Relative apical sparing obtained with speckle tracking echocardiography is not a sensitive parameter for diagnosing light-chain cardiac amyloidosis.

Background: Distinguishing light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL CA) from left ventricular wall thickening (LVWT) resulted from other etiologies has proven to be challenging. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of relative apical sparing in diagnosing AL CA and investigate the differences in clinical and echocardiographic characteristics between AL CA patients with apical sparing and those with non-apical sparing.

Methods: A total of 63 consecutive patients with AL CA, 102 consecutive patients with LVWT (including 51 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and 51 hypertension) and 33 healthy individuals were recruited retrospectively at Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

Improvements of myocardial strain and work in diabetes patients with normal ejection fraction after empagliflozin treatment.

Aims/introduction: To assess the effect of empagliflozin treatment on left ventricular (LV), right ventricular (RV) and left atrial (LA) functions in diabetes patients with normal ejection fraction.

Materials And Methods: The study included a total of 128 diabetes patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors who were subjected to a 6-month follow up from the initiation of empagliflozin treatment. Before and after treatment with empagliflozin, LV, RV and LA strain, and noninvasive myocardial work parameters were evaluated by speckle tracking echocardiography.

Subclinical cardiac impairments in fetuses conceived through assisted reproductive technology by speckle tracking echocardiography.

Objectives: To evaluate the changes of cardiac morphology and function in fetuses conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) by speckle tracking echocardiography.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 101 spontaneously conceived (SC) fetuses and 99 ART-conceived ones. Fetal echocardiography was performed, fetal cardiac morphology and function were analyzed using two-dimensional speckle tracking software, including global sphericity index (GSI), global longitudinal strain (GLS), fractional area change (FAC) of the left and right ventricles, as well as segmental sphericity index (SI), end-diastolic diameter (ED), and fractional shortening (FS) in 24 segments.

Improving hard metal implant and soft tissue integration by modulating the "inflammatory-fibrous complex" response.

Soft tissue integration is one major difficulty in the wide applications of metal materials in soft tissue-related areas. The inevitable inflammatory response and subsequent fibrous reaction toward the metal implant is one key response for metal implant-soft tissue integration. It is of great importance to modulate this inflammatory-fibrous response, which is mainly mediated by the multidirectional interaction between fibroblasts and macrophages.

Evaluation of Fetal Cardiac Function in Maternal Gestational Diabetes Mellitus by Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography.

Objectives: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic disease that occurs during pregnancy and may result in fetal cardiac dysfunction. Our study aimed to assess the cardiac function in fetuses of mothers with GDM by a quantitative analysis software based on speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Methods: Forty-nine fetuses exposed to GDM and 50 normal fetuses were enrolled, and fetal echocardiography were performed and analyzed in this prospective cross-sectional study.

Persistent Endothelial Dysfunction in Coronavirus Disease-2019 Survivors Late After Recovery.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can result in an endothelial dysfunction in acute phase. However, information on the late vascular consequences of COVID-19 is limited.

Methods: Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) examination were performed, and inflammatory biomarkers were assessed in 86 survivors of COVID-19 for 327 days (IQR 318-337 days) after recovery.

Normalized Cardiac Structure and Function in COVID-19 Survivors Late After Recovery.

Coronavirus disease 2019 can result in myocardial injury in the acute phase. However, information on the late cardiac consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. We conducted a prospective observational cohort study to investigate the late cardiac consequences of COVID-19.

Mesopore Controls the Responses of Blood Clot-Immune Complex via Modulating Fibrin Network.

Formation of blood clots, particularly the fibrin network and fibrin network-mediated early inflammatory responses, plays a critical role in determining the eventual tissue repair or regeneration following an injury. Owing to the potential role of fibrin network in mediating clot-immune responses, it is of great importance to determine whether clot-immune responses can be regulated via modulating the parameters of fibrin network. Since the diameter of D-terminal of a fibrinogen molecule is 9 nm, four different pore sizes (2, 8, 14, and 20 nm) are rationally selected to design mesoporous silica to control the fibrinogen adsorption and modulate the subsequent fibrin formation process.

Interleukin-20 differentially regulates bone mesenchymal stem cell activities in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis through the OPG/RANKL/RANK axis and the NF-κB, MAPK and AKT signalling pathways.

The immune and skeletal systems share common mechanisms, and the crosstalk between the two has been termed osteoimmunology. Osteoimmunology mainly focuses on diseases between the immune and bone systems including bone loss diseases, and imbalances in osteoimmune regulation affect skeletal homeostasis between osteoclasts and osteoblasts. The immune mediator interleukin-20 (IL-20), a member of the IL-10 family, enhances inflammation, chemotaxis and angiogenesis in diseases related to bone loss.

The effect of risedronate on orthodontic tooth movement in ovariectomized rats.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of risedronate on orthodontic tooth movement in ovariectomized rats.

Methods: Forty-five female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups. Bilateral ovariectomies were performed on the rats in the ovariectomy and ovariectomy + risedronate groups.

A standardized rat burr hole defect model to study maxillofacial bone regeneration.

With high incidence rate and unique regeneration features, maxillofacial burr hole bone defects require a specially designed bone defect animal model for the evaluation of related bone regenerative approaches. Although some burr hole defect models have been developed in long bones or calvarial bones, the mandible has unique tissue development origins and regenerative environments. This suggests that the defect model should be prepared in the maxillofacial bone area.

Antinociceptive effects of the adenylyl cyclase inhibitor ST034307 on tooth-movement-induced nociception in rats.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the antinociceptive effects of the selective adenylyl cyclase type 1 (AC1) inhibitor ST034307 on tooth movement nociception through orofacial nociceptive behavior tests and molecular examination.

Methods: We placed fixed nickel-titanium alloy closed-coil springs around the incisors of male Sprague-Dawley rats to induce tooth movement. We subsequently administered ST034307 (3 mg/kg), for 2 days, intraperitoneally, and then subjected the rats to a battery of behavioral tests (n = 10/group) to assess orofacial nociception.