficiencies, while lower levels of PGE2 may be a related factor.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Dinoprostone ; physiology ; Female ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Insufficiency ; physiopathology

Objective CR's advantages of flexibility are analysed, and its reasonable clinical use are evaluated. Methods To compare CR and general roentgenography. Results CR system is one of main X-ray photography. Conclusion Because of the unique advantages of CR, CR and DR will be still clinically equally important in the future for a long period of time.

AIM: To investigate the role of phosphoinositide pathway in the formation of pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy. METHODS: Cardiac hypertrophy was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats with coarctation of abdominal aorta, whole heart weight/body weight ratio was tested after 10 or 30 days of operation. Content of G?q/11 protein in left ventricle was detected by immunoblot analysis and concentration of IP 3 was measured by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: At 10 and 30 days, whole heart weight/body weight ratio of coarctation aorta (CA) group was higher than that of sham-operated (SO) rats ( P 0.05). At 10 days, the level of IP 3 significantly increased in left ventricle of CA rats compared with the control animals ( P

AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the signal transduction systems were activated at the molecular atrial tissue level in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and whether atrial expression of extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) and protein phosphatases is altered. METHODS: Atrial tissue sample of 30 patients undergoing cardiac surgery were examined. 20 patients had AF, 10 patients had no history of AF. The mRNA expression of calcineurin B and MKP-1 were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. ERK1 and phospho-ERK1 were analyzed at the protein level by Western blot. RESULTS: Western blot analysis showed that atrial fibrillation did not induce significant change in ERK1 expression level in the left atrium. In contrast , phospho-ERK1 content was increased in the patients with AF in comparison with those who had sinus rhythm (SR). The mRNA expression of calcineurin B and MKP-1 in the patients with AF were significantly higher than that in patients with SR. CONCLUSION: The activation of extracellular-signal regulated kinase and protein phosphatases may have correlation with the initiation or maintenance of atrial fibrillation.

AIM: To explore the relationship between the alteration in gene expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca~(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) and phospholamban (PLB) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: 294 samples of total RNA were obtained from the tissue of ventriculum , aortic smooth muscle, liver and kidney in SHR and normotensive rats (WKY). RNA array was used to determine the mRNA levels of SERCA and PLB. RESULTS: Compared with age-matched WKY rats, the systolic blood pressure increased higher in 6-week-old SHR (P

AIM: To investigate the electrophysiological changes of diabetic myocardium and effects of cyclovirobuxine D (CVB-D) on its electrophysiology. METHODS: Diabetes was induced in male SD rats, using a single injection of alloxan into tail vein. Untreated age-matched animals were used as controls. Animal electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded by 2 weeks. Effects of CVB-D on isolated right ventricular papillary muscle from experimental diabetic rats and control group were observed by recording the transmembrane potentials with conventional glass microelectrodes. RESULTS: QT intervals in ECG and action potential duration (APD) at all levels were significantly lengthened in myocardium from week 2 of diabetes. Within the concentration of 13.3-63.3 ?mol?L~(-1), CVB-D prologated APD of diabetes in dose-dependent manner and more than that of control. Within the concentration of 33.3-63.3 ?mol?L~(-1), CVB-D depressed RP, APA, V_(max) and OS of diabetes in dose-dependent way and more than that of control. In addition, CVB-D at concentration of 20 ?mol?L~(-1) prologated APD in a time-dependent manner. The most prologation of APD was attained about 40 min in control, while more than 40 min in diabetes. CONCLUSION: The results show that QT intervals in ECG and APD at all levels are significantly lengthened in myocardium from week 2 of diabetes. CVB-D prolongates APD and inhibits RP, APA, OS and V_(max) more in diabetes than in control.

AIM:To investigate the alterations of phospholamban(PLB)expression and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum(SR)Ca 2+-ATPase activity,and the change of cardiac function in rats with diabetes mellitus(DM).METHODS:The diabetes mellitus in male Wistar rats was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.The levels of PLB mRNA and PLB protein,the activity of SR Ca 2+-ATPase and the left ventricular hemodynamics parameters were measured 4 weeks,6 weeks and 8 weeks after DM was induced in rats,while the normal rats served as control group.RESULTS:There was no significant difference in PLB mRNA level and protein level between 4-week-DM rats and normal control rats.6-week-DM rats and 8-week-DM rats had markedly increased PLB mRNA and protein level compared with normal control rats.SR Ca 2+-ATPase activity was not significantly changed in 4-week-DM rats compared with normal control rats,and was markedly depressed in 6-week-DM rats and 8-week-DM rats.LVSP,LVEDP and ?dp/dt max were not significantly changed in 4-week-DM rats compared with normal control rats.In 6-week-DM rats and 8-week-DM rats,LVSP and ?dp/dt max were decreased,LVEDP was increased compared with normal control rats.CONCLUSION:The elevated levels of PLB mRNA and PLB protein contribute to SR Ca 2+-ATPase activity reduction,which leads to cardiac dysfunction in DM rats.

Objecitve To explore whether phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) activation via G protein in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is altered in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).Methods The VSMCs derived from aortae of SHR and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were loaded for 48 hours with myo-［3H］ inositol. Inositol phosphate release was initiated by the addition of 10-5 mol/L norepinephrine in intact cells or by guanosine 5'-0-(3-thio-trisphosphate) (GTP gamma S) in permeabilized cells. In the meantime, growth arrested VSMCs were stimulated by 10% calf serum for 0, 30, 45, or 60 min, then gene expressions of Gq alpha subunit (G alpha q) were observed.Results There were no significant differences in inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) level and expression of G alpha q mRNA between quiescent VSMCs from SHR and that from WKY. When stimulated by norepinephrine, IP3 production increased transiently with a peak level at 10 s in VSMCs from WKY, and a rapid biphasic IP3 response, which was significantly higher than that of WKY, in VSMCs from SHR had been observed. G proteins activated by GTP gamma S significantly raised IP3 production in VSMCs from SHR compared to WKY (SHR vs WKY: 234.8%±29.2% vs 142.4%±12.0% of basal IP3, P<0.05). In addition, the serum effect showed an significant increase in expression of G alpha q mRNA in VSMCs from SHR.Conclusions The hereditary factors are not the only variable regulating IP3 metabolism and G alpha q gene expression. Influences of multi-environmental factors such as vasoactive compounds, together with genetic predisposition, palys an important role in the highly sensitive response of IP3 production and G alpha q gene over-expression in SHR.