ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effects of amiodarone and metoprolol, either alone or in combination, on chronic heart failure (CHF) complicated by ventricular arrhythmia. METHODS: A total of 110 NYHA class II-III patients with CHF complicated by ventricular arrhythmia were randomly divided into amiodarone group, metoprolol group and amiodarone + metoprolol group. The therapeutic effects was evaluated at the end of the 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Amiodarone, metoprolol and their combination produced statistically different therapeutic effects (P<0.05). Compared with amiodarone and metoprolol used alone, amiodarone combined with metoprolol resulted in significant cardiac function improvement (P<0.05) and ventricular arrhythmia control (P<0.01). During the 1-year follow-up, the readmission rate and cardiac event rate in the amiodarone + metoprolol group were significantly lower than those in amiodarone group (P<0.01) and metoprolol group (P<0.05). The adverse reaction rates in the 3 groups were similar (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of amiodarone and metoprolol produces better effect than amiodarone or metoprolol alone in the treatment of CHF complicated by ventricular arrhythmia.
Subject(s)
Amiodarone/therapeutic use , Heart Failure/drug therapy , Metoprolol/therapeutic use , Tachycardia, Ventricular/drug therapy , Ventricular Premature Complexes/drug therapy , Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/therapeutic use , Adult , Anti-Arrhythmia Agents/therapeutic use , Chronic Disease , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , Heart Failure/complications , Heart Failure/physiopathology , Humans , Male , Tachycardia, Ventricular/etiology , Tachycardia, Ventricular/physiopathology , Treatment Outcome , Ventricular Premature Complexes/etiologyABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the immunosuppressive effect of gossypol in mice both in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The in vitro effect of gossypol on the proliferation of lymphocytes isolated from lymph nodes of BALB/c mice was determined by CFSE staining and by an MTS assay. Lymphocyte activation and lymphoblastic transformation were evaluated with immunostaining. Cell apoptosis was detected by Annexin-V and Hoechst 33342 staining. The in vivo immunosuppressive effect of gossypol on the DTH reaction was evaluated using a mouse DTH model induced by 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene (DNFB). The thickness of the ears was measured, and the histological changes of the mouse auricles were observed after hematoxylin-eosin staining. The proliferation capacity of lymphocytes from DTH mice was also assayed. RESULTS: In vitro, gossypol could significantly inhibit the proliferation of mouse lymphocytes stimulated with phorbol ester plus ionomycin in a dose-dependent manner. Although the expression of the early activation antigen CD69 was not affected, the lymphoblastic transformation of both T and B lymphocyte subsets was significantly suppressed by gossypol. Moreover, gossypol could induce apoptosis of lymphocytes, and the effect was time- and dose-dependent. In vivo, the DTH reaction in mice was markedly alleviated by gossypol injected intraperitoneally. Lymphocytes from drug-treated DTH mice had a reduced proliferation capacity as compared with lymphocytes from untreated DTH mice. Gossypol treatment also markedly reduced the number of infiltrated lymphocytes in the auricles of DTH mice. CONCLUSION: Gossypol exhibited immunosuppressive effects in mice, probably by inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation and by induction of cell apoptosis.
