Observation of the effectiveness of clinical indicators of cardiac shock wave therapy in patients with ischemic heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) has a high prevalence and mortality rate, imposing a heavy burden on patients and society, and there is still a need to optimize treatment options for IHD patients. Cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) is gaining popularity as a new treatment for IHD patients. The objective of this meta-analysis is to reassess the effects of CSWT on IHD patients in light of the limited number of clinical studies included in previously published reviews, inconsistent methodological quality, and unclear outcomes.

Relationship between physical performance and mild cognitive impairment in elderly hemodialysis patients is modified by the presence of diabetes: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between physical performance and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the presence or absence of type 2 diabetes in elderly hemodialysis patients.

Methods: In this multicenter cross-sectional study, 396 clinically stable and aged ≥60 years hemodialysis patients (255 men; mean age: 68.3 ± 5.

Alteration of plasma metabolic profile and physical performance combined with metabolites is more sensitive to early screening for mild cognitive impairment.

Objective: Unbiased metabolic profiling has been initiated to identify novel metabolites. However, it remains a challenge to define reliable biomarkers for rapid and accurate diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Our study aimed to evaluate the association of serum metabolites with MCI, attempting to find new biomarkers and combination models that are distinct for MCI.

Comparison of Inflammatory Markers in the Diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome in Hemodialysis Patients: A Multicenter Observational Study.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to observe the correlation between high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in hemodialysis patients, determine its optimal cut-off point value, and compare the diagnostic ability of different inflammatory markers for MetS.

Methods: This cross-sectional study finally included 860 long-term hemodialysis patients (male 524, average age 61.5 years) from seven dialysis centers in Shanghai, China.

Crosstalk between cardiomyocytes and noncardiomyocytes is essential to prevent cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by proteasome inhibition.

Heart is a multi-cellular organ made up of various cell types interacting with each other. Cardiomyocytes may benefit or suffer from crosstalk with noncardiomyocytes in response to diverse kinds of cardiac stresses. Proteasome dysfunction is a common cardiac stress which causes cardiac proteotoxicity and contributes to cardiac diseases such as heart failure and myocardial infarction.

Increased Plasma Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Activities in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) is one of the most potent mammalian serine proteases participated in the pathogenesis of subclinical atherosclerosis. Here we investigated whether the plasma soluble form of DPP4 is associated with the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). A cross-sectional study was conducted of 496 aged 26-81 years with (n = 362) and without (n = 134) CAD.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor as a treatment for diabetic neuropathy in rat.

Effective treatment of diabetic neuropathy (DN) remains unsolved. We serendipitously observed dramatic relief of pain in several patients with painful DN receiving granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). The aim of this study was to determine if G-CSF could treat DN in an animal model and to ascertain its mechanism of action.

Anti-obesity effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima fatty rats.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) has molecular structures and intracellular signaling pathways that are similar to those of leptin and ciliary neurotropic factor (CNTF). It also has immune-modulatory properties. Given that leptin and CNTF play important roles in energy homeostasis and that obesity is an inflammatory condition in adipose tissue, we hypothesized that G-CSF could also play a role in energy homeostasis.

Concentration-dependent differential effects of udenafil on viability, proliferation, and apoptosis in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells.

Objectives: Local strategies directed against vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, such as drug-eluting stents (DES), reduce the occurrence of restenosis. However, these approaches may also inhibit vascular endothelial cell (VEC) proliferation and impair reendothelialization, and hence, increase susceptibility to late thrombosis. In this study we examined the differential effects of various concentrations of the type 5 phosphodiesterase (PDE-5) inhibitor, udenafil, on viability, proliferation, and apoptosis of VEC and VSMC, in order to identify the optimal concentration of udenafil that minimizes inhibition of VEC survival and growth, and maximizes inhibition of VSMC survival and growth.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor reduces cardiomyocyte apoptosis and ameliorates diastolic dysfunction in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats.

Background: In recent studies, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) was shown to improve cardiac function in myocardial infarction and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. The mechanisms of these beneficial effects of G-CSF in diabetic cardiomyopathy are not yet fully understood. Therefore, we investigated the mechanisms of action of G-CSF on diabetic cardiomyopathy in a rat model of type 2 diabetes.

G-CSF prevents progression of diabetic nephropathy in rat.

Background: The protective effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) have been demonstrated in a variety of renal disease models. However, the influence of G-CSF on diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains to be examined. In this study, we investigated the effect of G-CSF on DN and its possible mechanisms in a rat model.

Time course of the development of nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease in the Otsuka long-evans Tokushima Fatty rat.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. In this study, we investigated histological and biochemical changes in NAFLD and the gene expression involving de novo lipogenesis in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats. We used OLETF rats and Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats as animal models of NAFLD and as controls, respectively.

Therapeutic effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor on non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis in the rat.

Background And Rationale: Non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis refers to the accumulation of triglycerides in the liver in the absence of alcohol consumption. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been reported to be an effective treatment for a variety of liver diseases. We examined the possible therapeutic effects of G-CSF on non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis in rats.

In vivo differentiation of human amniotic epithelial cells into cardiomyocyte-like cells and cell transplantation effect on myocardial infarction in rats: comparison with cord blood and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Human amniotic epithelial cells (h-AECs), which have various merits as a cell source for cell therapy, are known to differentiate into cardiomyocytes in vitro. However, the ability of h-AECs to differentiate into cardiomyocytes in vivo and their cell transplantation effects on myocardial infarction are still unknown. In this study, we assessed whether h-AECs could differentiate into cardiomyocytes in vivo and whether h-AECs transplantation can decrease infarct size and improve cardiac function, in comparison to transplantation of cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or adipose tissue-derived MSCs.

Effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) on diabetic cardiomyopathy in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats.

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (CMP) is a common and disabling disease in diabetic patients, however no effective treatments have been developed. Although granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) improves heart function in myocardial infarction, its effect on non-ischemic CMP such as diabetic CMP is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of G-CSF on diabetic CMP in a rat model of type II diabetes.