Safety and efficacy of the Amplatzer Amulet and Watchman 2.5 for left atrial appendage occlusion: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is an alternative to oral anticoagulation (OAC) to decrease the risk of stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF); however, certain complications remain a concern. Amplatzer Amulet and Watchman are the two most popular used devices for preventing stroke in patients with NVAF. We assessed the safety and efficacy of LAAO using the Amplatzer Amulet and Watchman.

Prostaglandin E1 reduces apoptosis and improves the homing of mesenchymal stem cells in pulmonary arterial hypertension by regulating hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is associated with oxidative stress and affects the survival and homing of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as well as cytokine secretion by the MSCs, thereby altering their therapeutic potential. In this study, we preconditioned the MSCs with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and performed in vitro and in vivo cell experiments to evaluate the therapeutic effects of MSCs in rats with PAH.

Methods: We studied the relationship between PGE1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression, and C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) expression in MSCs and MSC apoptosis as well as migration through the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway in vitro.

Effects of Ulinastatin on Perioperative Inflammatory Response and Pulmonary Function in Cardiopulmonary Bypass Patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether ulinastatin (UTL) has protective effects on perioperative proinflammatory cytokines and lung injury in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) patients. The study included 60 patients undergoing CPB who were randomly divided into a UTL group and a control group. Blood routine examination and inflammatory cytokines concentrations were detected after anesthetic induction (T1), immediately after aortic valve opening (T2), and 4 (T3) and 24 (T4) hours after weaning from CPB.

Augmentation of autophagy by atorvastatin via Akt/mTOR pathway in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Autophagy is activated in hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy. However, the mechanisms and significance of an activated autophagy are not clear. This study was designed to determine the role of atorvastatin (ATO) in cardiac autophagy and associated benefits on cardiac remodeling and left ventricular function in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).

Valve replacement in pediatric patients: a single center experience.

Background: Reconstructive surgery is the primary goal in pediatric patients with valve disease. However, in cases with irreparable valve lesions, valve replacement is the only option. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the clinical experience of heart valve prosthesis replacement in children.

[Hemodynamic performance of newly developed composite stentless porcine aortic valve: in vitro testing and in vivo experiment with sheep].

Objective: To investigate the effects of a newly developed composite stentless porcine aortic valve constructed from noncoronary leaflets of three porcine aortic valves.

Methods: Fresh porcine hearts with ascending aorta were obtained from a slaughterhouse. The porcine aortic roots with ascending aorta and anterior leaflet of mitral valve and partial ventricular septum were dissected out and were pressurized to maintain their natural anatomical shapes with the leaflets floating freely at zero-pressure.

[Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule in cardiac allografts and significance thereof: experiment with rats].

Objective: To investigate the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in allograft with chronic rejection (CR) after heart transplantation.

Methods: Seventy-two SD rats receiving transplantation of the heats of 71 Wistar rats were divided into 4 equal groups: Group A, undergoing heterotopic cervical heart transplantation (transplanted with donor's heart subcutaneously at the neck) and receiving none intervention, and with the transplanted hearts taken out 3 d after transplantation to the end of CR; Group B, injected intravenously with the splenocytes (SPCs) of the donors on day 0, injected with cyclophomide (CP) on d2, transplanted with the donor hearts on d15, with the transplanted hearts taken out 15 - 120 days after transplantation; Group C, transplanted with the donor's heart and injected intraperitoneally with cyclosporine A (Cs A) 10 mg/kg every other day for 8 - 10 times, and with the transplanted hearts taken out 60 d after transplantation to the end of CR; and Group D, injected intravenously with the SPCs of the donors on day 0, injected with CP on d2, transplanted with the donor hearts on d15, with the transplanted hearts taken out 150 - 420 days after transplantation. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in the allografts.