Nifedipine attenuates vascular inflammation via inhibin NF-κB activity / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects and related mechanism of nifedipine on vascular inflammation induced by cuff placement.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Adult male C57BL/6J mice (10 to 12 weeks of age) were assigned to control (no cuff placement without nifedipine), cuff placement (cuff placement without nifedipine) and treatment (cuff placement with nifedipine 1 or 5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1)) groups. Activity of NF-κB in injured artery was measured 5 days after operation. MCP-1 expression and nuclear translocation of NF-κB were examined in injured artery 7 days after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>DNA-binding activity of NF-κB was significantly increased in the injured artery 5 days after cuff placement which could be downregulated by nifedipine 5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1). MCP-1 mRNA expression in the injured arteries was increased 7 days after cuff placement and which could be significantly attenuated by nifedipine 5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1). Cuff placement decreased the cytoplasmic level of p50, IκBα, IκBβ, and increased the nuclear level of p50. Nifedipine 5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1) significantly attenuated these changes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results suggest that high dose nifedipine could suppresses expression of MCP-1 induced by injured arteries via the inhibin NF-κB DNA binding activity, thereby attenuating vascular inflammation.</p>

Carotid remodeling of hypertensive subjects and polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>This study was designed to investigate the relationships between changes in the structure and function of carotid arteries and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism in Chinese hypertensive subjects.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Multiplex polymerase chain reaction amplification was used to evaluate the ACE gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism. High-resolution B-mode ultrasound examinations were performed to detect parameters of carotid artery remodeling.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Intima-media thickness (IMT) was significantly different among the DD, ID and II genotypes of ACE (DD > ID > II, P < 0.05). Carotid internal diameter, distensibility and stiffness were similar among the DD, ID and II genotypes of ACE (P > 0.05) in hypertensive subjects. The frequency of the DD gene and D allele of ACE were higher in patients with thickening carotid than in patients with normal carotid (70.4% vs 24.1%, and 79.5% vs 40.5%, respectively, P < 0.001). In multiple stepwise regression analysis, independent risk factors for increased carotid IMT in hypertensive subjects were ACE genotypes (P < 0.001), age (P < 0.001) and carotid internal diameter (P = 0.032). Moreover, triglycerides and total cholesterol were higher in patients with the DD genotype than in those with the II genotype (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The I/D polymorphism of the ACE gene was related to IMT, but not to internal diameter, distensibility and stiffness of the carotid in Chinese hypertensive subjects. ACE gene polymorphism was a main risk factor for increased carotid IMT. These results may imply that there is a link between lipid metabolism and ACE genotype polymorphism in Chinese hypertensive subjects.</p>