Design and rationale of the ATTRACTIVE trial: a randomised trial of intrAThrombus Thrombolysis versus aspiRAtion thrombeCTomy during prImary percutaneous coronary interVEntion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with high thrombus burden.

Introduction: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with high thrombus burden is associated with a poor prognosis. Manual aspiration thrombectomy reduces coronary vessel distal embolisation, improves microvascular perfusion and reduces cardiovascular deaths, but it promotes more strokes and transient ischaemic attacks in the subgroup with high thrombus burden. Intrathrombus thrombolysis (ie, the local delivery of thrombolytics into the coronary thrombus) is a recently proposed treatment approach that theoretically reduces thrombus volume and the risk of microvascular dysfunction.

Canada acute coronary syndrome risk score predicts no-/slow-reflow in ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: The no-/slow-reflow phenomenon following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)is associated with poor prognosis. The early identification of high-risk patients with no-/slow-reflow is critical. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive ability of the Canada Acute Coronary Syndrome (C-ACS) risk score for no-/slow-reflow in these patients.

Ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel for coronary microvascular dysfunction in patients with STEMI: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: Approximately half of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients who undergo revascularization present with coronary microvascular dysfunction. Dual antiplatelet therapy, consisting of aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor (e.g.

Structure of complex III with bound antimalarial agent CK-2-68 provides insights into selective inhibition of Plasmodium cytochrome bc complexes.

Among the various components of the protozoan Plasmodium mitochondrial respiratory chain, only Complex III is a validated cellular target for antimalarial drugs. The compound CK-2-68 was developed to specifically target the alternate NADH dehydrogenase of the malaria parasite respiratory chain, but the true target for its antimalarial activity has been controversial. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of mammalian mitochondrial Complex III bound with CK-2-68 and examine the structure-function relationships of the inhibitor's selective action on Plasmodium.

Pulmonary rehabilitation restores limb muscle mitochondria and improves the intramuscular metabolic profile.

Background: Exercise, as the cornerstone of pulmonary rehabilitation, is recommended to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The underlying molecular basis and metabolic process were not fully elucidated.

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were classified into five groups: non-COPD/rest ( n  = 8), non-COPD/exercise ( n  = 7), COPD/rest ( n  = 7), COPD/medium exercise ( n  = 10), and COPD/intensive exercise ( n  = 10).

Photoinduced electron transfer in cytochrome bc: Dynamics of rotation of the Iron-sulfur protein during bifurcated electron transfer from ubiquinol to cytochrome c and cytochrome b.

The electron transfer reactions within wild-type Rhodobacter sphaeroides cytochrome bc (cyt bc) were studied using a binuclear ruthenium complex to rapidly photooxidize cyt c. When cyt c, the iron‑sulfur center FeS, and cyt b were reduced before the reaction, photooxidation of cyt c led to electron transfer from FeS to cyt c with a rate constant of k = 80,000 s, followed by bifurcated reduction of both FeS and cyt b by QH in the Q site with a rate constant of k = 3000 s. The resulting Q then traveled from the Q site to the Q site and oxidized one equivalent each of cyt b and cyt b with a rate constant of k = 340 s.

Empagliflozin inhibits coronary microvascular dysfunction and reduces cardiac pericyte loss in db/db mice.

Background: Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a pathophysiological feature of diabetic heart disease. However, whether sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors protect the cardiovascular system by alleviating CMD is not known.

Objective: We observed the protective effects of empagliflozin (EMPA) on diabetic CMD.

The triglyceride glucose index is associated with future cardiovascular disease nonlinearly in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between triglyceride glucose index and cardiovascular disease (CVD) development in the Chinese middle-aged and elderly population using the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study dataset 2011-2018.

Methods: Basic characteristics of participants, including sociodemographic information, and health conditions, were acquired. Logistic regression analyses and restricted cubic spline regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between the triglyceride glucose index and future CVD risks.

Association between kaolin-induced maximum amplitude and slow-flow/no-reflow in ST elevation myocardial infarction patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with a high thrombus burden have a relatively high slow-flow/no-reflow risk. However, the association between kaolin-induced maximum amplitude (MA) and slow-flow/no-reflow has been scarcely explored.

Methods: STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were retrospectively enrolled from January 2015 to December 2019 at China-Japan Friendship Hospital.

Triglyceride glucose index exacerbates the risk of future cardiovascular disease due to diabetes: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS).

Objective: We aimed to investigate the effect of the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index on the association between diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods: Data from 6,114 individuals were extracted and analyzed from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) from 2011 to 2018. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between diabetes and CVD across the various TyG index groups.

Ischemia preconditioning alleviates ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced coronary no-reflow and contraction of microvascular pericytes in rats.

Background: Ischemia preconditioning (IPC) ameliorates coronary no-reflow induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, and pericytes play an important role in microvascular function. However, it is unclear whether IPC exerts a protective effect on coronary microcirculation and regulates the pericytes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether IPC improves coronary microvascular perfusion and reduces pericyte constriction after myocardial I/R injury.

Interleukin-7 aggravates myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury by regulating macrophage infiltration and polarization.

Interleukin (IL)-7 is known to enhance the macrophages cytotoxic activity and that macrophages play a pivotal role in the development and progression of myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the effects of IL-7 on macrophages infiltration and polarization in myocardial I/R injury are currently unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the IL-7 expression on myocardial I/R injury and their relationship with macrophages.

Whole-Mount Kidney Clearing and Visualization Reveal Renal Sympathetic Hyperinnervation in Heart Failure Mice.

Developing a three-dimensional (3D) visualization of the kidney at the whole-mount scale is challenging. In the present study, we optimized mouse whole-mount kidney clearing, which improved the transparency ratio to over 90% based on organ-specific perfusion (OSP)-clear, unobstructed brain imaging cocktails and computational analysis (CUBIC). The optimized OSP-CUBIC-compatible 3D immunostaining and imaging simultaneously visualized the high-resolution 3D structure of the whole-mount renal microvascular, glomerulus, and accompanying wrapped traveling sympathetic nerves in mice.

Prognostic value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and glycosylated hemoglobin for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with single concomitant chronic total occlusion following primary percutaneous coronary intervention: A prospective observational study.

To investigate factors predicting the onset of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) for patients with non-ST-segment elevation infarction (NSTEMI) and single concomitant chronic total occlusion (CTO). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) both play essential role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular homoeostasis. However, current knowledge of its predictive prognostic value is limited.

Tanshinone IIA Exerts Anti-Inflammatory and Immune-Regulating Effects on Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque Partially the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB Signal Pathway.

Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), a lipophilic constituent from Bunge, has shown a promising cardioprotective effect including anti-atherosclerosis. This study aims at exploring Tan IIA's anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating roles in stabilizing vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque in ApoE-deficient (ApoE) mice. Male ApoE mice (6 weeks) were fed with a high-fat diet for 13 weeks and then randomized to the model group (MOD) or Tan IIA groups [high dose: 90 mg/kg/day (HT), moderate dose: 30 mg/kg/day (MT), low dose: 10 mg/kg/day (LT)] or the atorvastatin group (5 mg/kg/day, ATO) for 13 weeks.

Naringenin Ameliorates Renovascular Hypertensive Renal Damage by Normalizing the Balance of Renin-Angiotensin System Components in Rats.

Naringenin, a member of the dihydroflavone family, has been shown to have a protective function in multiple diseases. We previously demonstrated that naringenin played a protective role in hypertensive myocardial hypertrophy by decreasing angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) expression. The kidney is a primary target organ of hypertension.

Crystal structure of bacterial cytochrome in complex with azoxystrobin reveals a conformational switch of the Rieske iron-sulfur protein subunit.

Cytochrome complexes (cyt ), also known as complex III in mitochondria, are components of the cellular respiratory chain and of the photosynthetic apparatus of non-oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. They catalyze electron transfer (ET) from ubiquinol to cytochrome and concomitantly translocate protons across the membrane, contributing to the cross-membrane potential essential for a myriad of cellular activities. This ET-coupled proton translocation reaction requires a gating mechanism that ensures bifurcated electron flow.

Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Predicts One-year Recurrent Cardiovascular Events: Potential Biomarker of "Toxin Syndrome" in Coronary Heart Disease.

Objective: To examine the prognostic value of serum levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) thus explore a potential biomarker of "toxin syndrome" in CHD.

Methods: In this prospective nested case-control study, 36 of 1,503 Chinese patients with stable CHD experienced at least 1 recurrent cardiovascular event (RCE) during 1-year follow-up. Serum levels of ADMA at the start of follow-up were compared between these 36 cases and 36 controls which matched to cases in terms of gender, age, history of hypertension, and myocardial infarction.

Involvement of B cells in the pathophysiology of β-aminopropionitrile-induced thoracic aortic dissection in mice.

Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is a life-threatening disease that is characterized by an inflammatory response. Innate and cellular immunity has long been known to be involved in TAD, but the role of humoral immunity in the pathophysiology of TAD remains unknown. We administered the lysyl oxidase inhibitor β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN; 1 g/kg/day) in 3-week-old male C57BL/6J mice for 4 weeks to establish an animal model of TAD.

Postnatal deficiency of ADAMTS1 ameliorates thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection in mice.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) is characterized by extracellular matrix remodelling and an inflammatory response. Evidence suggests that ADAMTS1 is closely associated with TAAD development, but whether it contributes to the pathophysiology of TAAD remains unknown. What is the main finding and its importance? We generated inducible postnatal ADAMTS1 knockout mice and found that ADAMTS1 deficiency attenuated β-aminopropionitrile-dependent TAAD formation and rupture.

Naringenin inhibits N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester-induced hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy by decreasing angiotensin-converting enzyme 1 expression.

Naringenin (NGN) is a natural flavonoid that exerts antiinflammatory, antioxidant and cardioprotective effects. The present study investigated the effects of NGN on left ventricular hypertrophy in rats with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)-induced hypertension, and sought to determine the underlying mechanism of action. The rats received the following by gavage daily for 56 days: L-NAME (50 mg/kg/day) + NGN (100 mg/kg/day), L-NAME (50 mg/kg/day) + saline, or saline + saline.

Oral administration of Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom in rats induces tumors in multiple organs.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom (AMK), belonging to the Aristolochia family, is traditionally used in China to remove heart fire, promote dieresis, restore menstruation, and enhance milk secretion. The active constitutes of AMK are aristolochic acids (AAs, I and II) that are reported to cause serious side effects including nephrotoxicity and carcinogenicity.

Aim Of The Study: The tumorigenic role of AMK is far to be understood.

Association of serum ADAMTS-7 levels with left ventricular reverse remodeling after ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with a good prognosis. Serum levels of ADAMTS-7 might be used for the prognosis of STEMI. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum ADAMTS-7 levels and LVRR.

Hydrogen Bonding to the Substrate Is Not Required for Rieske Iron-Sulfur Protein Docking to the Quinol Oxidation Site of Complex III.

Complex III or the cytochrome (cyt) bc complex constitutes an integral part of the respiratory chain of most aerobic organisms and of the photosynthetic apparatus of anoxygenic purple bacteria. The function of cyt bc is to couple the reaction of electron transfer from ubiquinol to cytochrome c to proton pumping across the membrane. Mechanistically, the electron transfer reaction requires docking of its Rieske iron-sulfur protein (ISP) subunit to the quinol oxidation site (Q) of the complex.