Evaluation of the myocardial systolic function and ventricular remodeling of rats with experimental myocardial infarction by strain/strain rate imaging and MMP-9 / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the myocardial systolic function and ventricular remodeling in heart failure rat induced by myocardial infarction (MI) with S/SRI and MMP-9.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 70 male SD rats were randomly assigned to 4 groups: 4 weeks and 8 weeks MI (anterior descending branch of left coronary artery were ligated), sham operation (thoracotomy without ligation of coronary artery) and non-operated control group. The regional myocardial systolic function of rats was quantified with S/SRI. The myocardial MMP-9 expression was detected by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the 4 weeks MI group, all segment's Ssys, SRsys, the strain of end-systole were reduced while PSI was increased compared to sham and non-operated group with the exception of the inferior wall. These changes were more significant in 8 weeks MI group compared to the 4 weeks MI group. In the 4 weeks MI group, the expression of MMP-9 was significantly upregulated than the sham operation group and this upregulation was more significant at 8 weeks post MI.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>S/SRI can quantitative evaluate the regional systolic function of heart failure rat induced by myocardial infarction. Progressive upregulation of myocardial MMP-9 expression paralleled the deterioration of regional systolic function in this heart failure rat model.</p>

Linear ablation and circumferential isolation of pulmonary veins for atrial fibrillation guided by non-contact 3-dimensional mapping system / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To study the feasibility, safety, effectiveness of linear ablation and circumferential isolation of pulmonary veins for atrial fibrillation (AF) guided by 3-dimensional mapping system.@*METHODS@#Twenty-eight consecutive patients with drug refractory paroxysmal and persistent AF were included in this study. Real-time 3-dimensional left atrial (LA) and pulmonary veins (PVs) maps were constructed through 3-dimensional mapping system (Ensite NavX) in all patients. Pulmonary vein isolation was performed by encircling the left and right sides of PVs at 1 to 2 cm away from the ostium of PVs. The endpoint of ablation included: All circum PVs ablation lines finished; all PVs were isolated; and non-inducibility of AF was observed.@*RESULTS@#All 28 patients reached the endpoint of ablation completely. The mean procedure time and fluoroscopy time was (161.3+/-23.2) min and (38.0+/-6.8) min, respectively. During the 6 approximately 17 month follow-up, 20 patients (71%) were free of AF without any antiarrhythmic drugs. Recurrence of AF was found in the other 8 patients (29%): Two were treated with amiodarone and 6 repeated ablation. After the second ablation, 4 were free of AF and 2 recurrence were treated with amiodarone. No complications occurred during the procedure and the follow-up.@*CONCLUSION@#Linear ablation and circumferential isolation of pulmonary veins for atrial fibrillation (AF) guided by 3-dimensional mapping system is effective and safe. But the long-term outcome remains to be investigated.

Myeloperoxidase in the plasma of patients with acute coronary syndrome / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the diagnostic value and efficacy for risk stratification of myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).@*METHODS@#One hundred and sixty-two patients were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent coronary angiography. They were divided into 3 groups: ACS group (n=54), SAP group (n=54) and control group (n=54). Blood samples were taken from the artery before angiography in all patients and the concentrations of MPO, hsCRP and cTnI were measured. Each subject was asked details of history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and smoking habits. The efficacy of therapy, the cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, the need for revascularization, or death) were recorded after 6 months of follow-up.@*RESULTS@#The plasma MPO level in ACS group (30.98 ng/mL) was significantly higher than those in the SAP group (14.67 ng/mL) and the control group(14.23 ng/mL)(P<0.01), and the plasma MPO levels in patients of the SAP group and the control group were not significantly different (P=0.74). There was no obvious correlation between the levels of plasma MPO and the serum levels of cTnI, hsCRP,the prevalence of the 4 major risk factors for CHD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that plasma MPO level, free plasma glucose and sex were the significant variables. The risk for subsequent cardiovascular events was higher in the patients with elevated level of MPO.@*CONCLUSION@#Plasma MPO may be a new risk biomarker for ACS and may predict the incidence of subsequent cardiovascular events.

Effect of hospice care on the quality of life and psychological state of aged mortal inpatients / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the influence of hospice care on the life quality and psychological state of aged mortal inpatients.@*METHODS@#Seventy-six aged patients were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=38). The research group was treated with hospice care, while the control group was treated with conventional nursing. Before and after more than one month of the interference, the quality of life, social support, satisfied degree, anxiety, and depression mood were investigated.@*RESULTS@#All the indexes, such as total scale of life quality, appetite, spirit, sleep, family comprehension and coordination, recognition of cancer, attitude to therapy, and facial expression of the mortal inpatients after the interference, were raised and higher than those of the controls (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Life satisfaction index and the total scale of social support and subjective support, utilization ratio of support were raised and higher than those of the controls (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The level of anxiety and depression was decreased and lower than the control (P<0.05 or P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Hospice care can raise the life quality, subjective support, utilization ratio of support and life satisfaction of aged mortal inpatients. It could decrease the negative mood, such as anxiety and depression and improve the psychological state.

Proatherogenic effects of immune complexes of human oxLDL in vitro / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of immune complexes (IC) prepared from human oxidized density lipoprotein (oxLDL) antibodies and human oxLDL on the foam cell forming and the macrophage activation, and to further uncover the possible mechanisms of immune complexes contributing to the atherosclerosis occurrence.@*METHODS@#The immune complexes of human oxLDL and purified human oxLDL antibodies were added to culture U937 cells by protocols: polyethylene glycol-precipitated insoluble IC (PEG-IC) and IC immobilized by absorption to red blood cells (RBC-IC). With oxLDL as controls and heat-aggregated gamma globulin as an inhibitor of Fc gamma receptor, we measured the cholesterol ester, total cholesterol of the cellular extracts, and quantified the secreted MMP-1 of supernatants from U937 cells.@*RESULTS@#A significant increase of MMP-1 release [(0.769 +/- 0.030) ng/ml vs (0.513 +/- 0.034) ng/ml, P < 0.01] and a higher level of cholesterol ester accumulation [(20.271 +/- 1.668) microg/mg protein vs (17. 226 +/- 1.298 ) microg/mg protein, P < 0.05] in U937 cells incubated with RBC-IC were observed, compared with those incubated with RBC-oxLDL. However, the above quantative difference between the cholesterol ester accumulation induced by oxLDL and insoluble PEG-IC was even more striking, and cholesterol ester accumulation was dosage-dependent. Heat-aggregated gamma globulin (10 mg/ml) as an inhibitor of Fc gamma receptors competitively inhibited cholesterol ester accumulation and decreased PEG-IC stimulating MMP-1 secretion to 71%.@*CONCLUSION@#Immune complexe of ox-LDL can transform macrophages into foam cells and activted macrophages. The immunological function of oxLDL is involved in the process of atherosclerosis occurrence.