ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the correlation of PAI-1 and TNF-α and the pathophysiology of the metabolic syndrome (MS) and coronary heart disease,and explore the role of metformin in the MS.Methods Sixty cases of old patients with the MS were chosen.These patients were divided into two groups at random.One group interfered with living style and metformin,the other group only interfered with living style.The activity of PAI-1 was detected by chromogenic substrate method,and the level of TNF-α was detected by ELISA assay.Results (1) The levels of PAI-1 and TNF-α in the MS patients [(0.95 ± 0.05) AU/ml,(24.81 ± 3.87)ng/ml] were significantly higher than in normal old people[(0.66 ± 0.10)AU/ml,(10.76 ±2.00) ng/ml] (P ＜0.001) ;(2)The levels of PAI-1 and TNF-α in the MS patients with CHD [(0.96 ± 0.05) AU/ml,(26.12 ± 2.83) ng/ml] were significantly higher than those in the patients without CHD [(0.94 ± 0.03) AU/ml,(23.71 ± 4.27) ng/ml] (P ＜ 0.05) ;(3)The activity of PAI-1 and the level of TNF-α in the metformin group was decreased significantly [△ was (0.20 ± 0.17)AU/ml,(4.42 ± 0.85ng/ml),P ＜0.01],and metformin can improve the components of the MS.Conclusions The old patients with MS is prone to develop cardiac vascular disease.PAI-1 and TNF-α participate in pathophysiology of the MS and its complication.Metformin can inhibit the expression of PAI-1 and TNF-α to suppress the components of the MS,and block the complication of the MS.