Overview of pharmacological treatment of heart failure in chronic Keshan disease / 中华地方病学杂志

Keshan disease is an endemic cardiomyopathy of unclear cause.The major clinical manifestations are cardiac dysfunction and arrhythmia.Based on time course of onset and cardiac function of a suffering patient,Keshan disease is generally classified into four types:acute,sub-acute,chronic and latent types.This article elaborates on the pharmacological mechanisms and dosages of drug treatment for heart failure:diuretics,neurohormonal antagonists,ivabradine,positive inotropic drugs,vasodilators,etc,in order to provide basis for clinical treatment of chronic Keshan disease.

Effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide on the expressions of caspase-3 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein after cerebral hy0oxia-ischemia in neonatal rats / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective To observe the effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) on the expressions of caspase-3 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in neonatal rats and to investigate its neuroprotection and effective dose. Methods Sixty neonatal rats were randomly allocated to one of three groups: sham operation, saline control and PACAP groups. The PACAP group was redivided into high (10-8 mol), medium (10-9 mol) and low (10-12 mol) dose groups. An animal model of HIBD was established. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain re-action method was used to detect the expressions of caspase-3 mRNA and XIAP mRNA on af-fected side of brain 24 hours after HIBD in neonatal rats, and spectrophotometry was used to detect the activities of caspase-3. Results Twenty-four hours after HIBD, caspase-3 mRNA expression and enzyme activity, as well as XIAP mRNA expression in the saline control group were increased significantly compared to the sham operation group (all P <0.01). Caspase-3 mRNA expression and enzyme activity in all the PACAP groups were significantly lower than those in the saline control group (all P <0.01), while XIAP mRNA expression was significantly higher than that in the saline control group (all P < 0.01 ). Conclusions PACAP may upregu-late XIAP mRNA expression, inhibit caspase-3 mRNA expression and enzyme activity. It has neuroprotective effect on HIBD in neonatal rats, and it is effective with high, medium and low doses.