ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to investigate the role of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in empagliflozin (EMP) in treatment of heart failure and the related mechanisms. FGF21 knockout (FGF21 KO) and littermate wild-type (WT) mice induced by doxorubicin (Dox) were used to establish heart failure mouse model in vivo. The experiment process and animal welfare follow the regulations of Animal Ethics Committee of Hefei University of Technology strictly. The results suggest that Dox (5 mg·kg-1) induced typical heart failure symptoms in both WT and FGF21 KO mice. In WT mice, EMP (10 mg·kg-1) significantly improved Dox-induced cardiac atrophy, decreased myocardial systolic function, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction and shortened fraction; EMP treatment also significantly inhibited the increase of Dox-induced cardiotoxicity indexes (aspartate amino transferase, creatine kinase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase) in mice. Dox induced cardiac fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress were also significantly improved by EMP. However, in FGF21 KO mice, the therapeutic effects of EMP on heart failure was significantly inhibited. The results suggest that the function of EMP in treating heart failure partly depends on the presence of FGF21, and the mechanism may be related to the effect of FGF21 on improving fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To observe the analgesic effect of auricular point sticking therapy during the perioperative stage in the patients with partial lung resection.@*METHODS@#A total of 92 patients with partial lung resection were randomized into an auricular point group (31 cases, 1 case dropped off), the sham-auricular point group (30 cases) and a medication group (31 cases, 1 case dropped off). The routine medication for analgesia was provided in all of the three groups. In the auricular point group, 1 day before operation, the auricular point sticking therapy was applied at shenmen (TF@*RESULTS@#In 8, 16, 24, 48 h and 72 h after operation, VAS scores in the auricular point group were lower than those in the sham-auricular point group and the medication group separately (@*CONCLUSION@#Auricular point sticking therapy relieves perioperative pain, shortens analgesic time, releases anxious and depressive emotions and reduces postoperative adverse reaction in the patients with partial lung resection. The analgesic mechanism is probably related to the increase of plasma concentration of β-endorphin.