Effect of mitochondrial tRNA(Lys) mutation on the clinical and biochemical characteristics of Chinese essential hypertensive subjects.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been potentially implicated in both human and experimental hypertension. We performed the mutational analysis of tRNA(Lys) gene by PCR amplification and subsequent sequence analysis of the PCR fragments from 990 Chinese essential hypertensive subjects. We also made a comparative analysis of the collected data of the essential hypertension subjects who carried tRNA(Lys) mutation and those who did not carry the mutation using the methods of 1:1 case-control study.

Association between high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in a community based population.

Background: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) are excellent biomarkers for detecting heart failure and subclinical myocardial injury. However, it remains unclear whether subclinical myocardial injury is associated with NT-proBNP elevation in a community based population.

Methods: In a community based study, levels of hs-cTnT and of NT-proBNP were determined in 1 497 participants older than 45 years.

Association of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with the estimated glomerular filtration rate in a community-based population.

Background: Reduced kidney function is independently associated with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), those on hemodialysis, and those with stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, epidemiological data investigating the relationship between HDL-C levels and kidney function in the general population with roughly normal kidney function are limited, and the results are also inconsistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between HDL-C levels and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in a community-based population in China.

The ability of NT-proBNP to detect chronic heart failure and predict all-cause mortality is higher in elderly Chinese coronary artery disease patients with chronic kidney disease.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and renal function, and compare the ability and cut-off thresholds of NT-proBNP to detect chronic heart failure (CHF) and predict mortality in elderly Chinese coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: The study included 999 CAD patients older than 60 years. The endpoint was all-cause mortality over a mean follow-up period of 417 days.

Prognostic abilities of different calculation formulas for the glomerular filtration rate in elderly Chinese patients with coronary artery disease.

Objective: As a standard indicator of renal function, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is vital for the prognostic analysis of elderly patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Thus, the search for the calculation equation of GFR with the best prognostic ability is an important task. The most commonly used Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation and the Chinese version (CMDRD) of the MDRD equation has many shortcomings.

Chronic kidney disease: an independent risk factor of all-cause mortality for elderly Chinese patients with chronic heart failure.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in elderly Chinese patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods: The study consisted of 327 elderly patients with CHF. All-cause mortality was chosen as an endpoint over the median follow-up period of 345 days.

[Study on the relation between expression of angiotensin II receptor and apoptosis in myocardium in rats of endotoxemia].

Objective: To analyze the expression of angiotensin II (ANG II) receptor and apoptosis in myocardium in rats of endotoxemia.

Methods: Model of endotoxemia was induced by intraperitoneal injection with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 10 mg/kg in male Wistar rats and saline was injected into control group. The rats were killed at 2 h or 6 h after saline (control) or LPS .

Effects of omega-3 fatty acid for sudden cardiac death prevention in patients with cardiovascular disease: a contemporary meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials.

Purpose: Experimental and epidemiological studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids have an antiarrhythmic effect. However, evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains controversial. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids for secondary prevention of SCD in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the era of guidelines-based therapy.

Activation of anterior cingulate cortex produces inhibitory effects on noxious mechanical and electrical stimuli-evoked responses in rat spinal WDR neurons.

In present study, in vivo electrophysiological techniques were applied to examine the effects of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activation on mechanical and electrical stimuli-evoked responses in rat spinal cord wide-dynamic-range (WDR) neurons. We found that bilateral ACC electrical stimulation (100Hz, 20V, 20s) had different effects on neuronal responses to brush, pressure and pinch stimuli (10s). The brush-evoked neuronal responses at baseline, post 1min and post 5min were 60.

Association of serum lipids with arterial stiffness in a population-based study in Beijing.

Background: Some cardiovascular risk factors such as age, hypertension and diabetes have been confirmed to be positively correlated with arterial stiffness. However, the relationship between serum lipids and arterial stiffness is incompletely understood. Recent studies have been far from conclusive and consistent data were not obtained.

[Mesenchymal stem cells exist in the compact bones from four species of mammals].

The biological properties of cultured mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been intensively investigated, while there is still a paucity of information about the definite in vivo sites that harbor these stem cells due to the lack of specific surface markers. Previous data have demonstrated that human and murine MSC can be isolated from the compact bones. To investigate if it is the case for other species, the femurs from Wistar rats, Beagles, C57 mice and New Zealand rabbits were collected, minced and digested with collagenase type I.