Role of dynamic contrast enhanced MRI in assessing early curative effect of rosuvastatin on carotid atherosclerotic plaques / 中华老年心脑血管病杂志

Objective To study the role of dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in assessing early curative effect of rosuvastatin on carotid atherosclerotic plaques.Methods Twenty-five patients with lipid-rich necrotic core carotid atherosclerotic plaques received intensive rosuvastatin treatment (5-20 mg/d) for 2 years,and carotid artery DCE-MRI at baseline before treatment and at months 3,12 and 24 after rosuvastatin treatment.Their adventitial transfer constant (K) and fractional plasma volume (Vp) were measured and compared during the rosuvastatin treatment.Results The Vp was significantly smaller at months 3,12 and 24 after rosuvastatin treatment than at baseline before rosuvastatin treatment (0.09±0.05,0.07±0.04 and 0.06±0.05 vs 0.12± 0.06,P＜0.05) with a reduction of 25.0％ after 3 months of rosuvastatin treatment and a gradual reduction after 24 months of rosuvastatin treatment (P＜0.05).The adventitial K was mildly reduced after 24 months of rosuvastatin treatment (P＞0.05).Conclusion DCE-MRI can assess the early curative effect of rosuvastatin on carotid atherosclerotic plaques.

Effect of intensive rosuvastatin therapy on adhesion molecules and the upstream mechanism in patients with peripheral atherosclerosis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of intensive rosuvastatin therapy on adhesion molecules in patients with peripheral atherosclerosis and explore the possible upstream mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty asymptomatic patients with peripheral atherosclerosis were enrolled and given 5-20 mg/day rosuvastatin for 3 months. Before and after the treatment, the lipid profile and plasma vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) levels were examined. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the mononuclear cells was measured using flow cytometry, and the mRNA and protein expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) were detected using RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the baseline levels, ICAM-1 expression decreased and PPARγ protein expression increased in the lymphocytes. Rosuvastatin therapy did not produce obvious effects on plasma VCAM-1 level or ICAM-1 expression in the monocytes in these patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Rosuvastatin produces anti-inflammatory effects by decreasing the expression of ICAM-1 in mononuclear cells, and its upstream mechanism may involve the PPARγ pathway.</p>

Relationship between N-terminal-pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide and Left Ventricular Mass Index in Elderly Hypertension Patients / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To investigate the N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration in the difference myocardial wall motion after essential hypertension. Methods 326 patients with essential hypertension and normal heart function and 265 control subjects were measured with their NT-proBNP. According to Canau's categories, the ventricle geometries of patients with high left ventricular mass index were divided into 2 groups. Results NT-proBNP was significantly higher in patients with hypertension than in controls. After grouped by different myocardial wall motion, the patients with concentric hypertrophy were highest among all the groups; the groups with eccentric hypertrophy was secondly highest; concentric remodeling and normal geometric pattern were not significantly higher than the controls. Conclusion NT-proBNP is different in patients with different myocardial wall motion before heart failure, which may play an important role in myocardial remodeling.