Integrated analyses of lncRNAs microarray profiles and mRNA-lncRNA coexpression in smooth muscle cells under hypoxic and normoxic conditions.

Hypoxia may cause abnormal proliferation and migration of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from the media to the intima. This contributes to vessel narrowing and accelerates the process of atherosclerosis. The association of the aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with the development and progression of atherosclerosis is well known; however, it is not well investigated in hypoxic VSMCs.

Global Longitudinal Strain at Rest for Detection of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients without Diabetes Mellitus.

Global longitudinal strain (GLS) at rest on two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D STE) was demonstrated to help detect coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the optimal cut-off point of GLS and its diagnostic power for detecting critical CAD in non-diabetes mellitus (DM) patients are unknown. In the present study, 211 patients with suspected CAD were prospectively included, with DM patients excluded.

β1-Adrenoceptor blocker aggravated ventricular arrhythmia.

Objectives: To assess the impact of β1 -adrenoceptor blockers (β1 -blocker) and isoprenaline on the incidence of idiopathic repetitive ventricular arrhythmia that apparently decreases with preprocedural anxiety.

Methods: From January 2010 to July 2012, six patients were identified who had idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias that apparently decreased (by greater than 90%) with preprocedural anxiety. The number of ectopic ventricular beats per hour (VPH) was calculated from Holter or telemetry monitoring to assess the ectopic burden.

Polymorphisms of genes in nitric oxide-forming pathway associated with ischemic stroke in Chinese Han population.

Aim: To investigate the association of polymorphisms in four critical genes implicated in the NO-forming pathway with ischemic stroke (IS) in a Chinese Han population.

Methods: DNA samples of 558 IS patients and 557 healthy controls from Chinese Han population were genotyped using the Taqman(TM) 7900HT Sequence Detection System. Six SNPs (rs841, rs1049255, rs2297518, rs1799983, rs2020744, rs4673) of the 4 related genes (eNOS, iNOS, GCH1, and CYBA) in the NO forming pathway were analyzed using the SPSS 13.

[Impact of growth-factor hormone control on the outcome of acromegalic cardiomyopathy].

Objective: To observe the impact of growth-factor hormone control on the outcome of acromegalic cardiomyopathy by reviewing cases from our own center and from literatures.

Methods: Two cases of acromegalic cardiomyopathy from Tongji hospital and 29 acromegalic cardiomyopathy cases with fully accessible data retrieved from PubMed and CNKI websites were included in present study for analysis. They were divided into "Controlled (< 5 microg/L)" or "Uncontrolled" group according to the serum level of growth factor hormone after treatments.

[Throat infection, neck spinal disease, chest pain and cardiac response: a new clinical syndrome?].

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of a new clinical syndrome, including throat infection, neck spinal disease, chest pain and cardiac response.

Methods: A total of 165 patients with above mentioned symptoms admitted to Tongji hospital from 2003 to 2005 were included in this study and underwent further medical history inquiry, physical examination and laboratory tests. Eighty-five healthy subjects served as controls.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus-mediated human kallikrein gene therapy protects against hypertensive target organ injuries through inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Aim: Overexpression of human tissue kallikrein (HK), mediated by recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV), decreased blood pressure in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs) and reduced injury to the heart, aorta and kidney. In this study, we used both an in vivo animal model and in vitro cell culture system to investigate whether rAAV-mediated HK gene therapy protects against organ damage by inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Methods: rAAV encoding HK (rAAV-HK) or LacZ (rAAV-lacZ) were delivered as a control to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and cultured human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells.

C-reactive protein polymorphisms and genetic susceptibility to ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke in the Chinese Han population.

Aim: The inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) has been strongly correlated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been reported to be associated with serum CRP levels. In this study, we assessed the genetic association between SNPs within the CRP gene and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in the Han Chinese population.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus-mediated human kallikrein gene therapy prevents high-salt diet-induced hypertension without effect on basal blood pressure.

Aim: To investigate the effects of the expression of human kallikrein (HK) on basal level blood pressure and high-salt diet-induced hypertension.

Methods: We delivered the recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV)-mediated HK (rAAV- HK) gene and rAAV-LacZ (as the control) to normal, adult Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were administered a normal diet in the first 4 weeks, followed by a high-salt diet.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus-mediated delivery of antisense angiotensin II receptor 1 gene attenuates hypertension development.

Aim: The renin-angiotensin system plays a crucial role in the development and establishment of hypertension, and the pharmacological blockade of the system results in a reduction in blood pressure. In the present study, we investigated whether the effects of a novel, double-stranded, recombinant adeno-associated virus vector (rAAV)-mediated antisense angiotensin II receptor 1 (AT1R) gene efficiently prevents the development of hypertension induced by a high-salt diet in adult, male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

Methods: A rAAV was prepared with a cassette containing a cytomegalovirus promoter and partial cDNA (660 base pairs) for the AT1R inserted in the antisense direction (rAAV-AT1-AS).

Cystatin C, associated with hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, is a strong predictor of the risk of cardiovascular events and death in Chinese.

Background And Purpose: Cystatin C, a serum measure of renal function, has been reported as a strong predictor of risk of death and cardiovascular events in elderly people. We investigated the association between cystatin C and first-ever stroke and evaluated the predictive value of cystatin C in cardiovascular events and death from all causes based on the outcomes of a 5-year follow-up.

Methods: We recruited 293 stroke patients (199 cases of cerebral infarction, 94 cases of cerebral hemorrhage) and 894 controls.

[Aldosterone/plasma renin activity ratio is a sensitive parameter for screening patients with primary aldosteronism].

Objective: To screen primary aldosteronism cases with ARR (aldosterone/plasma renin activity, ARR) from patients with hypertension, and to evaluate the diagnosis value of ARR in primary aldosteronism cases and analysis the clinical characters of primary aldosteronism cases.

Methods: Nine hundred and two patients with hypertension were collected, the plasma aldosterone concentration to plasma renin activity ratio were detected by radio-immunity method, after that, ARR were calculated. Retrospective analysis was made of clinical data in 126 primary aldosteronism cases, which ARR were over 25.

Effects of bezafibrate on the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene and its mechanisms in cultured bovine endothelial cells.

Objective: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha (PPARalpha) is a target gene for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. However, effects of PPARalpha on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) remain unknown. We investigated the eNOS regulation by bezafibrate, a ligand of PPARalpha, and involved signaling pathways.

Long-term modifications of blood pressure in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats by gene delivery of rAAV-mediated cytochrome P450 arachidonic acid hydroxylase.

Arachidonic acid cytochrome P-450 (CYP) hydroxylase 4A isoforms, including 4A1, 4A2, 4A3 and 4A8 in the rat kidney, catalyze arachidonic acid to produce 19/20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (20-HETE), a biologically active metabolite, which plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure. However, controversial results have been reported regarding the exact role of 20-HETE on blood pressure. In the present study, we used recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (rAAV) to deliver CYP 4A1 cDNA and antisense 4A1 cDNA into Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), respectively, to investigate the effects of long-term modifications of blood pressure and the potential for gene therapy of hypertension.

[The relationship between microalbuminuria and plasma high sensitivity C reactive protein].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between microalbuminuria (MA) and plasma high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP).

Method: The plasma hsCRP level and urine albumin level of 746 Chinese people were detected with ELISA and analyzed, respectively.

Result: The hsCRP level of MA group increased significantly compared with the control group (2.

[A case-control study on the relationship between stroke and plasma homocysteine level and the mutation of MTHFR gene].

Objective: To study the relationship of stroke and plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level and the mutation of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene.

Methods: Three hundred patients with stroke were included as the case group in this study while 300 subjects without stroke matched with the case group for sex and age were collected as the control group. Plasma Hcy level was measured using HPLC and MTHFR 667C-->T mutant was determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment analysis.

[Study on the distribution of serum homocysteine and on multi-stepwise regression analysis of the associated factors in the population of community areas in Wuhan].

Objective: To study the serum homocysteine (Hcy) distribution and characteristics in different sex and age groups in the community residents in Wuhan, and to analyse its associated factors with multi-stepwise regression analysis.

Methods: The population under study was from three community areas in Wuhan. Demographic distribution and the correlation with other risk factors of serum Hcy were analyzed statistically.