The effects of salidroside on the apoptosis pathway of myocardial cells in acute exhausted rats / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate whether salidroside (Sal) plays a part in protecting myocardial cell through reducing the myocardial ischemia and the apoptosis pathway of both death receptors and mitochondria in acute exhausted rats.@*METHODS@#Male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=6): control group(Con), acute exhaustive swimming group (EE), low-dose and high-dose Sal pre-treatment exhaustive swimming group (SLE, SHE). Rats were treated with Sal solution (15 or 30 mg/(kg·d)) or 0.9%NaCl (3 ml/(kg·d)) by intraperitoneal injection for 15 d, respectively. The Con group did not carry out swimming training. The next day after the end of intraperitoneal administration, the rats in EE, SLE and SHE group were forced to swim until they were exhausted followed the standard of Thomas. After the end of exhaustive exercise, the rats were anesthetized and the blood samples and hearts were collected immediately. The myocardial ischemia and hypoxia area and myocardial apoptosis index (AI) were also observed. Serum ischemia modified albumin (IMA), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) and myocardial cell Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) were determined. The expressions of myocardial TNF receptor superfamily member 6 (Fas), cytochrome C (Cyto-c), aspartate proteolytic enzyme-3(Caspase-3), aspartate proteolytic enzyme-8(Caspase-8), and aspartate proteolytic enzyme-9(Caspase-9) were detected.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the Con group, the myocardial ischemia and hypoxia area in EE group was increased significantly. The serum levels of IMA, cTnI and BNP, AI and Bax levels and cardiac Fas, Cyto-C, Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 protein expressions of EE group were also increased significantly (P＜0.01), while the protein expression of Bcl-2 in cardiac tissues was decreased significantly (P＜0.01). Compared with the EE group, the myocardial ischemia and hypoxia area, serum levels of IMA, cTnI and BNP, AI and Bax levels, and the protein expressions of cardiac Fas, Cyto-C, Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 in Sal group were all decreased significantly(P＜0.01). while the protein expression of cardiac Bcl-2 in Sal group were increased significantly (P＜0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Sal plays a role in protecting myocardial cell through reducing the myocardial ischemia and inhibiting myocardial cell apoptosis in exhaustive exercise rats. The mechanism of reducing myocardial cell apoptosis may be related to inhibiting the expressions of Fas, Cyto-C, Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9 and increasing the expression of Bcl-2.

Chinese medicine syndromes in congestive heart failure: A literature study and retrospective analysis of clinical cases / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To discuss the characteristics of Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome factors and distribution of congestive heart failure (CHF), and provide a basis for the diagnosis criteria of essential syndromes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Based on databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, 1980-2012) and Chinese Journal of Chongqing VIP Database (1989-2012), the eligible studies in CHF and extracted factors associated with compound syndromes were analyzed. All the syndromes were classified into deficiency, excess, and deficiency-excess in complexity syndrome were classified. Compound syndromes were separated into syndrome factors including single, double, three or four factors, along with the frequency of occurrence. The relation of CHF syndromes with age, gender, primary disease, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiac functional grade was studied in 1,451 CHF cases (between December 2010 and September 2012), and the clinical distribution of common CHF syndromes was summarized.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The literature study involved 6,799 CHF cases in 66 literatures after screening. Of the different factors affecting CHF, qi deficiency was the most important one. In deficiency syndrome, Xin (Heart)-qi-deficiency was the most common single factor, and deficiency of both qi and yin was the most common double factor. The retrospective analysis involved 1,451 CHF cases (431 cases with test results of BNP). The xin blood stasis and obstruction and deficiency of both qi and yin syndrome were mostly seen in female patients, and phlegm-blocking-Xin-vessel and qi-deficiency-blood-stasis syndrome mostly in males. Xin-qi-deficiency and qi-deficiency-blood-stasis syndrome were mostly seen in patients aged 50-60 years. Patients aged over 60 years likely manifest deficiency of both qi and yin and Xin blood stasis and obstruction syndrome. The severity of syndrome is aggravated with increased BNP and cardiac functional grade.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The essential syndromes of CHF include qi-deficiency-blood-stasis and deficiency of both qi and yin. The clinical distribution is linked to patients' age and gender. BNP and cardiac functional grade is closely related to CHF syndromes, which may indicate the severity of CM syndromes of CHF.</p>

Short-term rosuvastatin treatment for the prevention of contrast-induced acute kidney injury in patients receiving moderate or high volumes of contrast media: a sub-analysis of the TRACK-D study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Current randomized trials have demonstrated the effects of short-term rosuvastatin therapy in preventing contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI). However, the consistency of these effects on patients administered different volumes of contrast media is unknown.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In the TRACK-D trial, 2998 patients with type 2 diabetes and concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD) who underwent coronary/peripheral arterial angiography with or without percutaneous intervention were randomized to short-term (2 days before and 3 days after procedure) rosuvastatin therapy or standard-of-care. This prespecified analysis compared the effects of rosuvastatin versus standard therapy in patients exposed to (moderate contrast volume [MCV], 200-300 ml, n = 712) or (high contrast volume [HCV], ≥ 300 ml, n = 220). The primary outcome was the incidence of CIAKI. The secondary outcome was a composite of death, dialysis/hemofiltration or worsened heart failure at 30 days.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Rosuvastatin treatment was associated with a significant reduction in CIAKI compared with the controls (2.1% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.050) in the overall cohort and in patients with MCV (1.7% vs. 4.5%, P = 0.029), whereas no benefit was observed in patients with HCV (3.4% vs. 3.9%, P = 0.834). The incidence of secondary outcomes was significantly lower in the rosuvastatin group compared with control group (2.7% vs. 5.3%, P = 0.049) in the overall cohort, but it was similar between the patients with MCV (2.0% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.081) or HCV (5.1% vs. 8.8%, P = 0.273).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Periprocedural short-term rosuvastatin treatment is effective in reducing CIAKI and adverse clinical events for patients with diabetes and CKD after their exposure to a moderate volume of contrast medium.</p>

Influence of simvastatin on dopaminergic neurons of lipopolysaccharide-induced rat model of Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the neuroprotective effects of simvastatin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD) and the mechanisms involved.@*METHODS@#Hemiparkinsonian rat models were induced by stereotaxieal injection of LPS in the right substantia nigra compacta. After 2 weeks of simvastatin treatment, rotational behavior test was performed after the intraperitoneal injection of apomorphine. Expression of tyroxine hydroxylase (TH) and glial fibrillary acidic protein were analyzed through immunohistochemical staining of substantia nigra and striatum, and the level of TNF- α was evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.@*RESULTS@#Comparing with untreated group, behavioral symptoms of the rats were significantly less in the rats that received simvastatin treatment. The TH positive cell count in substantia nigra and striatum were significantly increased (P<0.05) and TNF- α expression was significantly decreased (P<0.05) in simvastatin group compared to untreated group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Simvastatin could effectively inhibit the activation of astrocytes, reduce TNF- α expression, and exert anti-inflammatory effects, and thus protect the dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra and striatum of the rat model of PD.

Influence of simvastatin on dopaminergic neurons of lipopolysaccharide-induced rat model of Parkinson's disease

Objective: To investigate the neuroprotective effects of simvastatin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD) and the mechanisms involved. Methods: Hemiparkinsonian rat models were induced by stereotaxieal injection of LPS in the right substantia nigra compacta. After 2 weeks of simvastatin treatment, rotational behavior test was performed after the intraperitoneal injection of apomorphine. Expression of tyroxine hydroxylase (TH) and glial fibrillary acidic protein were analyzed through immunohistochemical staining of substantia nigra and striatum, and the level of TNF- α was evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Comparing with untreated group, behavioral symptoms of the rats were significantly less in the rats that received simvastatin treatment. The TH positive cell count in substantia nigra and striatum were significantly increased (. P<0.05) and TNF- α expression was significantly decreased (. P<0.05) in simvastatin group compared to untreated group. Conclusions: Simvastatin could effectively inhibit the activation of astrocytes, reduce TNF- α expression, and exert anti-inflammatory effects, and thus protect the dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra and striatum of the rat model of PD.

Effects of doxazosin and its enantiomers on serum lipid levels in rabbits fed by an atherogenic diet / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of (-)doxazosin(DOX), (+)DOX and (+/-)DOX on serum lipid levels and the mortality rates of the rabbits fed by an atherogenic diet.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male white New Zealand rabbits were fed by an atherogenic diet for 4 weeks. 8 rabbits whose serum TC <10 mmol/L were confirmed as normal diet group and were fed normally. 40 rabbits whose serum TC >10 mmol/L were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10): atherogenic diet group, atherogenic diet with (-)DOX group, atherogenic diet with (+)DOX group and atherogenic diet with (+/-)DOX group, which were intraperitoneally injected with (-)DOX, (+)DOX and (+/-)DOX for 9 weeks respectively. Normal and atherogenic diet group were intraperitoneally injected with double distilled water. After 9 weeks administration of (+/-)doxazosin and its enantiomers, effects of the three agents on serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mortality rate of the rabbits fed by an atherogenic diet for 13 weeks was 40%, and it was much higher than that of the rabbits fed by a normal diet (10%). The mortality rates in the rabbits treated with (-)DOX and (+/-)DOX were lower than that in the rabbits fed by a normal diet (10%). Serum LDL-C level of the rabbits was increased markedly after 4 weeks of atherogenic diet, and it was further increased significantly (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) during the continued 9 weeks of atherogenic diet. However, serum LDL-C levels were not further increased significantly (P > 0.05) during the continued 9 weeks of atherogenic diet in the rabbits treated with (-)DOX, (+)DOX and (+/-)DOX, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>(-)DOX and (+/-)DOX increase the survival rate and improve LDL-C disorder mildly in the rabbits fed by an atherogenic diet. The improvements in LDL-C induced by (-)DOX and (+/-)DOX, however, might not be the reason for exploration about the increased survival rate in the rabbits fed by an atherogenic diet.</p>

Nitroglycerin tolerance aggravates arterial ischemia/reperfusion injury by increasing nitrotyrosine and ONOO- production / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the influence of nitroglycerin tolerance (NT) on arterial ischemia (90 min) and reperfusion (120 min).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused with nitroglycerin (GTN) or saline for 12 h and ascending aorta was rapidly isolated. The isolated aorta was subjected to one of the following treatments: stimulative ischemia/reperfusion, stimulative ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) plus glutathione (GSH, 0.1 mmol/L) during reperfusion, or control solution (Kreb's solution for 3.5 h).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with I/R group, contractile function, vasorelaxation responses to Ach, NO production were significantly decreased and CK, LDH activity as well as nitrotyrosine formation in reperfusion solution were significantly increased in I/R + NT group and these effects could be prevented with addition of GSH in I/R + NT aortas.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our results demonstrated that NT could aggravate arterial I/R injury by increasing the production of ONOO- and GSH may play a cardioprotective role against NT-induced myocardial injury by attenuating the formation of ONOO-.</p>