Publications by authors named "Ji Nan Zhang"

Cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C) is a novel cardiac marker of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute cardiac injuries (ACI). Construction of point-of-care testing techniques capable of sensing cMyBP-C with high sensitivity and precision is urgently needed. Herein, we synthesized an Au@NGQDs@Au/Ag multi-shell nanoUrchins (MSNUs), and then applied it in a colorimetric/SERS dual-mode immunoassay for detection of cMyBP-C.

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Background: Cardiac surgical procedures produce iatrogenic myocardial cell injury with necrosis that result in an obligatory release of biomarkers. Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) has recently emerged as a specific and sensitive biomarker in patients with acute myocardial injury. We therefore aimed to investigate the release profiles of cMyBP-C after cardiac surgical procedures.

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Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is the only sarcomeric protein identified to date that is expressed exclusively in cardiac muscle. Its expression in cancer tissues has not been reported. Herein, we examined cTnI expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues, human adenocarcinoma cells SPCA-1 (lung) and BGC 823 (gastric) by immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis and real-time PCR.

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Objective: Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with greatest morbidity and mortality around the world. The keys to targeted therapy are discovery of lung cancer biomarkers to facilitate improvement of survival and quality of life for the patients with lung cancer. Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is one of the most overexpressed proteins in human lung cancer cells by comparison to the normal cells, suggesting that it might be a good biomarker for lung cancer.

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Background And Objective: The protein encoded by adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene participates in the signaling transduction pathway. Substantial studies have revealed that hypermethylation of APC gene promoter is closely related to the pathogenesis and development of cancer. This study was to develop a real-time quantitative methylation specific PCR (real-time QMSP) method, and detect the methylation of APC gene promoter in plasma of lung cancer patients.

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Although astragaloside IV, a saponin isolated from Astragalus membranaceus, has been shown to protect the myocardium against ischemia/reperfusion injury, its effect on the status of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ transport in the injured myocardium remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated whether in cultured cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R) administration of astragaloside IV during H/R attenuates the myocardial cell injury and prevents changes in Ca2+ handling activities and gene expression of SR Ca2+ pump. Cultured cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats were exposed to 6 h of hypoxia followed by 3 h of reoxygenation.

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Aim: To assess the parameters of cardiac structure and function of male Balb/c mice by the echocardiography.

Methods: A total of 27 male Balb/c mice (from five to seven week old) were examined with a 13-MHz transthoracic linear-array transducer, hearts were removed from mice anesthetized with Nembutal, and the left ventricular (LV) mass were weighed.

Results: Complete 2-dimensional echocardiography for cardiac structure and function were obtained.

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Background & Objective: Hypermethylation of CpG islands in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene has been detected in a variety of human tumors, which is involved in the pathogenesis of these tumors. In previous research, we detected APC promoter methylation in 47% lung tumor tissues. This study was to analyze the effect of APC promoter methylation on the gene transcription in 3 lung cancer cell lines.

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We have extracted and roughly purified astragalosides (AS) from Astragalus membranaceus, a natural herb used as a traditional Chinese medicine, regarded to have pharmacodynamic benefits of protecting injured myocardium. We hypothesized that the astragalosides might exert beneficial effect in myocardial lesion by preserving both energy metabolism and Ca(2+) homeostasis. Sprague-Dauley (SD) rats were injected with isoproterenol (ISO) subcutaneous (s.

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The cardiovascular pre-participation screening proposal for young competitive athletes has the potential to save young lives. This study aimed to identify individuals at risk for potentially lethal cardiovascular diseases in athletes before competition. Between June 2005 and July 2005, 351 (170 male and 181 female) elite Chinese athletes from 21 sports were profiled.

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In clinical practice, Astragali Radix (Astragalus), the root of Astragalus membranaceus Bunge, has been widely applied to treat patients with viral diseases, including viral myocarditis in China. The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of Astragalus on the function of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA2) activity and endothelin system at acute and chronic periods of myocarditis mice induced by CVB(3) infection. Astragalus feeding (2.

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Dysregulation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis plays an important role in mediating myocardial injury. We tested the hypothesis that treatment with trimetazidine (TMZ) would improve intracellular Ca2+ handling in myocardial injury of rats. The control group received saline only (10 ml kg(-1) day(-1), i.

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Astragalosides were the main active components from a native Chinese herb Astragalus membranaceus. Recent studies have shown that Astragalosides have a protective effect on myocardial injury in rats. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of Astragalosides on intracellular calcium overload and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium load (SR Ca2+ load) in cultured cardiac myocytes from neonatal rats.

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In the aorta of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), endothelium-dependent contractions are enhanced by inhibitors of NO synthase and scavengers of NO, but not by methylene blue, an inhibitor of guanylyl cyclase, suggesting that the endothelium-derived contracting factor (EDCF) interacts chemically with NO and is inactivated by the latter. However, in view of the relative lack of specificity of methylene blue this hypothesis was re-examined. Acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent contractions of isolated rings of SHR aorta were significantly and similarly potentiated by two NOS inhibitors, by two structurally different NO scavengers, by two inhibitors of guanylate cyclase ODQ and NS2028, but to a lesser extent by methylene blue.

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The present study was designed to determine whether or not an increase in endothelial intracellular concentration of calcium ([Ca2+]i) evokes endothelium-dependent contractions in the aorta from normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Acetylcholine, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the calcium ionophore, A 23187, produced endothelium-dependent relaxations in isolated aortic rings of both WKY and SHR. These relaxations in response to the three agonists were significantly smaller in the SHR when compared with the WKY.

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Aim: To investigate the changes of cardiac calcium handling proteins and endothelin system in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) rats and the effects of perindopril and bisoprolol on the remodeling ventricles.

Methods: DCM rats were employed using a 2-kidney, 1-clip hypertensive and diabetic model. Some of the DCM rats were treated with perindopril and bisoprolol for 3 months, respectively.

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The present study was to investigate the mRNA, protein expression and the activity of calcineurin in the hypertrophic heart, and to determine the effect of calcineurin inhibitor--cyclosporine A (CsA) on the regression of cardiac hypertrophy in renovascular hypertensive rats. Renovascular hypertension was induced by two kidney-one clip methods. Two months after the operation, cardiac hypertrophy was determined by histological analysis performed in some rats (2K1C-2M), then the rats were subdivided into 2 groups: (1) 3-month old two kidney-one clip group (2K1C-3M) with rats receiving 0.

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A modified bioassay system was designed to demonstrate the diffusible nature of endothelium-derived contracting factor(s) released by acetylcholine in the aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rat. In "sandwich"-like layered preparation, isometric tension was recorded from a bioassay strip (without endothelium) in the presence of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine and tetrahydrobiopterin to selectively potentiate endothelium-dependent contractions. A donor strip (with or without endothelium) was stitched on the bioassay tissue so that it did not directly contribute to the recorded contractions.

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This study was designed to determine the effect of pteridines, R- and S-tetrahydrobiopterin, sepiapterin, and dihydrobiopterin on endothelium-dependent contractions to acetylcholine in isolated aortas from spontaneously hypertensive rat and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rat. The noncumulative addition of redox-active pteridines R- and S-tetrahydrobiopterin (but not the oxidized analogues sepiapterin and dihydrobiopterin) produced a concentration-dependent transient contraction in isolated aortic rings from both normotensive and hypertensive rats. R- and S-tetrahydrobiopterin (but not sepiapterin or dihydrobiopterin) potentiated the endothelium-dependent contractions to acetylcholine but only in aortas from hypertensive rats and in the presence of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine.

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Experiments were designed to investigate whether or not oxygen-derived free radicals mediate endothelium-dependent contractions to acetylcholine in the aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). Isometric tension was measured in aortic rings taken from adult male SHR and Wistar-Kyoto rat (WKY) in the presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine. Endothelium-dependent contractions to acetylcholine were significantly greater in rings from SHR compared to WKY.

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