Overexpression of microRNA-138 alleviates human coronary artery endothelial cell injury and inflammatory response by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway.

This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-138 in human coronary artery endothelial cell (HCAEC) injury and inflammatory response and the involvement of the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signalling pathway. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OX-LDL)-induced HCAEC injury models were established and assigned to blank, miR-138 mimic, miR-138 inhibitor, LY294002 (an inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway), miR-138 inhibitor + LY294002 and negative control (NC) groups. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect the miR-138, PI3K, Akt and eNOS levels and the protein expressions of PI3K, Akt, eNOS, p-Akt, p-eNOS, Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3.

Effect of graft patency on the prediction of myocardial viability by dobutamine stress and myocardial contrast echocardiography before coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: Myocardial functional recovery after revascularization is considered the "gold standard" for myocardial viability (MV) assessment. However, the patency of the revascularized coronary artery affects myocardial functional recovery in patients subjected to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The influence of graft patency on viability results has not been widely studied.

Pachymic acid, a novel compound for anti-rejection: effect in rats following cardiac allograft transplantation.

Background: Pachymic acid (PA), a natural triterpenoid, is known to significantly reduce cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in vitro through initiation of mitochondria dysfunction. However, its effect on immune cells and anti-rejection following organ transplantation remains unknown.

Methods: In this study, we investigated PA as a treatment to control acute rejection occurred in rats which had accepted cardiac transplantation.

Celecoxib plays a multiple role to peripheral blood lymphocytes and allografts in acute rejection in rats after cardiac transplantation.

Background: Celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used as an adjuvant to sensitize cancer cells to apoptosis. However, in rats suffering from acute rejection, celecoxib reduced apoptosis of myocardial cells. We hypothesize that celecoxib reduces myocardial apoptosis either by inducing apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) or by altering the percentage of CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes.