Research progress on the role and mechanism of endothelial dysfunction in hyperhomocysteine-induced atherosclerosis / 生理学报

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is considered to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis are not fully understood. Endothelial dysfunction is a key initiating factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, which is commonly observed in almost all HHcy-induced vascular diseases. HHcy promotes oxidative stress, inhibits nitric oxide production, suppresses hydrogen sulfide signaling pathway, promotes endothelial mesenchymal transition, activates coagulation pathways, and promotes protein N-homocysteination and cellular hypomethylation, all of which can cause endothelial dysfunction. This article reviews the specific links between HHcy and endothelial dysfunction, and highlights recent evidence that endothelial mesenchymal transition contributes to HHcy-induced vascular damage, with a hope to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of HHcy-related vascular diseases.

Clinical Efficacy of Shensuyin in Treating Adult Viral Myocarditis with Syndrome of Insufficiency of Lung-Qi / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of Shensuyin in treating viralmyocarditis (VMC) with syndrome of insufficiency of lung-qi and the effect on levels of Th17 and Treg cells and relevant factors. Method: One hundred-four VMC cases were regaded as object of study and randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 52 cases in each group. Control group was treated with routine therapy by reference to ‘Chinese Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Heart Failure 2014’. In addition to the therapy of control group, observation group on the basis of treatment in the control group with Shensuyin, 1 dose/d, bid. One course of treatment was 8 weeks for both groups. Scores of Shensuyin, serum levels of Troponin I (cTnI) and cardiac free fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), heart function and total efficacy were compared for both groups. Flow cytometry was used to detect peripheral blood levels of Th17 and Treg cells for the two groups. Serum levels of interleukin (IL) -17, IL-21, IL-10 were detected in both groups. Result: After treatment, scores of syndrome of Yin and Yang deficiency (shortness of breath, fatigue, dull chest pain, bad breath, cough) of observation group were obviously lower than those of control group (PPPPPConclusion: In addition to the routine therapy of VMC, the efficacy of Shensuyin has a significant effect in treating VMC with syndrome of lung qi deficiency, and the regulatory effect on levels of Th17 and Treg cells and relevant factors may be one of the effective ways.