Atorvastatin regulates vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic transformation by epigenetically modulating contractile proteins and mediating Akt/FOXO4 axis.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a prevalent cardiovascular disease with severe morbidity and high mortality. Phenotypic regulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from the contractile and quiescent phenotype to the synthetic type is a critical step for the vascular remodeling of AS. Atorvastatin, as a 3‑hydroxy‑3‑methyl‑glutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, presents an anti‑inflammatory effect to improve vascular endothelial functions.

Empagliflozin alleviates myocardial I/R injury and cardiomyocyte apoptosis via inhibiting ER stress-induced autophagy and the PERK/ATF4/Beclin1 pathway.

To explore the mechanisms underlying the specific inhibitor targeting SGLT-2 empagliflozin in alleviating myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. A mouse model of I/R injury and HO-induced H9C2 cell model were established. The expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, LC3, Beclin1, GRP78, CHOP, PERK, ATF4, ATF6, IREα and P62 were examined by western blot, immunofluorescence or immunohistochemistry staining, respectively.

Saikosaponin-d improved the stemness of mouse neural stem cells and increased their thermotolerance potential.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of saikosaponin-d (Ssd) on proliferation, differentiation, and stemness of neural stem cells (NSCs), and to observe whether Ssd has a protective effect on NSCs at medium-high and high temperature.

Materials And Methods: NSCs were extracted from 15-day fetal mice. After subculture, Ssd treatment was performed.

[Application evaluation of failure mode and effect analysis in optimization of vascular recanalization process].

Objective: To investigate the clinical application and effect evaluation of failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) in the optimization of vascular recanalization in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: A total of 389 STEMI patients admitted to the emergency department of the Fifth Central Hospital in Tianjin from January 2014 to January 2015 were served as the control group, and 398 STEMI patients admitted to the chest pain center of the Fifth Central Hospital in Tianjin from January 2016 to October 2017 were served as the experimental group. In the control group, routine emergency treatment was used.

Drug-eluting balloons in the treatment of de-novo coronary lesions: a meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials.

Aim: The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of drug-eluting balloons (DEBs) plus bare-metal stents (BMS) for the treatment of de-novo coronary lesions.

Methods And Results: Eleven trials involving 1279 patients were included in this study. The main endpoints were as follows: late lumen loss (LLL), binary restenosis, stent thrombosis (ST), and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs).

The role of leptin in the ventricular remodeling process and its mechanism.

Objective: This study aims to explore the role of leptin in the ventricular remodeling process and its mechanism in the diabetic rats' model.

Methods: The diabetic SD rats model induced by streptozotocin was established. The SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group (20 rats treated with citric acid/sodium citrate buffer); M0 group (10 rats treated with physiological saline); M1 group (10 rats treated with 50 μg/kg LP); M2 group (10 rats treated with 100 μg/kg LP).

Effects of tirofiban on platelet activation and endothelial function in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

This pilot study examined, for the first time, the effect of intracoronary administration of tirofiban, an inhibitor of platelet aggregation, on platelet activation and endothelial dysfunction in patients with ST-segment-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 119 STEMI patients were randomized into either tirofiban group (n = 72, intracoronary injection of 10 μg/kg tirofiban prior to PCI, followed by intravenous infusion at 0.15 μg/kg min) or a control group (n = 47), which did not receive tirofiban.

Correlation between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, carotid artery intima-media thickness, ankle-brachial index, and the severity of coronary lesions.

Coronary angiography is the gold standard for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Coronary artery Gensini scoring systems measure both the extent and the degree of stenosis of coronary artery and therefore, give clinicians a more accurate, objective, and comprehensive assessment of the severity of coronary artery disease. Using Gensini scoring systems in combination with statistical analysis, we found that five variables, namely, Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV), ankle-brachial index (ABI), carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), blood sugar, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), were all significantly different among groups of patients with different Gensini scores.