Simultaneous thoracoscopic surgery in patients with atrial fibrillation and early-stage lung cancer.

Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and early-stage lung cancer can both be treated under thoracoscopy. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and safety of simultaneous thoracoscopic surgery for atrial fibrillation and early-stage lung cancer.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study of 865 patients with paroxysmal or non-paroxysmal AF who underwent surgical ablation between October 2014 and December 2021.

BRD4 as a therapeutic target for atrial fibrosis and atrial fibrillation.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which BRD4 play a role in atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods And Results: We used a discovery-driven approach to detect BRD4 expression in the atria of patients with AF and in various murine models of atrial fibrosis. We used a BRD4 inhibitor (JQ1) and atrial fibroblast (aFB)-specific BRD4-knockout mice to elucidate the role of BRD4 in AF.

Downregulation of MYBL1 in endothelial cells contributes to atherosclerosis by repressing PLEKHM1-inducing autophagy.

MYBL1 is a strong transcriptional activator involved in the cell signaling. However, there is no systematic study on the role of MYBL1 in atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role and mechanism of MYBL1 in atherosclerosis.

Immediate electrophysiological characteristics following modified thoracoscopic ablation via unilateral approach for non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Background: Thoracoscopic ablation has emerged as an effective therapy for patients with long-standing persistent Atrial fibrillation (LsPAF). We aimed to investigate the immediate electrophysiological characteristics following modified ablation with 3 circular and 3 linear lesions in the thoracoscopic procedure via a unilateral approach.

Methods: Between May 2015 and October 2018, 40 patients underwent the one-stage hybrid procedure for LsPAF.

Effects and Mechanisms of Cutting Upper Thoracic Sympathetic Trunk on Ventricular Rate in Ambulatory Canines with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

Objective: The purpose is to observe the effects and neural mechanism of cutting upper thoracic sympathetic trunk (TST) on the ventricular rate (VR) during persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Twelve beagle dogs were halving to the control group and experimental group, 6 dogs for each group. Both groups were performed with left atrial rapid pacing (600 beats/min) to induce sustained AF.

Sesn2 attenuates the damage of endothelial progenitor cells induced by angiotensin II through regulating the Keap1/Nrf2 signal pathway.

Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) dysfunction is an important physiopathological mechanism in the dynamics of the formation of atherosclerosis. It has been reported that angiotensin II (Ang-II) damages the function of EPCs in atherosclerotic plaque through induction of oxidative stress. Sestrin 2 (Sesn2) serves as an antioxidant role in oxidative stress, however, the exact mechanisms underlying the dynamics of how Sesn2 may factor into EPCs after Ang-II treatments needs to be illustrated.

The Mei mini-maze procedure.

Atrial fibrillation is a common clinical arrhythmia with high morbidity and a risk of stroke. The Cox-maze IV procedure that uses radiofrequency energy for ablation is established as an effective way to eliminate atrial fibrillation. Compared to the Cox-maze IV procedure, the video-assisted Wolf mini-maze procedure is associated with reduced surgical trauma, but still requires bilateral thoracotomies, and the ablation line connecting the right and left pulmonary vein isolations cannot be created with a bipolar ablation clamp.

MicroRNA-15a inhibition protects against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes by targeting mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 7.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major pathological process in coronary heart disease and cardiac surgery, and is associated with aberrant microRNA (miR) expression. Previous studies have demonstrated that inhibition of miR-15a expression may ameliorate I/R‑induced myocardial injury. In the present study, the potential role and underlying mechanism of miR‑15a in hypoxia/reoxygenation‑induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes was investigated.

Coarctation of the aorta associated with agenesis of left common carotid artery and left subclavian artery.

We describe the case of a 10-year-old boy with coarctation of the aorta complicated by innominate artery stenosis and agenesis of left common carotid artery and left subclavian artery. The patient was treated with an interposition graft between the ascending and descending aorta. The right subclavian was revascularized with another graft from the interposition graft to the distal right subclavian.

Protective Effects of L-Malate against Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

Unlabelled: Objective. To investigate the protective effects of L-malate against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. Methods.

Continuous vagal nerve stimulation affects atrial neural remodeling and reduces atrial fibrillation inducibility in rabbits.

Background: The effects of continuous vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) on atrial neural remodeling during atrial fibrillation (AF) remain unclear.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that VNS affects atrial neural remodeling and reduces AF inducibility.

Methods: Twenty rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: rapid atrial pacing (RAP) group and RAP with VNS group.

Analysis of the Synergistic Effects of Fasting Plasma Glucose and Hypertension on Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hypertension (HTN) with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) and to estimate the extent to which the synergistic effects of FPG and HTN affect outcomes in a Chinese population.

Method: We conducted a large-scale, population-based study to analyze the association and interaction of the two factors with CAN in a sample of 2,092 Chinese people. Univariate and multiple linear regression (MLR) analyses were employed to detect these relationships.