Prognostic Value of Mild Asymptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis in Patients With Hypertension.

Background: Mild asymptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (aICAS) is common in Chinese patients with hypertension. However, there are no data on its prognostic value in this population. The aim of the present study was to clarify the prevalence and associated cardiovascular risk factors of mild aICAS and determine its prognostic value for overall and cardiovascular mortality in patients with hypertension.

Intelligent Assist Office Blood Pressures (IOBP) versus awake ambulatory monitoring and conventional auscultatory office readings in Chinese primary medical institutions.

To practice standardized office blood pressure (OBP) measurement guidelines pragmatically, we developed an intelligent assisted OBP (IOBP) measurement system in the Chinese community, which can automatically obtain two or three BP values after a 5-min rest before the patients visit the doctor and transfer values to the community medical network in real time. We conducted a comparative study to investigate the agreement among IOBP, awake ambulatory BP (ABP), and conventional auscultatory OBP at different BP levels. Participants were divided into three groups according to BP, with 120/80 mmHg and 160/100 mmHg as the cut-off points.

Genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation and its relationship with serum homocysteine levels in patients with hypertension.

Background: Homocysteine (Hcy) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and elevated plasma Hcy levels could aggravate vascular injury in hypertension. Hyperhomocysteinemia can change the methylation status of global DNA and specific genes. In the present study, we aim to examine the comprehensive influence of Hcy levels on DNA methylation status in patients with hypertension.

Prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and its major determinants among hypertensive patients over 35 years of age.

Objective: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) and hypertension are associated with cardiovascular events. However, effects of Hcy-lowing interventions on cardiovascular outcome were conflicting. Serum folate level was proposed to be a possible determinant of efficacy of extra folate supplementation on cardiovascular outcome.

Predictive value of within-visit and visit-to-visit blood pressure variability for all-cause mortality: the Minhang Study.

Background: Blood pressure variability is a common physiological phenomenon; however, the association between within-visit and visit-to-visit variability in blood pressure and all-cause mortality remains uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of blood pressure variability among 11 721 adults who underwent blood pressure measurement on three occasions within a period of 6 months. Within-visit and visit-to-visit variability was quantified using the standard deviation and maximum--minimum difference between measures.

Predictive value of attended automated office blood pressure and resting pulse rate for mortality in community-dwelling octogenarians: Minhang study.

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and resting pulse rate (RPR) have been linked to mortality and cardiovascular events in younger population. Till now, no studies simultaneously investigate the non-linear association of SBP and RPR with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among population aged 80 and older. Data of 2828 eligible participants were selected from electronic health records linked attended automated office blood pressure measurement system.

Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 7 Promotes Vascular Adventitial Fibroblasts Phenotypic Transformation and Inflammatory Reaction Induced by Mechanical Stretching Stress via p38 MAPK/JNK Pathway.

Remodeling of the arteries is one of the pathological bases of hypertension. We have previously shown that transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) aggravates the vascular adventitial remodeling caused by pressure overload in the transverse aortic constriction (TAC) model. In this study, we sought to explore the functional expression and downstream signaling of TRPM7 in vascular adventitial fibroblasts (AFs) stimulated by mechanical stretching stress (MSS).

Associations between various attended automated office blood pressure estimations and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: Minhang study.

Background: The method of evaluating office blood pressure (OBP) varies greatly among different guidelines.

Objectives: We performed a cohort study to compare the association of various directly transferred attended automated OBP (AOBP) estimations with all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities.

Methods: Overall, 475 181 sets of OBPs from 35 622 participants aged 35 years or older were extracted from the electronic health record of the Xinzhuang town hospital in the Minhang District, Shanghai, China.

Adventitial fibroblast-derived vascular endothelial growth factor promotes vasa vasorum-associated neointima formation and macrophage recruitment.

Aims: Adventitial vasa vasorum provides oxygen and nourishment to the vascular wall, but whether it regulates vascular disease remains unclear. We have previously shown that an increased expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is associated with macrophage infiltration. This study aims to determine whether adventitial fibroblast (AF)-derived VEGF increases the number of vasa vasorum contributing to neointima formation through macrophage recruitment.

Perivascular adipose tissue-derived stromal cells contribute to vascular remodeling during aging.

Aging is an independent risk factor for vascular diseases. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), an active component of the vasculature, contributes to vascular dysfunction during aging. Identification of underlying cell types and their changes during aging may provide meaningful insights regarding the clinical relevance of aging-related vascular diseases.

Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio and asymptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis in hypertensive patients.

Intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) contributes to nearly 50% of stroke in China, especially in patients with hypertension. Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) has been related to stroke and other atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. However, there is limited information about the association of ACR and early impairment of cerebral vessels.

Transactivation domain of Krüppel-like factor 15 negatively regulates angiotensin II-induced adventitial inflammation and fibrosis.

Krüppel-like factor (KLF) 15 has emerged as a critical regulator of fibrosis in cardiovascular diseases. However, the precise role that KLF15 and its functional domain played in adventitial inflammation and fibrosis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the role of the transactivation domain (TAD) of KLF15 in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced adventitial pathologic changes.

Developmental and functional characteristics of the thoracic aorta perivascular adipocyte.

Thoracic aorta perivascular adipose tissue (T-PVAT) has critical roles in regulating vascular homeostasis. However, the developmental characteristics and cellular lineage of adipocyte in the T-PVAT remain unclear. We show that T-PVAT contains three long strip-shaped fat depots, anterior T-PVAT (A-T-PVAT), left lateral T-PVAT (LL-T-PVAT), and right lateral T-PVAT (RL-T-PVAT).

Suppression of Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition by SIRT (Sirtuin) 3 Alleviated the Development of Hypertensive Renal Injury.

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) has recently emerged as a potentially important contributor in promoting fibrosis in chronic kidney disease. However, little is known about the role and molecular basis of its involvement in hypertensive renal injury. Here, we aim to determine the role of SIRT (sirtuin) 3 on EndoMT in hypertensive renal injury and to explore its underlying mechanisms.

Association of ATP2B1 common variants with asymptomatic intracranial and extracranial large artery stenosis in hypertension patients.

Background And Aims: Genetic factors play an important role in the cervico-cerebral large-artery atherosclerotic stenosis (LAS), and ATP2B1 gene has been associated with the process of atherosclerosis disorders, such as coronary artery disease and arterial stiffness. But there is little information about the relationship between ATP2B1 gene and atherosclerosis in the intracranial arteries. We hereby investigated the association of common variants in ATP2B1 gene with LAS in asymptomatic Chinese hypertension patients.

[Effect of Arg188Gln (G/A) mutation on enzymatic activity of kynureninase].

To verify whether the enzymatic activity of kynureninase (KYNU) could be changed by the Arg188Gln (G/A) mutation. The total RNA of human hepatic tissue was extracted and the gene cDNA was amplified by RT-PCR. Primers were designed according to the sequences around the site Arg188Gln of gene and the Arg188Gln (G/A) mutant cDNA was generated by site-directed mutagenesis.

Deficiency of Complement C3a and C5a Receptors Prevents Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension via Regulatory T Cells.

Rationale: Inflammation and immunity play crucial roles in the development of hypertension. Complement activation-mediated innate immune response is involved in the regulation of hypertension and target-organ damage. However, whether complement-mediated T-cell functions could regulate blood pressure elevation in hypertension is still unclear.

Osteoglycin attenuates cardiac fibrosis by suppressing cardiac myofibroblast proliferation and migration through antagonizing lysophosphatidic acid 3/matrix metalloproteinase 2/epidermal growth factor receptor signalling.

Aims: Cardiac myofibroblasts (CMFs) play a crucial role in the progression of pathological fibrotic cardiac remodelling. The expression of osteoglycin (OGN) is increased in diseased hearts; however, the role of OGN in pathological cardiac remodelling is not understood. Here, we sought to determine the effect of OGN on cardiac interstitial fibrosis and investigate the molecular mechanisms of OGN in CMF activation and matrix production.

Management of morning hypertension: a consensus statement of an Asian expert panel.

Morning blood pressure (BP) surge is an important aspect of hypertension research. Morning BP monitoring could be a clinically relevant concept in the therapeutic management of hypertension and in the prevention of cardiovascular complications by defining and treating morning hypertension. Because antihypertensive medication is often taken in the morning, uncontrolled morning BP during the trough effect hours could be a hallmark of inadequate choice of antihypertensive regimen, such as the use of short- or intermediate-acting drugs, underdosing of drugs, or no use or underuse of combination therapy.

Association of Homocysteine with Aysmptomatic Intracranial and Extracranial Arterial Stenosis in Hypertension Patients.

Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) is suggested as an independent risk factor for stroke. We aimed to investigate the association of Hcy concentration with intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) and extracranial AS (ECAS) in hypertensive patients without stroke in Chinese population and to explore modified effect of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T on their relationship. The stenosis of intracranial and extracranial arteries were evaluated in a total of 929 subjects through computerized tomographic angiography (CTA) from aortic arch to the skull base.

Morning hypertension is more common in elderly hypertensive patients with controlled documented office blood pressure in primary care clinics: the Minhang study.

Background: Increased morning blood pressure (BP) has been associated with fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, especially in Asians.

Method: To detect the control status of home BP, we performed a home BP monitoring study, including elderly patients with hypertension who had controlled documented office BP in Chinese primary care clinics. In 707 participants from Xinzhuang County Hospital in Shanghai, the home BP was measured by a memory-equipped device three times daily for seven consecutive days.

Osteopontin regulates macrophage activation and osteoclast formation in hypertensive patients with vascular calcification.

Vascular calcification (VC) is a highly regulated ectopic mineral deposition process involving immune cell infiltration in the vasculatures, which has been recognized to be promoted by hypertension. The matricellular glycoprotein osteopontin (OPN) is strongly induced in myeloid cells as a potential inflammatory mediator of vascular injury. This study aims to examine whether OPN is involved in the regulation of macrophage activation and osteoclast formation in hypertensive subjects with VC.

Complement-mediated inhibition of adiponectin regulates perivascular inflammation and vascular injury in hypertension.

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT)-derived adiponectin (APN) is a secreted adipokine that protects against hypertension-related cardiovascular injury. However, the regulation of APN expression in hypertension remains to be explored. In this study, we demonstrated that down-regulation of APN was associated with complement activation in the PVAT of desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive mice.

Ascending aortic adventitial remodeling and fibrosis are ameliorated with Apelin-13 in rats after TAC via suppression of the miRNA-122 and LGR4-β-catenin signaling.

Apelin has been proved to be a critical mediator of vascular function and homeostasis. Here, we investigated roles of Apelin in aortic remodeling and fibrosis in rats with transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to TAC and then randomized to daily deliver Apelin-13 (50μg/kg) or angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1) blocker Irbesartan (50mg/kg) for 4 weeks.