Pharmacological Modulation of Vagal Nerve Activity in Cardiovascular Diseases / 神经科学通报·英文版

Cardiovascular diseases are life-threatening illnesses with high morbidity and mortality. Suppressed vagal (parasympathetic) activity and increased sympathetic activity are involved in these diseases. Currently, pharmacological interventions primarily aim to inhibit over-excitation of sympathetic nerves, while vagal modulation has been largely neglected. Many studies have demonstrated that increased vagal activity reduces cardiovascular risk factors in both animal models and human patients. Therefore, the improvement of vagal activity may be an alternate approach for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, drugs used for vagus nerve activation in cardiovascular diseases are limited in the clinic. In this review, we provide an overview of the potential drug targets for modulating vagal nerve activation, including muscarinic, and β-adrenergic receptors. In addition, vagomimetic drugs (such as choline, acetylcholine, and pyridostigmine) and the mechanism underlying their cardiovascular protective effects are also discussed.

The design and exploration on integrated curriculum of introduction to clinical medicine / 中华医学教育探索杂志

According to the training requirement of the biological-psycho-social medical model to the clinical medical students,in order to promote the comprehensive improvement of medical students' professional knowledge,hands-on ability and human qualities,we design the course of introduction to clinical medicine.Through six major functional modules such as basic professional quality,clinical diagnosis basic technology,basic skills related to the operation,the new progress in clinical medicine and technology,clinical nursing and medical relationship,and medical information management,we build up the core content of integrated course of introduction to clinical medical.In this way,the clinical and related basic knowledge and skills are integrated,the clinical course is closely connected with the basic curriculum,the medical and the humanities exchanges.Through this design,the foundation is laid out for the collaborative efforts of the organ-system of integrated curriculum reform.

Changes of cholinergic nerves and tumor necrosis factor-α in doxorubicin-induced rat failing heart / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes of cholinergic nerves in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced rat failing heart and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the heart tissue and serum.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into control (n=10) and DOX-induced chronic heart failure (CHF) groups (n=15), and in the latter group, the rats were given intraperitoneal injections of 2.5 mg/kg DOX once a week for 6 weeks, with a total cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg. The control rats were injected with normal saline (1 ml/week). Karnovsky-Roots histochemical staining combined with point counting was used to demonstrate the distribution of cholinergic nerves in the heart. The expression levels of TNF-α in the heart tissue and serum were determined with ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Positively stained cholinergic nerves were found in all the rat hearts in the two groups, but in CHF group, the point counts of cholinergic nerves were significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.01). Compared with the control rats, those with DOX-induced CHF showed elevated levels of TNF-α both in the heart tissue and in the serum (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In rats with DOX-induced CHF, the parasympathetic nervous system is down-regulated in the failing heart, and the diminished cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway may play an important role in the progression of CHF.</p>

Constructing three-dimensional teaching environment and cultivating innovation medical talents / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Innovative medical talents training in higher medical colleges and universities is the requirements of the era. Based on the medical education of Xi'an Jiaotong University,the article systematically introduces some thoughts and methods of talents training system,which includes three aspects such as three-dimensional teaching environment(teaching resource construction,platform construction and construction of teachers' team),experiment curriculum system reform and innovation mechanism,etc. Construction of three-dimensional teaching environment is emphasized.

The Exploration and Research on Unified Examination Mode of Medical Students / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Unified examination refers to the examination given by the university for medical students to graduate after they pass six curriculum examinations,including diagnostics,introduce of surgery,internal medicine,surgery,obstetrics and gynecology and pedology during the clinical study phases.It is a necessary process for cultivation of the professionals of the clinic medicine and has practice significance.Through the organization and management of the unified examination process,as well as analysis of examination result and feedback,education quality has been enhanced and educational reform promoted.

EFFECTS OF ADENOSINE IN SIMULATED ISCHEMIA AND REPERFUSION ON ISOLATED GUINEA-PIG VENTRICULAR MYOCYTES / 药物分析学报

Objective To investigate the effects of adenosine (Ado) on myocardiac electrophysiology in simulated ischemia and reperfusion in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes. Methods Electrical activity was recorded using standard intracellular microelectrode technique. Right ventricle was superfused with simulated ischemic Tyrode's solution for 15 min, and reperfued with normal Tyrode's solution for 30 min. Results The results showed Ado had no measurable effects on guinea-pig ventricular myocytes in normal Tyrode's solution. In the presence of Ado, maximal diastolic potential tended to be more depolarized during ischemia, and action potential (AP) parameters were abbreviated greatly in a concentration-dependent manner. Especially, the concentration of Ado 100 μmol·L-1 had significant effects on AP parameters in ischemic phase [APD30, APD50, and APD90 reduced by (86 ± 8) ％ versus (65± 6) ％, (70± 7)％versus (50±6)％, and (60±6)％versus (42±4)％ for control after 15 min, P＜0.05]. During reperfusion, AP parameters did not completely return to initial values in presence of Ado. This study illustrated that Ado significantly decreased incidence of arrhythmias induced by ischemia and reperfusion (in presence of Ado 100 μmol·L-1, the incidence of DAD decreased by 17％ versus 82％ for control during reperfusion). Conclusion Ado has no significant effects on guinea-pig ventricle in normal conditions, abbreviates greatly AP parameters during ischemia with a concentration-dependent manner, and has marked antiarrhythmic effects in ischemia and reperfusion.

Relaxant effect of salianic acid A isopropyl ester on rat pulmonary artery and its mechanism / 中草药

Objective To investigate the relaxant effect of salanic acid A isopropyl ester(isopropyl 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxypropanoate)and its mechanism.Methods Isolated rat pulmonary artery was perfused and the tension of the vessel was measured.To observe the relaxant effect of salianic acid A isopropyl ester on the pulmonary artery precontracted by noradrenaline(NE)and the role of endothelial cell and vascular smooth muscle cell on vasodilation.Results Salianic acid A isopropyl ester relaxed the endothelium-intact artery precontracted by NE in a concentration-dependent manner,and the effect was depressed with denuded endothelium.Salianic acid A isopropyl ester right-shifted the concentration-response curve of KCl and suppressed the contractions induced by NE and CaCl2 in the Ca2+-free-K-H solution.The relaxant effect of salianic acid A isopropyl ester was inhibited by N?-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride(L-NAME),Indometacin,CsCl,Tetraethylammonium(TEA),Glibenclamide,and BaCl2,but not that by Propranolol,Metoprolol,and Salbutamol.Conclusion Salranic acid A isopropyl ester could significantly relax the pulmonary artery of rats,which may derive in part from endothelium.The relaxant effect of salianic acid A ispropyl ester may relate to NO pathway,prostacyclin(PGI2)pathway,calcium channel,and potassium channel.

Mechanism of inhibitory effects of atropine and anisodamine on contractions of rabbit thoracic aorta / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

0.05, respectively), but those to noradrenaline (NA: 0.01?mol/L), histamine (His: 3?mol/L), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT: 0.1?mol/L), significantly reduced (P0.05, respectively). Under atropine or Ani pretreatment, the NA-, His- and 5-HT-elicited contractions in endothelium-denuded aorta were similar to those in endothelium-intact aorta. Conclusion Atropine and Ani can inhibit receptors-mediated constrictions of rabbit aortic vascular smooth muscle cells; the actions are endothelia independent.