ABSTRACT
AIM:To analyze the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide ( NT-proBNP ) level in the patients with stable coronary artery disease . METHODS:The patients with chest pain ( n=115) admitted to our hospital underwent coronary artery computer tomo-graphy and further underwent coronary angiography for confirming whether they had coronary artery disease .EAT thickness was evaluated at the right ventricular free wall imaged by coronary artery computer tomography .Plasma NT-proBNP level was examined by an automatic biochemistry analyzer .RESULTS:Eighty-one patients were confirmed to have stable coro-nary artery disease and thirty-four patients were excluded to have coronary artery disease .Left ventricular ejection fraction of these patients of 2 groups were all normal.The natural logarithm of plasma NT-proBNP level [ln(NT-proBNP)] of the patients with stable coronary artery disease was significantly higher than that of the patients without coronary artery disease (P<0.05).EAT thickness of the patients with stable coronary artery disease was also higher than that of the patients with -out coronary artery disease(P<0.05).EAT thickness was related to ln(NT-proBNP) positively (P<0.05).After adjust-ment of related impact factors , EAT thickness was still related to ln (NT-proBNP) positively (P<0.05).Multiple-factor regression analysis showed that EAT thickness was the independent influence factor on LnNT -proBNP (P<0.05).CON-CLUSION:EAT thickness and plasma NT-proBNP level are both increased significantly and is related to each other in the patients with stable coronary artery disease .
ABSTRACT
Mechanical properties and biological evaluation of buffalo horn material were examined in this study. The effects of sampling position of buffalo horn on mechanical properties were investigated with uniaxial tension and micron indentation tests. Meanwhile, the variation of element contents in different parts of buffalo horn was determined with elemental analysis, and the microstructure of the horn was measured with scanning electron microscopy. In addition, biological evaluation of buffalo horn was studied with hemolytic test, erythrocyte morphology, platelet and erythrocyte count, and implantation into mouse. Results showed that the buffalo horn had good mechanical properties and mechanical characteristic values of it gradually increased along with the growth direction of the horn, which may be closely related to its microstructure and element content of C, N, and S in different parts of the buffalo horn. On the other hand, because the buffalo horn does not have toxicity, it therefore does not cause hemolysis of erythrocyte and has a good affinity with it. Buffalo horn has good histocompatibility but meanwhile it may induce the platelet adhesion and aggregation. Even so, it does not continue to rise to induce a large number of platelet to aggregate with resulting blood clotting. Therefore, the buffalo horn material has been proved to possess good blood compatibility according to the preliminary evaluation.