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Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of rapamycin inhibiting mammalian target of RAPA (mTOR) on heart valve cell calciifcation in experimental rats. Methods: The rat’s valvular interstitial cells were isolated and the cells were cultured in 4 groups:①Normal control group,②Calciifcation group,③Rapamycin group and ④Calciifcation + rapamycin group. The apoptosis rates of valvular interstitial cells were detected by flow cytometry, calcium deposition was observed by Alizarin S staining, the calcified nodules were counted and the protein expressions of bmp-2, osteocalcin, osteopontin, smad-1 and caspase-3 were examined by Western blot analysis. Results: The rat's valvular interstitial cells were suceessfully isolated; the cell apoptosis rates were similar among different groups,P>0.05. The calciifed nodule in Calciifcation group (0.471 ± 0.091) was more than Normal control group (0.104 ± 0.023), while the nodule in Calciifcation + rapamycin group (0.237 ± 0.039) was less than Calciifcation group, allP0.05. Conclusion: Rapamycin may down-regulate the targeting protein expressions of bmp-2, osteopontin and smad-1 via inhibiting mTOR, therefore, reducing the valvular interstitial cell calcification which might be related to mTOR pathway suppression in experimental rats.
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Objective: To explore the effect of oxidative stress injury on the mechanism of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) calciifcation induced by calcium and phosphorus in experimental rats. Methods: The VSMC calcification was induced by incubating the cells with calcium chloride (CaCl2) andβ-sodium glycerophosphate (β-GP) for 8 days, and the cells were divided into 4 groups: ① Control group, ② Calcification group,③ Calciifcation+H2O2 group, ④ Calciifcation+catalase group. The calcium nodule formation and calcium deposition in VSMC were detected by Alizarin red staining and o-cresolphthalein complexone method, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by DCFH-DA probe staining and the protein expression of Runx2 was examined by Western blot analysis. Results: Compared with Control group, Calciifcation group showed the higher ROS production, more calcium nodule and calcium deposition, higher Runx2 protein expression;while compared with Calciifcation group, the above indexes were even higher in Calciifcation+H2O2 group, P0.05. Conclusion: CaCl2 andβ-GP treatment may induce VSMC calciifcation via activating ROS-Runx2 signal pathway in experimental rats.
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Objective: To explore the effects of Vitamin K2 (VK2) on theaortic artery calciifcation and oxidative stress injury in experimental rats. Methods: A total of 24 rats were divided into 4 groups:①Control group,②6-week calciifcation group,③12-week calciifcation group and④6-week calciifcation + 6-week VK2 group;n=6 in each group. The arterial calciifcation was induced by warfarin (WFN) treatment. The calcium nodule and deposition in rat’s theaortic artery were detected by Alizarin red staining and o-cresolphthalein complexone method, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by DHE probe staining and the morphological changes of mitochondria in smooth muscle cells were detected by transmission electron microscopy. Results: Calciifcation nodule formed in both 6-week and 12-week calciifcation groups, the calciifcation deposition and ROS were higher than Control group,P Conclusion: Warfarin induced aortic calciifcation is related to oxidative stress injury which may cause the ultra-micro structural damage in smooth muscle cells; VK2 may reduce the oxidative stress injury and improve the condition of vessel calciifcation in experimental rats.
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Objective To investigate the differential diagnostic signiifcance of different calciifcation types in thyroid benign and malignant nodules with high-frequency ultrasound. Methods Totally 195 patients with thyroid lesions were examined on conventional high-frequency ultrasound pre-operatively. The evaluation was foucsed on the number and echo of thyroid nodules and the size, shape and distribution of calciifcation inside. Different calciifcation patterns were divided into 3 types:type 1 micro-calciifcation, type 2 coarse calciifcation, type 3 peripheral calciifcation. Results The calciifcation rate of thyroid malignant nodules 68.6%(81/118) was signiifcantly higher than that of benign nodules 40.0%(56/140) (χ2=21.096, P0.05). The incidence of type 3 calcification in malignant lesions 3.7%(3/81) was lower than that of benign nodules 21.4%(12/56) (χ2=10.669, P<0.05). The malignancy incidence of solitary thyroid nodule 85.3%(58/68) and extremely low echo nodules with calciifcation 76.2%(48/63) was higher than that of multiple thyroid nodules 33.3%(23/69) and other echo nodules 44.6%(33/74) (χ2=38.261, 14.057, both P<0.01). Conclusions There was potential risk of malignancy in each calciifcation of thyroid nodules. Different calciifcation types had important value for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
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Objective: Based on coronary artery calciifcation (CAC) distribution in the rural population of Yunnan province, we further explored the relationship between coronary artery calciifcation score (CACS) and the pulse pressure difference (PPD). Methods: A randomly stratiifed cluster sampling method was used to study the rural population of Yunnan province and 16-MDCT scan was performed in 212 subjects for evaluating their CAC and calculating CACS. The subjects were divided into 2 sets of groups according to the age and CACS value. Age (51-60) years group,n=108 and Age (61-71) years group,n=104; CACS Results: The average PPD level in Age (61-71) years group was (44.67±13.87) mmHg and in Age (61-71) years group was (50.00±17.44) mmHg,P=0.015, PPD was positively related to age, rs=0.202,P=0.003. The average PPD level in CACS≥100 group, CACS Conclusion: PPD as a risk factor of coronary artery disease is related to CACS in rural population of Yunnan province, the CACS increased accordingly with the elevated PPD level.
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Breast calciifcation plays an important role in breast cancer in various areas, such as early-stage diagnosis, recurrence monitoring and prognosis prediction. However, the mechanism of breast calciifcations remains elusive. One proposed mechanism is based on an imbalance between the enhancers and inhibitors of physiological mineralization. Traditionally, the classiifcation of breast calciifcation is based on the assessment of morphology and distribution. These radiology features are closely related to pathology and biological behavior of tumor. However, chemical composition of calciifcations can provide us with more information about tumor status. Calciifcations could be divided into two categories according to chemical composition. Type I (calcium oxalate) is found in benign breast disease, while typeⅡ (hydroxyapatite) is found in proliferative lesions, mostly to be associated with malignancy. Moreover, carbonate concentrations in typeⅡ calciifcations is related to pathology grades. Despite emerging imaging technologies such as digital breast tomosynthesis, they are unable to yield any information on chemical composition of breast calciifcations and thus cannot provide a deifnitive marker for classifying benign and malignant lesions. Recent researches show that using Raman spectroscopy, the chemical information of calcification could be obtained non-invasively and might provide us with a better mode for calciifcation diagnosis in the future.