ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the changes treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), and its signal transduction pathway.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Atrial tissues were obtained from 47 patients with RHD undergoing cardiac surgery. The mRNA of ACE2 and ACE were semi-qualified by RT-PCR and normalized to the gene beta-actin. Western blot analysis was employed to examine the expressions of ACE2, ACE, ERK1/2 and phosphorylated ERK (pERK1/2). The atrial tissue angiotensin II (Ang II) content was determined by radioimmunoassay detection.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of ACE2 was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), the expression of ACE and pERK1/2 were significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the level of atrial tissue Ang II was significantly increased in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation group (CAF) compared with sinus rhythm group (SR) (P < 0.05). Compared with CAF patients treated without ACEI, the expression of ACE2 significantly increased (P < 0.01), and the relative activity of ERK1/2 significantly decreased (P < 0.05), whereas the expression of ACE and the level of atrial tissue Ang II remained unchanged in CAF patients treated with ACEI.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The study suggested that the dysequilibrium of ACE/ACE2 might play an important role in the process of atrial fibrillation, which may be related to the activation of ERK1/2 pathway. The clinical effect of long-term treatment of ACEI maybe associated with elevated ACE2 expression but not ACE expression.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors , Therapeutic Uses , Atrial Fibrillation , Drug Therapy , Metabolism , Heart Atria , Metabolism , Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 , Metabolism , Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 , Metabolism , Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A , Metabolism , RNA, Messenger , Metabolism , Signal TransductionABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate serum-vascular endothelial growth factor (S-VEGF) in the differentiation of solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum level of VEGF of 68 patients with SPN was measured by ELISA kit, and compared with the control group of 20 normal subjects. The nodules were diagnosed by operation and pathology.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median level of S-VEGF was 42.5 (range from 10 to 170) pg/ml in the control, 44 (range from 18 to 360) pg/ml in benign nodule group and 75 (range from 18 to 890) pg/ml in lung cancer group, with significant difference observed between the nodule group and control (P < 0.01), and between the lung cancer group and the benign nodule group (P < 0.05), but not between the benign nodule group and the control. In addition, when S-VEGF in different pathologic types of the limited number of lung cancer patients were compared, no significant difference was observed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>S-VEGF is valuable in the differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodule. An elevated S-VEGF level >or= 100 pg/ml in patients with SPN may strongly speak for a malignant nodule. Operation is suggested.</p>