Incidence and risk factors of target organ damage in 17, 682 elderly hypertensive inpatients between 1993 and 2008 / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of target organ damage (TOD) in elderly hypertensive inpatients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data of the present retrospective survey were collected and analyzed from the computerized medical records of 17 682 aged 60 years or older inpatients with the diagnosis of essential hypertension (EH) from January 1993 to December 2008 in our hospital. The evidences of hypertensive TOD and associated risk factors with TOD including age, gender, presence of diabetes (DM), body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), serum lipids were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The overall prevalence of stroke, coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and aortic dissection (AD) was 32.19%, 27.33%, 10.12% and 0.77%, respectively. Incidence of TOD was 68.03% in male and 31.70% in female patients. CKD stage 3-5 was more prevalent in males than in females (12.75% vs. 5.40%, P < 0.01), while the prevalence of CAD (31.31% vs. 27.96%, P = 0.06), Stroke (28.23% vs. 25.81%, P = 0.08) and AD (0.89% vs.0.74%, P = 0.72) was similar between men and women. One TOD was presented in 23.20% patients and two or more TODs were found in 47.19% patients. Higher age and BMI, longer history and lower control rate of hypertension, severe degree of hypertension and higher level of SBP, pulse pressure, TC, LDL-C, estimated GFR (eGFR) and Hcy were risk factors for TOD. BMI, fasting plasma glucose, incidence of DM, prevalence of stage 1 and 2 hypertension, control rate of hypertension, eGFR and TG levels were all significantly higher while the prevalence of hypertension stage 3 and level of TC and LDL-C were significantly lower in female TOD patients than in male TOD patients (all P < 0.05). In patients without TOD, TG was significantly higher while SBP, fasting plasma glucose and LDL-C were significantly lower and history of hypertension was significantly shorter in female patients than in male patients (all P < 0.05). The prevalence of CAD, stroke and CKD increased with age (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The prevalence of TOD is high in elderly hypertensive inpatients and higher age and BMI, longer history and lower control rate of hypertension, severe degree of hypertension and higher level of SBP, pulse pressure, TC, LDL-C, eGFR and Hcy are risk factors for TOD.</p>

Hypoxia enhances the proliferation of skeletal myoblasts and possible mechanism / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the role of hypoxia in skeletal myoblasts proliferation and related mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The numbers and proliferous indexes of skeletal myoblasts were detected by flow cytometer under 20%, 3%, and 10% oxygen concentration. Hypoxia inducing factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) mRNA expression was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). HIF-1alpha proteinum in endochylema and intranucelus were respectively detected by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The numbers and proliferous indexes were higher (P < 0.05) in hypoxia group than those of control group. The expression HIF-1alpha mRNA had no difference in hypoxia and in normal groups. The level of HIF-1alpha proteinum in endochylema under normoxia was more than that in intranucelus and it was opposite under hypoxia.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Hypoxia can promote the proliferation of skeletal myoblasts. The possible mechanism of hypoxia promoting the proliferation of skeletal myoblasts might be that low oxygen concentration regulates HIF-la nuclear translocation.</p>

Comparison of pharmacological characteristics of the endothelial target for acetylcholine between big artery and small artery / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To compare the differences of pharmacological characteristics of the endothelial target for acetylcholine (ETA) between rat aorta and tail artery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Differences in the endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by acetylcholine (ACh: 10(-8) - 10(-4) mol/L) were studied using isolated rat tail artery helical strips and aortic rings, so that the pharmacological characteristics of ETA in small artery can be observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ACh-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was observed both in rat tail artery strips and in aortic rings precontracted with potassium chloride (60 mmol/L) in a concentration-dependent manner. In tail artery this effect was partially blocked by L-N(omega)-Nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME: 10(-4) mol/L) or methylene blue (MB: 10(-5) mol/L), together with indomethacin (Indo: 10(-4) mol/L), but in aorta it was completely blocked by L-NAME or MB.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is different of the pharmacological characteristics of ETA between big artery and small artery. A non-NO and non-PGI2 relaxing factor, together with nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2), mediates endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation induced by ACh in small artery, but NO may be the principal endothelial vasodilator substance in big artery.</p>