Improved endogenous epoxyeicosatrienoic acid production mends heart function via increased PGC 1α-mitochondrial functions in metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a combination of symptoms characterized by central obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia, which together increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. In our study, we hypothesized that an EET-agonist (AUDA) would increase expression of PGC 1α and improve mitochondrial and endothelial functions, resulting in improved heart function in a rat model of MS. To investigate this, rats were randomly divided into four groups: 1) Control; 2) MS + ABCT; 3) MS + AUDA; and 4) MS + AUDA + SnMP.

Antioxidant and lipid-regulating effects of probucol combined with atorvastatin in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the effects of probucol combined with atorvastatin on the serum oxidation index and lipid levels in patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: We randomly assigned 126 ACS patients (77 males and 49 females) to the control group (atorvastatin 20 mg/day, n=62) or the treatment group (atorvastatin 20 mg/day and probucol 750 mg/day, n=64). All the patients were followed up for 12 weeks.

Association between cardiac changes and stress, and the effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ on stress-induced myocardial injury in mice.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of stress induced by high-intensity exercises on the cardiovascular system. In the epidemiological investigation, 200 subjects (test group) engaged in special high-intensity exercises, and 97 who lived and worked in the same environment and conditions as those in the test group, but did not participate in the exercises served as controls. In the second part of the study, 50 mice were randomly divided into control group, exhaustive swimming group, white noise group, exhaustive swimming plus white noise group, and pioglitazone intervention group.

Systematic analysis of the clinical and biochemical characteristics of maternally inherited hypertension in Chinese Han families associated with mitochondrial.

Background: Mitochondrial DNA mutations may be associated with cardiovascular disease, including the common cardiac vascular disease, hypertension.

Methods: In this study we performed segregation analysis and systematically evaluated the entire mitochondrial genome in nine maternally inherited hypertension probands from Chinese Han families. We also performed clinical, genetic and molecular characterization of 74 maternally inherited members from these families and 216 healthy controls.

[Mitochondrial DNA mutation associated with hypertension in tRNA(Ile) and tRNA(Gln) genes].

Objective: To study the relationship between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and hypertension.

Methods: Clinical data of two pedigrees with maternally transmitted hypertension was collected. Whole mtDNA sequence was analyzed.

Molecular characterization of a Chinese family carrying a novel C4329A mutation in mitochondrial tRNAIle and tRNAGln genes.

Background: Hypertension is a very common cardiovascular disease influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. More recently, there are some studies showed that mutations in mitochondrial DNA have been involved in its pathogenesis. In this study we did further investigations on this relationship.

[Effect of neurotrophin p75 receptor activation on transmural dispersion repolarization in rabbits with myocardial infarction].

Objective: To elucidate the effect of neurotrophin p75 receptor (p75NTR)on transmural dispersion repolarization (TDR) of the layers of left ventricular myocytes in rabbits with myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: Forty Japanese rabbits were divided into four groups (n = 10): (1) Sham group, (2) Heald myocardial infarction (HMI) group, (3) p75 NTR activation group, (4) p75 NTR inhibition group. Cardiomyocytes were isolated with enzyme digestion and the currents were recorded by whole-cell patch-clamp technique.

Allocryptopine and benzyltetrahydropalmatine block hERG potassium channels expressed in HEK293 cells.

Aim: Allocryptopine (ALL) is an alkaloid extracted from Corydalis decumbens (Thunb) Pers. Papaveraceae, whereas benzyltetrahydropalmatine (BTHP) is a derivative of tetrahydropalmatine extracted from Corydalis ambigua (Pall) Cham et Schlecht. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ALL and BTHP on the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) current expressed in HEK293 cells.

Frequency- and state-dependent blockade of human ether-a-go-go-related gene K+ channel by arecoline hydrobromide.

Background: The rapidly activating delayed rectifier potassium current (I(Kr)), whose pore-forming alpha subunit is encoded by the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG), is a key contributor to the third phase of action potential repolarization. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of arecoline hydrobromide induced inhibition of hERG K(+) current (I(hERG)).

Methods: Transient transfection of hERG channel cDNA plasmid pcDNA3.

[Effect of carvedilol on T-type calcium current in myocytes of non-infarcted area of the rabbit healed myocardial infarction].

This article reports the investigation of the effect of carvedilol (Car) on T-type calcium current (I(Ca,T)) of noninfarcted ventricular myocytes in rabbit models of healed myocardial infarction (HMI). Rabbits with left anterior descending artery ligation were prepared and allowed to recover for 8 weeks, as HMI group. Animals undergoing an identical surgical procedure without coronary ligation were served as the sham-operated group (sham group).