A nomogram based on endothelial function and conventional risk factors predicts coronary artery disease in hypertensives.

Background: There is currently a lack of a precise, concise, and practical clinical prediction model for predicting coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with essential hypertension (EH). This study aimed to construct a nomogram to predict CAD in patients with EH based on flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of brachial artery and traditional risk factors.

Methods: Clinical data of 1752 patients with EH were retrospectively collected.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure and bone mineral density in the U.S. population from NHANES 2005-2014.

Background: Environmental exposures such as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were considered potential risks for bone mineral density (BMD).

Objective: To examine the associations between PFASs and BMD among the U.S.

Intraperitoneal hypertension, a novel risk factor for sepsis-associated encephalopathy in sepsis mice.

Sepsis associated encephalopathy (SAE), appears often indicates the deterioration of the sepsis disease and which have high risk of death. Although several mechanism and hypotheses have been proposed and studied, there is no breakthrough in the treatment of SAE. We performed a systematic research to evaluate the effect of intraperitoneal pressure on SAE.

Hydrogen sulfide improves neural function in rats following cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The alleviation of brain injury is a key issue following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is hypothesized to be involved in the pathophysiological process of ischemia-reperfusion injury, and exerts a protective effect on neurons. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of HS on neural functions following cardiac arrest (CA) in rats.

Model of cardiac arrest in rats by transcutaneous electrical epicardium stimulation.

Objective: To establish a new model of cardiac arrest (CA) in rats by transcutaneous electrical epicardium stimulation.

Methods: Two acupuncture needles connected to the anode and cathode of a stimulator were transcutaneously inserted into the epicardium as electrodes. The stimulating current was steered to the epicardium and the stimulation was maintained for 3 min to induce CA.

[Change of hydrogen sulfide content in serum of rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation].

Aim: To investigate variation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in serum of rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and explore its pathophysiological role in CPR.

Methods: The 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n=6) and experimental group (n=24), then models of cardiac arrest (CA) were established in rats of experimental group by transcutaneous electrical epicardium stimulation. Blood samples were collected before CA, at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) for testing the serum levels of H2S, at the same time rectal temperature (Tr), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and respiration rate (R) were recorded.

Pluripotency-associated genes in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2 cells are reactivated by a unique epigenetic sub-microenvironment.

Background: There is increasing evidence that cancers contain their own stem-like cells, and particular attention has been paid to one subset of cancer-stem cells termed side population (SP). Stem cells under normal physical conditions are tightly controlled by their microenvironment, however, the regulatory role of the microenvironment surrounding cancer stem cells is not well characterized yet. In this study we found that the phenotype of SP can be "generated" by macrophage-like cells under conditioned culture.

[Reactive oxygen species scavenger protects cardiac cells against injuries induced by chemical hypoxia].

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), against H9c2 cardiomyocytes from injuries induced by chemical hypoxia.

Methods: H9c2 cells were treated with cobalt chloride (CoCl2), a chemical hypoxia-mimetic agent, to establish the chemical hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury model. NAC was added into the cell medium 60 min prior to CoCl2 exposure.