Comparison of 320-row computed tomography coronary angiography with conventional angiography for the assessment of coronary artery disease with different atherosclerotic plaque characteristics.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of 320-row computed tomography angiography (CTA) with conventional coronary angiography.

Methods: Two hundred seventy-four patients with coronary artery disease who received both invasive coronary angiography and 320-row CTA were included. Stenosis of 50% or greater was considered obstructive.

A novel effect of imidazole derivative KK-42 on increasing survival of Aeromonas hydrophila challenged prawn Macrobrachium nipponense.

Imidazole derivative KK-42 is well known as the insect growth regulator. Here we find that KK-42 pretreatment could promote the survival of Macrobrachium nipponense infected with Aeromonas hydrophila, which is considered to be possibly related to the prophenoloxidase (proPO), a conserved copper-containing enzyme that plays an important role in defense against pathogens. In this study, a full-length of proPO gene from M.

Post-conditioning protects cardiomyocytes from apoptosis via PKC(epsilon)-interacting with calcium-sensing receptors to inhibit endo(sarco)plasmic reticulum-mitochondria crosstalk.

The intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) is increased during cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), leading to endo(sarco)plasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Persistent ER stress, such as with the accumulation of [Ca(2+)](i), results in apoptosis. Ischemic post-conditioning (PC) can protect cardiomyocytes from IRI by reducing the [Ca(2+)](i) via protein kinase C (PKC).

Blockade of HERG K+ channel by isoquinoline alkaloid neferine in the stable transfected HEK293 cells.

We studied the effects of isoquinoline alkaloid neferine (Nef) extracted from the seed embryo of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn on Human ether-à-go-go-related gene (HERG) channels stably expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells using whole-cell patch clamp technique, western blot analysis and immunofluorescence experiment. Nef induced a concentration-dependent decrease in current amplitude according to the voltage steps and tail currents of HERG with an IC(50) of 7.419 microM (n(H) -0.

HERG K+ channel blockade by the novel antiviral drug sophocarpine.

Human ether-à-go-go-related gene (HERG) encodes the rapid component of the cardiac delayed rectifier K+ current, which has an important role in the repolarization of the cardiac action potential. QT interval prolongation through HERG channel inhibition is associated with a risk of torsade de pointes arrhythmias and is a major challenge for drug development. The effects of the novel antiviral drug sophocarpine (SC) were examined on stably expressed HERG channels in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells using a whole-cell patch clamp technique, Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence experiments.

Involvement of calcium-sensing receptor in cardiac hypertrophy-induced by angiotensinII through calcineurin pathway in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common pathological change accompanying cardiovascular disease. Recently, some evidence indicated that calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) expressed in the cardiovascular tissue. However, the functional involvement of CaSR in cardiac hypertrophy remains unclear.

Post-conditioning protects rat cardiomyocytes via PKCepsilon-mediated calcium-sensing receptors.

Protein kinase C (PKC) plays a role in cardioprotection through reduction of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration [Ca(2+)](i) during ischemic preconditioning (IPC). Cardioprotection against ischemic post-conditioning (PC) could be associated with reduced [Ca(2+)](i) through PKC. The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR), G protein-coupled receptor, causes accumulation of inositol phosphate (IP) to increase the release of intracellular Ca(2+).

Involvement of calcium-sensing receptor in ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis in rat cardiomyocytes.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is a seven-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptor, which activates intracellular effectors, for example, it causes inositol phosphate (IP) accumulation to increase the release of intracellular calcium. Although intracellular calcium overload has been implicated in the cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis, the role of CaR in the induction of apoptosis has not been fully understood. This study tested the hypothesis that CaR is involved in I/R cardiomyocyte apoptosis by increasing [Ca2+]i.