Effect of ambrisentan on echocardiographic and Doppler measures from patients in China with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: We retrospectively evaluated the echocardiographic data of ambrisentan-treated patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (NCT01808313).

Methods: Change from baseline in right ventricle (RV) systolic function, right heart structure, and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) prognosis to Weeks 12 and 24 was evaluated by echocardiography.

Results: In the overall population, the mean tissue Doppler-derived tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity (S') increased by 0.

NLRC3 inhibits PDGF-induced PASMCs proliferation via PI3K-mTOR pathway.

Few studies about nucleotide-oligomerization domain-like receptor subfamily C3 (NLRC3) in PASMCs have been conducted. This research aimed to investigate the role of NLRC3 on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and its underlying mechanism. We found that the proliferation of PASMCs stimulated with PDGF decreased when phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors pretreatment.

Nucleolin promotes Ang II-induced phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells by regulating EGF and PDGF-BB.

RNA-binding properties of nucleolin play a fundamental role in regulating cell growth and proliferation. We have previously shown that nucleolin plays an important regulatory role in the phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by angiotensin II (Ang II). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of nucleolin-mediated phenotypic transformation of VSMCs induced by Ang II.

NLRC3 inhibits MCT-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats via attenuating PI3K activation.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activation plays a critical role in the pulmonary vascular remodeling of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The nucleotide-oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor subfamily C3 (NLRC3) inhibits proliferation and inflammation via PI3K signaling in cancer. We previously showed NLRC3 was significantly reduced in PH patients, but the mechanism of function remains unclear.

Nucleolin promotes Ang II‑induced phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells via interaction with tropoelastin mRNA.

The current study aimed to clarify the role of nucleolin in the phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and to preliminarily explore its underlying mechanism. The spatial and temporal expression patterns of nucleolin, and the effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) on the expression of VSMC phenotypic transformation markers, α‑smooth muscle‑actin, calponin, smooth muscle protein 22α and osteopontin were investigated. The effects of nucleolin on VSMC phenotypic transformation and the expression of phenotypic transformation‑associated genes, tropoelastin, epiregulin and fibroblast growth factor 2 (b‑FGF), were determined.

The effectiveness and safety of the RESTORE drug-eluting balloon versus a drug-eluting stent for small coronary vessel disease: study protocol for a multi-center, randomized, controlled trial.

Objective: Small coronary vessel disease (disease affecting coronary vessels with main branch diameters of ≤ 2.75 mm) is a common and intractable problem in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study was designed to test the theory that the effectiveness and safety of drug-eluting balloons for the treatment of lesions in small coronary vessels are non-inferior to those of drug-eluting stents.

NLRC3: A Novel Noninvasive Biomarker for Pulmonary Hypertension Diagnosis.

The nucleotide-oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor subfamily C3 (NLRC3) is a newly discovered and incompletely characterized member of the NLR family which negatively regulates inflammatory responses. Inflammation is considered a critical pathogenesis in pulmonary hypertension (PH). This is the first study to hypothesize that NLRC3 is closely correlated with PH.

Impact of interaction between CYP1A1 genetic polymorphisms and smoking on coronary artery disease in the Han of China.

Aims: To investigate the association of CYP1A1 genotype and additional gene-smoking interaction with coronary artery disease (CAD) risk based on a Chinese case-control study.

Methods: A total of 1862 participants (1134 men, 728 women) were selected, including 620 CAD patients and 1242 normal controls. Logistic regression was performed to investigate association of CYP1A1 genotype, gene-gene, and gene-smoking interaction with CAD.

HIV protease inhibitors in pulmonary hypertension: rationale and design of a pilot trial in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

We propose an exploratory clinical study, the first of its kind to our knowledge, to determine the safety and potential clinical benefit of the combination of the HIV protease inhibitors (HIV-PIs) saquinavir and ritonavir (SQV+RIT) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). This study is based on evidence that (1) HIV-PIs can improve pulmonary hemodynamics in experimental models; (2) both Toll-like receptor 4 and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) participate in the pathogenesis of experimental pulmonary hypertension; and (3) a high-throughput screen for inhibitors of HMGB1-induced macrophage activation yielded HIV-PIs as potent inhibitors of HMGB1-induced cytokine production. In this proposed open-label, pre-post study, micro, low, and standard doses of SQV+RIT will be given to IPAH patients for 14 days.

Vardenafil in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Rationale: Although the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors sildenafil and tadalafil have demonstrated efficacy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), monotherapy with these agents has not been conclusively shown to reduce clinical worsening events.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor vardenafil in Chinese patients with PAH.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 66 patients with PAH were randomized 2:1 to vardenafil (5 mg once daily for 4 wk then 5 mg twice daily; n = 44) or placebo (n = 22) for 12 weeks.

[The efficacy and safety of bosentan therapy for Chinese patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: an open-label, prospective multicenter study].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerance of bosentan, a dual endothelin receptor antagonist, in Chinese patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH).

Methods: Totally 79 IPAH patients (hemodynamic criteria confirmed by right heart catheterization) were included in this open-label, prospective multicenter study. Patients received 62.

Survival of Chinese patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension in the modern treatment era.

Background: In a previous study of Chinese patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in the nontargeted therapy era (defined as the time before 2006 when new pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific drugs were not available in China), we reported 1- and 3-year survival estimates of only 68% and 39%, respectively. However, it is not yet known whether the survival of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension is improved in the modern treatment era (defined in China as after 2006).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was undertaken in 276 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed incident IPAH and connective tissue disease-related pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTDPAH) who were referred between 2007 and 2009.

[Effects of intracoronary diltiazem on no-reflow phenomenon after emergent percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction].

Objective: To assess the effects of intracoronary diltiazem on no-reflow phenomenon of infarct-related artery (IRA) after emergent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or/and intracoronary stenting (PTCA/Stenting) in the patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: We studied 34 AMI patients with no-reflow phenomenon of IRA after emergent PTCA/Stenting between January 1999 and August 2005. Urokinase-treated group (n=16) was given intracoronary urokinase 30,0000 - 50,0000 units within 15 - 30 minutes between January 1999 and April 2002 while diltiazem-treated group (n=18) was given intracoronary diltiazem 0.

[Formation and function of coronary collateral circulation and their influencing factors].

Objective: To clarify the formation and function of coronary collateral circulation (CCC) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with severe coronary artery stenosis and their influencing factors.

Methods: Coronary angiography was performed on 266 CAD patients with severe coronary stenosis. CCC formation was evaluated by Rentrop rating on those 266 patients and 401 severe stenosis arteries; while in CCC formed patients, CCC function was evaluated by Werner collateral collection (CC) rating.

[Effects of nitroglycerin on plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide and endothelin in congestive heart failure].

Objective: To investigate the plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and endothelin (ET) levels and the effects of nitroglycerin on CGRP and ET in congestive heart failure (CHF), and to make clear the mechanism of nitroglycerin in vasodilation and cardiac protection.

Methods: The fast blood samples were taken from the peripheral vein of 40 volunteers and 40 CHF patients to estimate the basal level of CGRP and ET. Infusion of nitroglycerin of 25 to 50 micrograms/min started in the forearm vein of CHF patients.

Comparison of the self-expanding Radius stent and the balloon-expandable Multilink stent for elective treatment of coronary stenoses: a serial analysis by intravascular ultrasound.

We compared the outcome of the self-expanding Radius stent and the balloon-expandable Multilink stent serially by angiography and intravascular ultrasound. Successful stent deployment was achieved in 66 lesions of 56 stable angina patients (34 lesions with Radius stents and 32 lesions with Multilink stents). At follow-up, there were no significant differences in minimal lumen diameter or percent diameter stenosis between the groups, nor in restenosis rates, although the Radius stent group rate was slightly lower (23.