Effects of sleep deprivation on serum cortisol level and mental health in servicemen.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation on serum cortisol level and mental health and explore the correlations between them in servicemen. A total of 149 out of the 207 Chinese servicemen were randomly selected to go through 24hour sleep deprivation, leaving the rest (58) as the control group, before and after which their blood samples were drawn for cortisol measurement. Following the procedure, all the participants were administered the Military Personnel Mental Disorder Prediction Scale, taking the military norm as baseline.

Efficacy and safety of the treatment: combination of benazepril/lercanidipine vs. benazepril alone in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension.

Background: Combination therapy is an effective method to reduce the blood pressure (BP) for patients with hypertension. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of benazepril/lercanidipine compared with benazepril alone in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension.

Methods: One hundred and eighty-one patients with mild-to-moderate primary hypertension were assigned in this randomized, single-blind, parallel-group study and were randomly divided into group A (benazepril 10 mg/lercanidipine 10 mg) and group B (benazepril 10 mg) for 8 weeks.

Thrombosis and morphology of plaque rupture using optical coherence tomography.

Background: Thrombosis following plaque rupture is the main cause of acute coronary syndrome, but not all plaque ruptures lead to thrombosis. There are limited in vivo data on the relationship between the morphology of ruptured plaque and thrombosis.

Methods: We used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to investigate the morphology of plaque rupture and its relation to coronary artery thrombosis in patients with coronary heart disease.

Protective effect of metoprolol on arrhythmia and heart rate variability in healthy people with 24 hours of sleep deprivation.

Purpose: Sleep deprivation, which is a strong stressor, can greatly affect the cardiovascular system of rescue workers. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 24-h sleep deprivation on heart rate variability (HRV) in young healthy people and the protective effect of metoprolol on arrhythmia.

Methods: Sixty young, healthy subjects (6 women and 54 men), aged 25 ± 4.

[Ex vivo assessment of coronary lesions by optical coherence tomography and intravascular ultrasound in comparison with histology results].

Objective: To explore the diagnostic accuracy of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in the detection of ex vivo coronary plaques with different compositions compared with histology results.

Methods: OCT and IVUS were performed in 15 autopsied heart specimens and the isolated coronary artery was assessed by routine histological processing thereafter. Coronary plaques were classified into 3 types (lipid-rich plaque, calcified plaque and fibrous plaque) according to standard criteria respectively.

[Prevention of restenosis in the canine coronary stents through local delivery of paclitaxel using the double-balloon perfusion catheter].

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficiency of local paclitaxel delivery using the double-balloon perfusion catheter to prevent restenosis in the canine coronary artery.

Methods: Twenty domestic canines underwent bare-mental stent implantation after balloon injure of the left coronary artery. A novel double-balloon perfusion catheter was used to deliver the drug locally in the canine coronary artery.

Optical coherence tomography assessment of edge dissections after drug-eluting stent implantation in coronary artery.

Background: Edge dissections after coronary stent implantation are associated with increased short-term risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. The incidence and outcome of edge dissections after coronary stent implantation were reportedly different using different imaging techniques. We used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess the incidence, morphological findings and related factors of edge dissections after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.

[The cardiac function changes before and after pituitary tumor resection in patients with pituitary adenoma complicated with dilated cardiomyopathy].

Objective: To evaluate the cardiac function changing before and after resection of pituitary tumor in patients with pituitary adenoma complicated with dilated cardiomyopathy with retrospective analysis method.

Methods: The clinical data of 14 cases of patients with pituitary adenoma complicated with dilated cardiomyopathy, treated with resection of pituitary tumor, in PLA General Hospital, from 2005 to 2011, were collected and analyzed. Comparative analysis of cardiac function were made in these patients before and after the surgery, also with the postoperative recovery status, using echocardiography and other noninvasive detection means to detect the growth hormone (GH), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), septal thickness (ST), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) values.

[Immune state of Th1, Th2 and Th17 subpopulation in experimental autoimmune myocarditis].

Objective: To shed light on changes in the gene expression of T helper lymphocyte (Th) subpopulation, Th1, Th2 and Th17 in autoimmune myocarditis and to gain insight into the immunological mechanisms underlying the essence of myocarditis.

Methods: An experimental Lewis rat autoimmune myocarditis model was induced by immunization with cardiac C protein and completed Freund adjuvant in double foot pads and subsequent intraperitoneal injection of pertussis toxin. Two groups of normal rats without immunological injection acted as control group.

[Experimental study of MMP-2 inhibitor treatment of experimental autoimmune myocarditis in Lewis rats].

Objective: To investigate the inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) (2R)-2-[5-[4-[ ethyl-methylamino] phenyl [thiophene-2-sulfonylamino]-3-methylbutyric acid (TISAM) therapeutic effect on experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) in Lewis rats.

Methods: Treatment protocol of oral administration of 5 mg/kg TISAM once a day for 14 days was performed on EAM Lewis rats. EAM Lewis rats were divided into 3 groups: treatment in early, middle and later stage respectively (n = 20).

[Evaluation of neointimal proliferation in stented canine coronary artery with optical coherence tomography].

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in evaluating neointimal proliferation in canine coronary artery following stenting.

Methods: In 15 domestic dogs, a single bare-metal stent was implanted in the anterior descending or the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery. Ninety days after stenting, the dogs underwent coronary angiography and OCT, followed by quantitative histological assessment of neointimal proliferation in the target arterial segments.

[Lymphocyte GRK2 expression of the very elderly with chronic heart failure].

Objective: To explore the correlation of lymphocyte G protein-coupled receptor kinases 2 (GRK2) expression of the very elderly with chronic heart failure (HF) and heart ejection fraction (EF).

Methods: 16 elderly patients with chronic heart failure were divided into 2 groups as following: EF < 45% (n=7), EF > or = 45% (n=9); and health elderly as control (n=8). Lymphocytes were obtained from blood, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to measure GRK2 mRNA levels.

[Influence of in-hospital occurrence of organ failure on the prognosis of acute myocardial infarction in the elderly patients: an analysis of 2,535 cases].

Objective: To investigate the influence of in-hospital occurrence of organ failure on the prognosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 2 535 elderly patients of different age.

Methods: A total of 2,535 patients with AMI were divided into different age groups or outcome groups, and the outcome or the incidence of in-hospital complications were reviewed in different groups.

Results: (1)The rate of in-hospital death was higher in > or =80 years group (22.

[Effect of metoprolol on the expression of GRK2 in lymphocyte of advanced elderly patients with chronic heart failure].

Objective: To investigate the effect of metoprolol on the expression of G protein-coupled receptor kinases 2 (GRK2) in lymphocyte of advanced elderly patients with chronic heart failure.

Methods: 32 elderly patients with chronic heart failure were divided into control group and metoprolol group, 16 each. Conventional therapy was used in the control group, conventional therapy plua metoprolol was used in metoprolol group.

[Evaluation of the late stent malposition after drug-eluting stent implantation by optical coherence tomography].

Objective: To evaluate the characteristic of late stent malposition after drug-eluting stent implantation by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods: The study comprised of 32 patients (target vessels: 51, total stents: 71) underwent drug eluting stent implantation one year ago [average (14.8 +/- 5.

[Association between stent fracture and restenosis after drug-eluting stent implantation].

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the relationship between the stent fracture and restenosis after drug-eluting stent implantation.

Methods: The study enrolled 536 patients with angiographies during stenting procedure and follow-up, the patients were divided into DES group (n=397) and BMS group (n=139). The coronary angiography images were analyzed to detect restenosis and stent fracture.

[Chronic effects of spironolactone in conjunction with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril on circulating procollagen marker P III NP and vascular resistance in patients with essential hypertension].

Objective: Disturbances of the synthesis and breakdown of the extracellular matrix of arterial walls have emerged as key features of the atherosclerotic process. We observed the changes of circulating procollagen marker for type III collagen turnover rate, the N-terminal propeptide P III NP and vascular resistance in hypertensive patients treated with various antihypertensive regimens.

Method: A total of 130 light to moderate hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to receive enalapril (group B, n = 43), enalapril + spirolactone (20 mg/d, group A, n = 44) and anti-hypertensive drugs not directly affecting RAAS (calcium antagonist, beta-blocker, group C, n = 43) for 1 year.

[Changes in clinical characteristics and interventional modalities of renal artery stenosis in recent years].

Objective: To observe the changes of clinical characteristics and interventional methods of patients with renal artery stenosis in recent 17 years.

Methods: Comparing the clinical characteristics and interventional treatment of patients diagnosed renal artery stenosis by the means of renal angiography in recent 17 years.

Results: The numbers of renal artery stenosis were increasing year by year.

[Experimental study of effect of carvedilol on myocardial collagen network remodeling after acute myocardial infarction in rats].

Objective: To investigate the effects of carvedilol, irbesartan and their combination on myocardial collagen network remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats.

Methods: Twenty-four hours after ligating left anterior descending coronary artery, 35 surviving AMI male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control (n=8), carvedilol (n=9, 10 mg.kg(-1).

[The influence of coronary main vessel stenting on side branches].

Objective: To evaluate the influence of stenting main vessel on side branches and to compare the different effects on side branches between BMS and DES (Taxus and Cypher).

Methods: We reviewed the angiograms and the medical records of 183 patients who had received stent implantation in coronary main vessels and had follow-up angiograms. Any side branch was jailed by stent was evaluated.

[Clinical efficacy and safety of emergent percutaneous coronary intervention for vein-grafts in the patients with acute myocardial infarction: comparison between age groups].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and the safety of emergent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the saphenous vein bypass graft (SVBG) of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and compare the results between aged -patients with non-aged patients.

Methods: Three hundred and nine consecutive AMI patients with culprit SVBG vessels, were analysed, including aged patients 213 cases(>or=70 years old), non-aged patients 96 cases(<70 years old), underwent the emergent primary PCI after confirmed below TIMI III perfusion(TIMI 0-TIMI II) in coronary angiographies. The immediate results and in-hospital outcomes were compared between two groups.

[Effects of Ca2+ antagonist on cardiomyocytic apoptosis after experimental myocardial infarction].

Objective: To explore the effects of Ca(2+) antagonist on apoptosis of cardiomyocytes after myocardial ischemia.

Methods: The model of myocardial infarction was made by ligating left coronary artery in SD rats. In experimental group, the rats were administrated with Adalat through oral cavity (1 mg/kg) before operation and through peritoneal cavity (0.