Triglyceride-glucose body mass index predicts prognosis in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Triglyceride glycemic-body mass index (TyG-BMI) is a simple and reliable surrogate for insulin resistance (IR). However, it is still unclear if TyG-BMI has any predictive value in patients having percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The purpose of this study was to examine the TyG-BMI index's prognostic significance and predictive power in patients with STEMI. The study comprised a total of 2648 consecutive STEMI patients who underwent PCI. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as the combination of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and coronary revascularization. The TyG-BMI index was formulated as ln [fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting plasma glucose (mg/dL)/2] × BMI. 193 patients in all experienced MACE over a median follow-up of 14.7 months. There was a statistically significant difference between the Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the TyG-BMI index tertiles (log-rank test, p = 0.019) for the cumulative incidence of MACE. The adjusted HRs for the incidence of MACE in the middle and highest quartiles of the TyG-BMI index compared with the lowest quartile were 1.37 (95% CI 0.92, 2.03) and 1.53 (95% CI 1.02, 2.29), respectively, in the fully adjusted Cox regression model. At six months, one year, and three years, the TyG-BMI area under the curve (AUC) for predicting MACE was 0.691, 0.666, and 0.637, respectively. Additionally, adding the TyG-BMI index to the risk prediction model enhanced outcome prediction. In STEMI patients undergoing PCI, TyG-BMI was independently linked to MACE. TyG-BMI could be a simple and solid way to assess MACE risk and prognosis.

Sufficient Cav-1 levels in the endothelium are critical for the maintenance of the neurovascular unit in the retina.

BACKGROUND: Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a pivotal protein in the plasma membrane. Studies on homozygous Cav-1 deficient mice revealed that Cav-1 is essential for endothelial function and angiogenesis in the retina. However, whether a reduction in Cav-1 content hampers the neurovascular unit (NVU) in the retina is unclear. Thus, this study examines the NVU in the retinas of heterozygous Cav-1 deficient (Cav-1+/-) mice and analyzes possible underlying mechanisms. METHODS: The vascular, glial and neuronal components in the retina were evaluated using retinal morphometry, whole mount retinal immunofluorescence staining, histological analysis and optical coherence tomography. In addition, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence staining, subcellular fractionation, biotin labeling of cell surface proteins, and proximity ligation assay were employed to detect expression and localization of proteins in the retina or endothelial cells (ECs) upon knockdown of Cav-1 with Cav-1 siRNA. RESULTS: Cav-1+/- retinas showed a significant reduction in pericyte coverage along with an increase in acellular capillaries compared to controls at 8 months of age, but not at 1 month. A significant loss and obvious morphological abnormalities of smooth muscle cells were observed in 8-month-old Cav-1+/- retinal arterioles. Macroglial and microglial cells were activated in the Cav-1+/- retinas. A transient significant delay in retinal angiogenesis was detected in Cav-1+/- retinas at p5, which was however no longer detectable at p10. The Cav-1+/- retinas displayed increased vascular permeability and a notable reduction in VEGFR2 content at 8 months. In vitro, siRNA-mediated knockdown experiments in ECs revealed that the loss of Cav-1 in ECs resulted in decreased levels of VEGFR2, VE-Cadherin and their interaction at the plasma membrane as well. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that a sufficient Cav-1 level over 50% of its normal abundance is vital for the proper localization of VEGFR2 and VE-cadherin, likely in a complex, at the plasma membrane, which is essential for the maintenance of normal NVU in the retina.

Impact of Bivalirudin on Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Rotational Atherectomy in Real-Life Setting: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: No evidence exists on the impact of bivalirudin in patients with the acute coronary syndrome undergoing rotational atherectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of bivalirudin on patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing rotational atherectomy. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in our hospital between January 2017 and December 2019. The study included patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing rotational atherectomy. Furthermore, 2 cohorts were included in this study (bivalirudin cohort and control cohort unfractionated heparin). The primary end-point was in-hospital net adverse clinical events. The secondary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 23 months. RESULTS: The study included 157 patients with 33 (21.0%) in the bivalirudin cohort and 124 (79.0%) in the control cohort. Net adverse clinical events during hospitalization in the bivalirudin cohort were higher than that in the control cohort [9 (27.3%) vs. 14 (11.3%), P = .021]. However, there was no significant difference in all-cause mortality at 23 months between the 2 cohorts [25 (20.2%) vs. 10 (30.3%), P =.214]. After adjusting for potential confounders, the usage of bivalirudin was not associated with net adverse clinical event (odds ratio = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.18-4.45; P =.890), and the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality at 23 months was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.33-3.15; P =.983). CONCLUSION: Bivalirudin appears to exhibit a similar impact as unfractionated heparin on patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing rotational atherectomy in real-life setting.

Pharmacological Inhibition of P-Rex1/Rac1 Axis Blocked Angiotensin II-Induced Cardiac Fibrosis.

PURPOSE: Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Rac exchange factor-1 (P-Rex1), as one of the members of Rac-GEFs, has been proven to play a critical role in cancer progression and metastasis. Nonetheless, its role in cardiac fibrosis remains elusive. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether and how the P-Rex1 mediates AngII-induced cardiac fibrosis. METHOD: A cardiac fibrosis mouse model was established by chronic AngII perfusion. The heart structure, function, pathological changes of myocardial tissues, oxidative stress, and cardiac fibrotic protein expression were determined in an AngII induced mouse model. To provide a molecular mechanism for P-Rex1 involvement in cardiac fibrosis, a specific inhibitor or siRNA was used to block P-Rex1, and target the relationship between Rac1-GTPase and its downstream effector. RESULTS: Blocking P-Rex1 showed down-regulation of its downstream effectors such as the profibrotic transcriptional regulator Paks, ERK1/2, and ROS generation. Intervention treatment with P-Rex1 inhibitor 1A-116 ameliorated AngII-induced abnormalities in heart structure and function. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of the P-Rex1/Rac1 axis showed a protective effect in AngII-induced cardiac fibrosis through the down-regulation of collagen1, CTGF, and α-SMA expression. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated for the first time that P-Rex1 was an essential signaling mediator in CFs activation and subsequent cardiac fibrosis, and 1A-116 could be a potential pharmacological development drug.

The Value of Serum YKL-40 and TNF-α in the Diagnosis of Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a serious cardiovascular disease that poses a great threat to the life and health of patients. Therefore, early diagnosis is important for STEMI patient treatment and prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of serum YKL-40 and TNF-α in the diagnosis of STEMI. Methods: From October 2020 to February 2022, 120 patients with STEMI were admitted to the Chest Pain Center of the Second People's Hospital of Hefei, and 81 patients with negative coronary angiography were selected as the control group. Serum YKL-40 and TNF-α concentrations were measured by sandwich ELISA. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between serum YKL-40, TNF-α, and serum troponin I (cTnI) in STEMI patients; multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen independent risk factors for STEMI. Three diagnostic models were constructed: cTnI univariate model (model A), combined serum YKL-40 and TNF-α model other than cTnI (model B), and combined cTnI and serum YKL-40 and TNF-α model (model C). We assessed the clinical usefulness of the diagnostic model by comparing AUC with decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: Serum YKL-40 and TNF-α in the STEMI group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.001). On Pearson correlation analysis, there was a significant positive correlation between serum YKL-40, TNF-α, and cTnI levels in STEMI patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum YKL-40 and TNF-α were independent risk factors for the development of STEMI. The results of ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of serum YKL-40 for predicting the occurrence of STEMI was 0.704. The AUC of serum TNF-α for predicting the occurrence of STEMI was 0.852. The AUC of cTnI as a traditional model, model A, for predicting the occurrence of STEMI was 0.875. Model B predicted STEMI with an AUC of 0.851. The addition of serum YKL-40 and serum TNF-α to the traditional diagnostic model composed of cTnI constituted a new diagnostic model; that is, the AUC of model C for predicting the occurrence of STEMI was 0.930. Model C had a better net benefit between a threshold probability of 70-95% for DCA. Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrate the utility of serum YKL-40 and TNF-α as diagnostic markers for STEMI and the clinical utility of diagnostic models by combining serum YKL-40 and TNF-α with cTnI.

Chronic isoprenaline/phenylephrine vs. exclusive isoprenaline stimulation in mice: critical contribution of alpha1-adrenoceptors to early cardiac stress responses.

Hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system is a major driver of cardiac remodeling, exerting its effects through both α-, and ß-adrenoceptors (α-, ß-ARs). As the relative contribution of subtype α1-AR to cardiac stress responses remains poorly investigated, we subjected mice to either subcutaneous perfusion with the ß-AR agonist isoprenaline (ISO, 30 mg/kg × day) or to a combination of ISO and the stable α1-AR agonist phenylephrine (ISO/PE, 30 mg/kg × day each). Telemetry analysis revealed similar hemodynamic responses under both ISO and ISO/PE treatment i.e., permanently increased heart rates and only transient decreases in mean blood pressure during the first 24 h. Echocardiography and single cell analysis after 1 week of exposure showed that ISO/PE-, but not ISO-treated animals established α1-AR-mediated inotropic responsiveness to acute adrenergic stimulation. Morphologically, additional PE perfusion limited concentric cardiomyocyte growth and enhanced cardiac collagen deposition during 7 days of treatment. Time-course analysis demonstrated a diverging development in transcriptional patterns at day 4 of treatment i.e., increased expression of selected marker genes Xirp2, Nppa, Tgfb1, Col1a1, Postn under chronic ISO/PE treatment which was either less pronounced or absent in the ISO group. Transcriptome analyses at day 4 via RNA sequencing demonstrated that additional PE treatment caused a marked upregulation of genes allocated to extracellular matrix and fiber organization along with a more pronounced downregulation of genes involved in metabolic processes, muscle adaptation and cardiac electrophysiology. Consistently, transcriptome changes under ISO/PE challenge more effectively recapitulated early transcriptional alterations in pressure overload-induced experimental heart failure and in human hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

microRNA-193-3p attenuates myocardial injury of mice with sepsis via STAT3/HMGB1 axis.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known regarding the functional role of microRNA-193-3p (miR-193-3p) in sepsis. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of miR-193-3p on myocardial injury in mice with sepsis and its mechanism through the regulation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3). METHODS: The mice model of sepsis was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), septic mice were injected with miR-193-3p agomir, miR-193-3p antagomir or siRNA-STAT3. The expression of miR-193-3p, STAT3 and HMGB1 in the myocardial tissue of septic mice were detected. Cardiac ultrasound, hemodynamics, myocardial injury markers, inflammatory factors and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in septic mice were measured. RESULTS: MiR-193-3p expression was reduced while STAT3 expression was increased in septic mice. Down-regulated STAT3 or up-regulated miR-193-3p improved cardiac function, attenuated myocardial injury, inflammation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in septic mice. Knockdown STAT3 reversed the role of inhibited miR-193-3p for mice with sepsis. miR-193-3p targeted STAT3, thereby inhibiting HMGB1 expression. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that miR-193-3p targets STAT3 expression to reduce HMGB1 expression, thereby reducing septic myocardial damage. MiR-193-3p might be a potential candidate marker and therapeutic target for sepsis.

Higher serum level of Cystatin C: An additional risk factor of CAD.

ABSTRACT: Cystatin C has been proposed as a useful biomarker of early impaired kidney function and a predictor of mortality risk. The present study is to investigate the association between serum Cystatin C and the severity of coronary artery lesions, Gensini score (GS), and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).A total of 682 CAD patients (230 females, 452 males; mean age 62.6 ±â€Š10.7 years, range from 31 to 86 years) and 135 controls (41 females, 94 males; mean age 58.0 ±â€Š10.3 years, range from 38 to 84 years) were recruited in the present study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to measure serum cystatin C levels and other serum indexes. The estimated glomerular filtration rate and GS were calculated.Serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), uric acid, Cystatin C, and homocysteine (HCY) were significantly elevated in CAD patients compared to controls. There were significant differences regarding total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, cystatin C, eGFR and GS among stable angina pectoris (SAP), unstable angina group (UAP), and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. AMI group had an elevated serum Cystatin C, LDL-C, HCY, and GS than SAP and UAP patients. When stratified patient groups by the quartiles of Cystatin C, we found age, the proportion of male and patients with diabetes, HCY, and GS were increased in Q4 than in other quartile groups. Spearman correlation test revealed a positive relationship between Cystatin C, HCY, and GS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that serum Cystatin C level, presence of hypertension and diabetes, HCY, age, and male were the risk factors for coronary artery lesions.In summary, our results suggested that cystatin C is a promising clinical biomarker that provides complementary information to the established risk determinants. The serum Cystatin C level is strongly associated with GS and could be used to evaluate the severity of coronary artery lesions.

LIMD1-AS1 suppressed non-small cell lung cancer progression through stabilizing LIMD1 mRNA via hnRNP U.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) occupies the majority of lung cancer cases and is notorious for the awful prognosis. LIM domains-containing 1 (LIMD1) is suggested as a tumor suppressor in lung cancer, but its mechanism in NSCLC remains elusive. Present study aimed to uncover the mechanism of LIMD1 in NSCLC. METHODS: qRT-PCR was performed to analyze the level of LIMD1. The functions of LIMD1 in NSCLC cells were evaluated by CCK-8, EdU, and caspase-3 activity assays. RIP and pull-down assays were applied to determine the interaction of LIMD1 with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNP U) and LIMD1-AS1. RESULTS: LIMD1 was downregulated in NSCLC samples and cells. Functionally, LIMD1 hindered proliferation and drove apoptosis in NSCLC cells. Moreover, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) LIMD1 antisense RNA 1 (LIMD1-AS1) was downregulated in NSCLC samples and cell lines. LIMD1-AS1 knockdown abrogated NSCLC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, LIMD1-AS1 stabilized LIMD1 mRNA through interacting with hnRNP U. Rescue experiments suggested that LIMD1-AS1 repressed NSCLC progression through LIMD1. CONCLUSIONS: LIMD1-AS1 suppressed NSCLC progression through stabilizing LIMD1 mRNA via hnRNP U, providing new thoughts for the improvement of molecular-targeted therapy for NSCLC.

Upregulating MicroRNA-203 Alleviates Myocardial Remodeling and Cell Apoptosis Through Downregulating Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B in Rats With Myocardial Infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of cardiovascular diseases with high incidence and mortality. MicroRNAs, as posttranscriptional regulators of genes, are involved in many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine whether miR-203 was functional in MI therapy and how it worked. Left anterior descending artery ligation and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) treatment were, respectively, performed to obtain MI rats and hypoxia-injured H9c2 cells. Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to determine protein levels and messenger RNA of relevant genes, respectively. Lentivirus-mediated overexpression of miR-203 was performed to study the miR-203 functions on left ventricular remodeling, infarct size, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Compared with the sham group, miR-203 levels were significantly decreased in MI and H/R groups. However, overexpressing miR-203 greatly improved the cardiac function, reduced infarct size in rats after MI and weakened infarction-induced apoptosis by increasing Bcl-2 and reducing decreasing Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-9. In addition, Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) was proved as a target of miR-203 in cardiomyocytes, and it was negatively regulated by miR-203. Further experiments indicated that PTP1B overexpression could remarkably inhibit miR-203-mediated antiapoptosis of cardiomyocytes and alleviate protective effects of miR-203 on mitochondria after H/R treatment. Altogether, miR-203 prevented infarction-induced apoptosis by regulating PTP1B, including reducing proapoptosis proteins, inactivating caspase pathway, and protecting mitochondria. In conclusion, miR-203 had abilities to alleviate MI-caused injury on myocardium tissues and reduce mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, which might be a potential target used for MI therapy.

Predicting in-hospital death in patients with type B acute aortic dissection.

The outcome of patients with acute type B aortic dissection (BAAD) is largely dictated by whether or not the case is "complicated." The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors leading to in-hospital death among patients with BAAD and then to develop a predictive model to estimate individual risk of in-hospital death.A total of 188 patients with BAAD were enrolled. Risk factors for in-hospital death were investigated with univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Significant risk factors were used to develop a predictive model.The in-hospital mortality rate was 9% (17 of 188 patients). Univariate analysis revealed 7 risk factors to be statistically significant predictors of in-hospital death (P < .1). In multivariable analysis, the following variables at admission were independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality: hypotension (odds ratio [OR], 4.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-18.90; P = .04), ischemic complications (OR, 8.24; 95% CI, 1.25-33.85; P < .001), renal dysfunction (OR, 12.32; 95% CI, 10.63-76.66; P < .001), and neutrophil percentage ≥80% (OR, 5.76; 95% CI, 2.58-12.56; P = .03). Based on these multivariable results, a reliable and simple prediction model was developed, a total score of 4 offered the best point value.Independent risk factors associated with in-hospital death can be predicted in BAAD patients. The prediction model could be used to identify the prognosis for BAAD patients and assist physicians in their choice of management.

1,25-Vitamin D3 protects against cooking oil fumes-derived PM2.5-induced cell damage through its anti-inflammatory effects in cardiomyocytes.

The functional role of 1,25-vitamin D3 in cooking oil fumes (COFs)-derived PM2.5-induced cell damage is largely unexplored. The present study investigated the protective role of 1,25-vitamin D3 against cell injury by possible involvement of JAK/STAT and NF-κB signaling pathways in cardiomyocytes. Cell viability was measured using CCK-8 assay, and cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry, qRT-PCR and Western blot in cultured rat neonatal cardiomyocytes treated with 1,25-vitamin D3 and COFs-derived PM2.5. Expressions of JAK/STAT and NF-κB signaling pathway were measured by Western blot. The results suggested that treatment with COFs-derived PM2.5 significantly decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis and oxidative stress in cultured rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. 1,25-vitamin D3 pretreatment alleviated the cell injury by increasing cell viability and decreasing apoptosis in the cardiomyocytes. 1,25-vitamin D3 pretreatment also decreased the ROS level and inflammation in the cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, 1,25-vitamin D3 pretreatment alleviated COFs-derived PM2.5-evoked elevation of JAK/STAT and NF-κB signaling pathways. Our study showed that 1,25-vitamin D3 pretreatment protected cardiomyocytes from COFs-derived PM2.5-induced injury by decreasing ROS, apoptosis and inflammation level via activations of the JAK/STAT and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Comparison of clinical outcomes after drug-eluting stent implantation in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients in China: A retrospective study.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been proved to be a predictor of adverse outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Drug-eluting stents (DESs) could reduce the adverse events in DM patients. In this study, we aimed to analyze the clinical outcome after DES implantation in diabetic versus nondiabetic patients in China. Totally, 200 Chinese DM patients and 400 Chinese non-DM patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Compared with non-DM patients, DM patients were more likely to have a higher incidence of cardiac death (3.5% vs. 1.0%, P = .048), stent thrombosis (2.5% vs. 0.5%, P = .044), target lesion revascularization (6.0% vs. 1.8%, P = .005), target vessel failure (15.5% vs. 8.0%, P < .001), target lesion failure (14.0% vs. 4.3%, P < .001), myocardial infarction (4.5% vs. 1.5%, P = .030), and major adverse cardiac events (12.5% vs. 5.0%, P = .001) at 2-year follow-up. However, the incidence of target vessel revascularization (7.5% vs. 5.5%, P = .340) was similar between DB and non-DB patients. Patients with DB (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.54, P = .001), older than 80 years (HR = 1.33, P = .027) with hypercholesterolemia (HR = 1.03, P < .001), serum creatinine >177 µmol/L (HR = 3.04, P = .011), a history of cerebral vascular accident (HR = 4.29, P = .010), or a history of myocardial infarction (HR = 31.4, P < .001) were more likely to experience adverse events. In China, DM could also be served as an independent predictor of adverse outcomes after DES implantation. These patients should be reexamined more frequently.

Altered heart rate variability depend on the characteristics of coronary lesions in stable angina pectoris.

OBJECTIVE: Dysfunction of cardiac autonomic nerve system is considered as one of risk factors for coronary atherosclerotic heart disease. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been used to study the correlation between damage of coronary artery and dysfunction of autonomic nervous system. We hypothesize the correlation between damage of coronary artery and dysfunction of autonomic nervous system by HRV among subjects with stable angina. METHODS: A 236 subjects who diagnosed as stable angina pectoris by elective coronary angiography, were divided into two groups by Gensini score system (GS):GS≤32 (GS1) and GS2>32 (GS2). Subgroups were divided based on location of stenosis lesions and the number of coronary artery disease. 86 subjects suspicious with stable angina pectoris with normal coronary angiography were selected as the control group. All subjects were received 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram and the result of time-domain HRV was analyzed (SDNN, SDANN, SDNNind, RMSSD, PNN50). RESULTS: Compared with control group, SDNN, SDNNind and RMSSD lower in GS1, and SDNN, SDANN, SDNNind, RMSSD, PNN50 lower in GS2; ccompared with GS1, SDNN was lower in GS2. Compared with control group, SDNN in one-vessel, SDNN, SDANN in two-vessel diseased and in three-vessel diseased were lower, and compared with two-vessel diseased, SDNN, SDANN lower in three-vessel diseased. Compared with right-coronary artery diseased, SDNN and SDANN in left-coronary artery diseased group were lower, while compared with lesions in left circumflex, SDNN in lesions in left anterior descending artery lower. CONCLUSION: HRV may be play a crucial role in estimating the correlation between damage of coronary artery and dysfunction of autonomic nerve system.