Establishment and evaluation of a nomogram prediction model for risk of atrial fibrillation recurrence after the cox-maze IV procedure.

The Cox-Maze IV (CMIV) procedure is the mainstay in surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the rate of AF recurrence after the CMIV procedure in patients with persistent AF is difficult to accurately evaluate. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate a risk prediction model of AF recurrence within 1 year after undergoing the Cox-Maze IV procedure. We retrospectively enrolled 303 consecutive patients who underwent the Cox-Maze IV procedure for persistent AF concomitant with other cardiac procedures at our institute between 2019 and 2021.

Hypoxic stabilization of RIPOR3 mRNA via METTL3-mediated mA methylation drives breast cancer progression and metastasis.

Dysregulated N-methyladenosine (mA) modification has been associated with breast cancer pathogenesis. Hypoxia which characterizes solid tumors is known to reprogram the mA epitranscriptome, but the underlying mechanisms of how this process contributes to breast cancer progression remain poorly understood. Through integrative analyses of mA-RIP sequencing and RNA sequencing databases, we reveal a cluster of mRNAs with upregulated mA methylation and expression under hypoxia, that are enriched by many oncogenic pathways, including PI3K-Akt signaling.

Phillygenin attenuates cell apoptosis and microglia activation in cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion rats through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ.

Ischaemic stroke is a common condition that can lead to cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Phillygenin (PHI), a natural bioactive compound derived from Forsythia suspensa, has been shown to play a crucial role in regulating inflammation across various diseases. However, its specific regulatory effects in ischaemic stroke progression remain unclear.

Influence of stent strut and its associated injury on thrombus formation: A dissipative particle dynamics study.

Vascular stent intervention is a pivotal treatment for coronary atherosclerosis, though in-stent thrombosis remains a significant postoperative complication with an unclear underlying mechanism. This study utilized dissipated particle dynamics analysis to investigate the impact of stent and its injury on platelet behavior. The findings suggest that thrombus formation upstream of the stent is mainly initiated by upstream arterial injury, which leads to increased platelet accumulation and activation in that area.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 colonization and high expression of inflammatory factors in cardiac tissue 6 months after COVID-19 recovery: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in myocardial autopsy tissues has been observed in certain individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the duration of cardiac involvement remains uncertain among recovered COVID-19 patients. Our study aims to evaluate the long-term persistence of SARS-CoV-2 within cardiac tissue.

A new minimal invasive technique with in-situ stent-graft fenestration for type A aortic dissection.

Background: Aortic surgery successfully improves the prognosis of patients with type A aortic dissection. However, total arch replacement and reconstruction remain challenging. This study presents a new surgical modality, the in-situ stent-graft fenestration (ISSF) technique, for simplifying aortic arch reconstruction and assesses its short-term efficacy and safety in patients with type A aortic dissection.

Clinical impact of baseline mitral regurgitation on outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis.

Objective: The clinical impact of baseline mitral regurgitation (MR) on the outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is not clear. This study sought to assess the clinical impact of baseline MR on outcomes after TAVR.

Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis.

Effect of transcatheter aortic valve replacement on ascending aorta dilatation rate in patients with tricuspid and bicuspid aortic stenosis.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the differences between BAV and TAV patients with chronic moderate to severe or severe AS regarding presentation, incidence of TAVR, survival, ascending aorta diameter and dilatation rate before and after TAVR.

Methods: The study included 667 consecutive patients with chronic moderate to severe or severe AS from January 2012 and December 2022. Outcomes included all-cause mortality, incidence of TAVR, and ascending aorta diameter and dilatation rate.

Early outcome of simplified total arch reconstruction under mild hypothermia (30-32 °C) with distal aortic perfusion.

Objective: We designed a simplified total arch reconstruction (s-TAR) technique which could be performed under mild hypothermia (30-32 °C) with distal aortic perfusion. This study aimed to compare its efficacy of organ protection with the conventional total arch reconstruction (c-TAR).

Methods: We reviewed the clinical data of 195 patients who had ascending aortic aneurysm with extended aortic arch dilation and underwent simultaneous ascending aorta replacement and TAR procedure between January 2018 and December 2022 in our center.

A modified prosthesis eversion technique for proximal anastomosis in ascending aorta replacement.

Background: One of the crucial aspects of ascending aorta replacement is to achieve hemostasis of the proximal anastomosis. This study aimed to describe a modified prosthesis eversion technique for proximal anastomosis in ascending aorta replacement and compare its operative outcomes with the conventional prosthesis eversion technique.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients who had ascending aortic aneurysm and underwent ascending aorta replacement with the modified or conventional prosthesis eversion technique between January 2019 and December 2022 in our center.

Comparison and Evaluation of Two Combination Modes of Angiotensin for Establishing Murine Aortic Dissection Models.

Aortic dissection (AD) is a potentially fatal cardiovascular emergency caused by separation of different layers of aortic wall. However, because of limited time window available for clinical research, there is an urgent need for an ideal animal research model. In recent years, the incidence of AD complicated by atherosclerosis has increased with improvements of living standards and changes of eating habits.

A mitochondrial EglN1-AMPKα axis drives breast cancer progression by enhancing metabolic adaptation to hypoxic stress.

Mitochondria play essential roles in cancer cell adaptation to hypoxia, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Through mitochondrial proteomic profiling, we here find that the prolyl hydroxylase EglN1 (PHD2) accumulates on mitochondria under hypoxia. EglN1 substrate-binding region in the β2β3 loop is responsible for its mitochondrial translocation and contributes to breast tumor growth.

A cleaved METTL3 potentiates the METTL3-WTAP interaction and breast cancer progression.

-methyladenosine (mA) methylation of RNA by the methyltransferase complex (MTC), with core components including METTL3-METTL14 heterodimers and (WTAP), contributes to breast tumorigenesis, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we identify a novel cleaved form METTL3a (residues 239-580 of METTL3). We find that METTL3a is required for the METTL3-WTAP interaction, RNA mA deposition, as well as cancer cell proliferation.

Prognostic impact of new permanent pacemaker implantation following transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background: Conduction disturbances requiring permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) are common following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). There were conflicting data regarding the impact of new PPI on clinical outcomes after TAVR.

Objectives: The study sought to evaluate the impact of new PPI on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing TAVR.

Transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement for pure native aortic regurgitation: one-year outcomes of a single-center study.

Background: Evidence about safety and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the Venus A-Valve system (Venus Medtech, Hangzhou, China) remains limited for patients with pure native aortic regurgitation (PNAR).

Objectives: The single-center study sought to report the one-year clinical outcomes of the Venus A-Valve in the treatment of PNAR.

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.

LonP1 Links Mitochondria-ER Interaction to Regulate Heart Function.

Interorganelle contacts and communications are increasingly recognized to play a vital role in cellular function and homeostasis. In particular, the mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane contact site (MAM) is known to regulate ion and lipid transfer, as well as signaling and organelle dynamics. However, the regulatory mechanisms of MAM formation and their function are still elusive.

α-Ketoglutarate-dependent Enzymes in Breast Cancer and Therapeutic Implications.

α-Ketoglutarate (αKG)-dependent dioxygenases are a superfamily of enzymes that require oxygen, reduced iron, and αKG for their catalytic functions. Therefore, they have the potential to sense the availabilities of oxygen, iron, and specific metabolites, including αKG and its structurally related metabolites. These enzymes play essential roles in various biological processes, including cellular adaptation to hypoxia, epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulation of gene expression, and metabolic reprogramming.

FDXR drives primary and endocrine-resistant tumor cell growth in ER+ breast cancer via CPT1A-mediated fatty acid oxidation.

Background: The majority of breast cancers (BCs) expressing estrogen receptor (ER) have shown endocrine resistance. Our previous study demonstrated that ferredoxin reductase (FDXR) promoted mitochondrial function and ER+ breast tumorigenesis. But the underlying mechanism is not clear.

Simplified total arch reconstruction with a stented graft for extended aortic arch dilation.

Background: Reconstruction of the aortic arch and its three supra-aortic vessels remains a great surgical challenge with postoperative complications. We present a simplified total arch reconstruction with a modified stent graft (s-TAR) and compared its operative outcomes with conventional total arch replacement (c-TAR).

Methods: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from all consecutive patients who had ascending aortic aneurysm with extended aortic arch dilation and underwent simultaneous ascending aorta replacement and aortic arch reconstruction with the s-TAR or c-TAR between 2018 and 2021.

Case report: Multiple brain metastases of atrial myxoma: Clinical experience and literature review.

Myxoma is the most common type of benign cardiac tumor in adults, and it has a strong tendency to embolize or metastasize to distant organs. Patients with multiple brain metastases have rarely been seen in clinics; hence, standard treatment protocols for multimyxoma metastasis in the brain have not been established. We present the case of a 47-year-old female who had convulsions in the right hand and repeated seizures.

Loss of Sam50 in hepatocytes induces cardiolipin-dependent mitochondrial membrane remodeling to trigger mtDNA release and liver injury.

Background And Aims: Sam50, a key component of the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM) complex, is also involved in bridging mitochondrial outer-membrane and inner-membrane contacts. However, the physiological and pathological functions of Sam50 remain largely unknown.

Approach And Results: Here we show that Sam50 interacts with MICOS (mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system) and ATAD3 (ATPase family AAA domain-containing protein 3) to form the Sam50-MICOS-ATAD3-mtDNA axis, which maintains mtDNA stability.

Extended Stent Coverage Decreases Distal Aortic Segmental Enlargement After the Endovascular Repair of Acute Complicated Type B Aortic Dissection: A Multi-Center Retrospective Study of 814 Patients.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of distal aortic segmental enlargement (DASE) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair for complicated type B aortic dissection (cTBAD).

Materials And Methods: From March 2003 to October 2018, 814 patients with acute cTBAD from 5 medical centers were retrospectively identified. DASE is indicated as the enlargement of distal aortic segmental volume ≥1.

Effect of High-Flow Nasal Cannula for Hypoxemia Following Sun's Procedure in Acute Aortic Dissection Type a Patients.

Patients with acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) often have hypoxemia (partial pressure of oxygen [PaO]/fraction of inspired oxygen [FiO] <300 mmHg) before weaning in the intensive care unit (ICU). This study compared the efficacy of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) with that of conventional oxygen therapy (COT) in patients with AADA following Sun's procedure. The medical records of 87 adult patients with AADA who underwent Sun's procedure and met the inclusion criteria (PaO/FiO <300 mmHg before weaning) were retrospectively analyzed.

The effect of the root-colonizing Piriformospora indica on passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) development: Initial defense shifts to fitness benefits and higher fruit quality.

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) has an important economic value as exotic ingredient in juice blends. We inoculated the passion fruit cultivar Passiflora edulis Sims f. edulis's roots with the beneficial root-colonizing fungus Piriformospora indica under greenhouse conditions.