Decreased Global Network Efficiency in Young Male Smoker: An EEG Study during the Resting State.

Previous electroencephalogram (EEG) studies revealed reduced spectral power during the resting state in smokers. However, few studies investigated the changes of global brain networks during the resting state in young smokers by EEG. In the present study, we used minimum spanning tree (MST) to assess the differences of global network efficiency between young smoker ( = 20) and nonsmokers ( = 20).

Altered interhemispheric resting-state functional connectivity in young male smokers.

With the help of advanced neuroimaging approaches, previous studies revealed structural and functional brain changes in smokers compared with healthy non-smokers. Homotopic resting-state functional connectivity between the corresponding regions in cerebral hemispheres may help us to deduce the changes of functional coordination in the whole brain of young male smokers. Functional homotopy reflects an essential aspect of brain function and communication between the left and right cerebral hemispheres, which is important for the integrity of brain function.

Functional Connectivity Abnormalities of Brain Regions with Structural Deficits in Young Adult Male Smokers.

Smoking is one of the most prevalent dependence disorders. Previous studies have detected structural and functional deficits in smokers. However, few studies focused on the changes of resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the brain regions with structural deficits in young adult smokers.

Aggressive plaque modification with rotational atherectomy and cutting balloon for optimal stent expansion in calcified lesions.

Objective: To evaluate the factors affecting optimal stent expansion in calcified lesions treated by aggressive plaque modification with rotational atherectomy (RA) and a cutting balloon (CB).

Methods: From January 2014 to May 2015, 92 patients with moderate to severe coronary calcified lesions underwent rotational atherectomy and intravascular ultrasound imaging at Chinese PLA General Hospital (Beijing, China) were included in this study. They were divided into a rotational artherectomy combined with cutting balloon (RACB) group (46 patients treated with RA followed by CB angioplasty) and an RA group (46 patients treated with RA followed by plain balloon angioplasty).

Post-conditioning with gradually increased reperfusion provides better cardioprotection in rats.

Background: Rapid and complete reperfusion has been widely adopted in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but this process sometimes can cause severe reperfusion injury. This study aimed to investigate different patterns of post-conditioning in acute myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, and to detect the role of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) during the injury.

Methods: RATS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO FIVE GROUPS: sham group, reperfusion injury (R/ I) group, gradually decreased reperfusion group (GDR group, 30/10-25/15-15/25-10/30 seconds of reperfusion/ischemia), equal reperfusion group (ER group, 20/20 seconds reperfusion/ischemia, 4 cycles), and gradually increased reperfusion group (GIR group, 10/30-15/25-25/15-30/10 seconds of reperfusion/ischemia).

Cutting-balloon angioplasty before drug-eluting stent implantation for the treatment of severely calcified coronary lesions.

Background: Severely calcified coronary lesions respond poorly to balloon angioplasty, resulting in incomplete and asymmetrical stent expansion. Therefore, adequate plaque modification prior to drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation is the key for calcified lesion treatment. This study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cutting balloon angioplasty for severely calcified coronary lesions.

Local administration of lactic acid and a low dose of the free radical scavenger, edaravone, alleviates myocardial reperfusion injury in rats.

The effects of local myocardial administration of lactic acid and low-dose edaravone were investigated to determine if this combination provides benefits similar to mechanical postconditioning. We randomly divided 108 rats into 6 groups: sham, reperfusion injury, postconditioning (Post), lactic acid (Lac), low-dose edaravone (Eda), and lactic acid + low-dose edaravone (Lac+Eda). The left coronary arteries of the rats were occluded for 45 minutes, before the administration of the treatments.

An improved postconditioning algorithm: gradually increased reperfusion provides improved cardioprotection in rats.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a gradually increasing reperfusion algorithm, in which the brief reperfusion was lengthened as the duration of each reperfusion/reocclusion cycle remained fixed, enhances cardioprotection. Rats were randomized into 5 groups: the sham, reperfusion injury (R/I), gradually decreased reperfusion (GDR; 30/10‑25/15‑15/25‑10/30 sec of reperfusion/reocclusion), equal reperfusion (ER; 4 20/20‑sec reperfusion/reocclusion cycles) and gradually increased reperfusion (GIR; 10/30‑15/25‑25/15‑30/10 sec of reperfusion/reocclusion). The rats were sacrificed to measure serum markers, apoptotic indices and infarct size.

Comparison of human amniotic fluid-derived and umbilical cord Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells: Characterization and myocardial differentiation capacity.

Objective: To compare the characterization and myocardial differentiation capacity of amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AF MSCs) and umbilical cord Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (WJ MSCs).

Methods: The human AF MSCs were cultured from amniotic fluid samples obtained by amniocentesis. The umbilical cord WJ MSCs were obtained from Wharton's Jelly of umbilical cords of infants delivered full-term by normal labor.

[Effect of ischemic postconditioning on activation of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase and cardiac myocyte apoptosis in rats].

Objective: To explore the change of phospho-p38 (P-p38) mitogen activated protein kinase(MAPK) and its influence on myocardial apoptosis in reperfusion injury in postconditioning.

Methods: Totally 60 rats were equally and randomly divided into six groups: Sham group,reperfusion injury (R/I) group, postconditioning (Post) group, SB203580 (I_p38) group, anisomycin plus postconditioning (Ani+post) group,and anisomycin (Ani) group. After the model of acute myocardial infarction was established,placebo solution (DMSO), SB203580 (1 mg/kg), or anisomycin (2 mg/kg) was injected through jugular vein 5 minutes before reperfusion.