Transgenic female mice producing trans 10, cis 12-conjugated linoleic acid present excessive prostaglandin E2, adrenaline, corticosterone, glucagon, and FGF21.

Dietary trans 10, cis 12-conjugated linoleic acid (t10c12-CLA) is a potential candidate in anti-obesity trials. A transgenic mouse was previously successfully established to determine the anti-obesity properties of t10c12-CLA in male mice that could produce endogenous t10c12-CLA. To test whether there is a different impact of t10c12-CLA on lipid metabolism in both sexes, this study investigated the adiposity and metabolic profiles of female Pai mice that exhibited a dose-dependent expression of foreign Pai gene and a shift of t10c12-CLA content in tested tissues. Compared to their gender-match wild-type littermates, Pai mice had no fat reduction but exhibited enhanced lipolysis and thermogenesis by phosphorylated hormone-sensitive lipase and up-regulating uncoupling proteins in brown adipose tissue. Simultaneously, Pai mice showed hepatic steatosis and hypertriglyceridemia by decreasing gene expression involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. Further investigations revealed that t10c10-CLA induced excessive prostaglandin E2, adrenaline, corticosterone, glucagon and inflammatory factors in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in less heat release and oxygen consumption in Pai mice. Moreover, fibroblast growth factor 21 overproduction only in monoallelic Pai/wt mice indicates that it was sensitive to low doses of t10c12-CLA. These results suggest that chronic t10c12-CLA has system-wide effects on female health via synergistic actions of various hormones.

Functional enhancement of acute infracted heart by coinjection of autologous adipose-derived stem cells with matrigel.

Recent clinical developments in tissue bioengineering have applications in acute cardiac ischemia and infarction and include the use of stem cells that combine injectable scaffold material. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) that combine the Matrigel scaffold on cardiac morphology/functions. The autologous ADSCs myocardial infarction (MI) model was induced by the permanent ligation method of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). MI-operated rats were randomly divided into PBS group, Matrigel group, PBS plus ADSCs group (PBS+ADSCs), and Matrigel plus ADSCs group (Matrigel+ADSCs). Matrigel was used as an injectable scaffold. Rats with a 1-week-old myocardial infarction were injected with 2 × 106 labeled ADSCs in the border area of the ischemic heart. Heart function was determined by echocardiography. The hemodynamics, cardiac structure, and graft characteristics were evaluated. The ADSCs were successfully isolated and identified, demonstrating a good proliferative status and cell retention in the Matrigel. ADSCs+Matrigel exhibited the most improved heart functions (LVESD, LVEDD, LVFS, LVEF) compared to those of other groups (p < 0.05). ADSCs+Matrigel significantly reduced infarct size compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Cotransplantation of ADSCs and Matrigel showed the best effect on maintaining the thickness of the ventricular wall compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Engrafted ADSCs played a role in the formation of the neovasculature in myocardial infarction. ADSCs+Matrigel triggered the greatest enhancement in arteriole density than other groups (p < 0.05). Cotransplanting with ADSCs and Matrigel showed significantly higher levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT), NK2-transcription factor related locus-5 (Nkx2.5), von Willebrand factor (vWF) than the other groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that cotransplanting ADSCs with Matrigel resulted in improved cardiac morphology and cardiac function in the rat model of myocardial infarction.

The diagnostic and prognostic value of SAA1 as a novel biomarker for acute aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a serious life-threatening cardiovascular condition. It is necessary to find rapid and accurate biomarkers for the diagnosis of AAD. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) in the diagnosis and prediction of long-term adverse events in AAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four-dimensional label-free quantification (4D-LFQ) technique was used to identify the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in aortic tissues of AAD. After comprehensive analysis, SAA1 was identified as a potential biomarker of AAD. ELISA was used to confirm the expression of SAA1 in serum of AAD patients. Moreover, the source of SAA1 in serum was explored by constructing AAD mouse model. RESULTS: A total of 247 DEPs were identified, of which 139 were upregulated while 108 were downregulated. SAA1 was nearly 6.4-fold and 4.5-fold upregulated in AAD tissue and serum. ROC curve and Kaplan-Meier survival curve confirmed the good efficacy of SAA1 for the diagnosis and prediction of long-term adverse events in AAD. In vivo experiments revealed that SAA1 was mainly derived from the liver when AAD occurred. CONCLUSION: SAA1 can be used as a potential biomarker for AAD with effective diagnostic and prognostic value. SIGNIFICANCE: Despite the advances in medical technology in recent years, the mortality rate of acute aortic dissection (AAD) is still high. It is still challenging for clinicians to diagnose AAD patients on time and reduce the mortality rate. In this study, 4D-LFQ technology was used to identify serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) as a potential biomarker of AAD and was verified in subsequent work. The results of this study determined the efficacy of SAA1 in the diagnosis and prediction of long-term adverse events in patients with AAD.

Transgenic mice producing the trans 10, cis 12-conjugated linoleic acid present reduced adiposity and increased thermogenesis and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21).

Trans 10, cis 12-conjugated linoleic acid (t10c12-CLA) from ruminant-derived foodstuffs can induce body fat loss after oral administration. In the current study, a transgenic mouse that produced t10c12-CLA had been generated by inserting the Propionibacterium acnes isomerase (Pai) expression cassette into the Rosa26 locus, and its male offspring were used to elucidate the enduring influence of t10c12-CLA on overall health. Compared to their wild-type (wt) C57BL/6J littermates, both biallelic Pai/Pai and monoallelic Pai/wt mice exhibited reduced plasma triglycerides levels, and Pai/wt mice exclusively showed increased serum fibroblast growth factor 21. Further analysis of Pai/Pai mice found a decrease in white fat and an increase in brown fat, with more heat release and less physical activity. Analysis of Pai/Pai brown adipose tissues revealed that hyperthermia was associated with the over-expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B, uncoupling proteins 1 and 2. These findings suggest that the systemic and long-term impact of t10c12-CLA on obesity might be mediated through the pathway of fibroblast growth factor 21 when low doses are administered or through enhanced thermogenesis of brown adipose tissues when high doses are employed.

A prediction model to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with acute type B aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: Acute type B aortic dissection (ABAD) is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease. A practicable and effective prediction model to predict and evaluate the risk of in-hospital death for ABAD is required. The present study aimed to construct a prediction model to predict the risk of in-hospital death in ABAD patients. METHODS: A total of 715 patients with ABAD were recruited in the first affiliated hospital of Xinjiang medical university from April 2012 to May 2021. The information on the demographic and clinical characteristics of all subjects was collected. The logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and nomogram were applied to screen the appropriate predictors and to establish a prediction model for the risk of in-hospital mortality in ABAD. The receiver operator characteristic curve and calibration plot were applied to validate the performance of the prediction model. RESULTS: Of 53 (7.41%) subjects occurred in-hospital death in 715 ABAD patients. The variables including diastolic blood pressure (DBP), platelets, heart rate, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC), hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), procalcitonin, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were shown a significant difference between the in-hospital death group and the in-hospital survival group (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, all these factors which existed differences, except CRP, were associated with in-hospital deaths in ABAD patients (all P < 0.05). Then, parameters containing LVEF, WBC, hemoglobin, LDH, and procalcitonin were identified as independent risk factors for in-hospital deaths in ABAD patients by adjusting compound variables (all P < 0.05). In addition, these independent factors were qualified as predictors to build a prediction model (AUC > 0.5, P < 0.05). The prediction model was shown a favorable discriminative ability (C index = 0.745) and demonstrated good consistency. CONCLUSIONS: The novel prediction model combined with WBC, hemoglobin, LDH, procalcitonin, and LVEF, was a practicable and valuable tool to predict in-hospital deaths in ABAD patients.

Transapical aortic valve replacement for quadricuspid aortic valve with severe aortic regurgitation which caused multiorgan failure.

BACKGROUND: We present the case of a patient who underwent successful transapical aortic valve implantation in a severe quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) with severe regurgitation and multiorgan failure. CASE SUMMARY: A 57-year-old man experienced intermittent palpitation and shortness of breath for 6 months. The condition deteriorated in the past month and caused multiorgan failure. The echocardiography and computed tomography angiography revealed severe aortic regurgitation due to congenital QAV. The aortic valve replacement was successfully performed in this high-risk patient using a J-Valve system. Postoperation and follow-up were uneventful. CONCLUSION: The J-Valve system effectively treated QAV regurgitation with good clinical outcomes in this case.

Association of genetic polymorphisms of PCSK9 with type 2 diabetes in Uygur Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: PCSK9 gene expression is associated with biological processes such as lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, and inflammation. In the present study, our primary objective was to assess the association between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the PCSK9 gene and type 2 diabetes in Uygur subjects, in Xinjiang, China. METHODS: We designed a case-control study including 662 patients diagnosed with T2DM and 1220 control subjects. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs11583680, rs2483205, rs2495477 and rs562556) of PCSK9 gene were genotyped using the improved multiplex ligation detection reaction technique. RESULTS: For rs2483205, the distribution of genotypes, dominant model (CC vs CT + TT), overdominant model (CC + TT vs CT) showed significant differences between T2DM patients and the controls (P = 0.011 and P = 0.041 respectively). For rs2495477, the distribution of genotypes, the dominant model (AA vs GA + GG) showed significant differences between T2DM patients and the controls (P = 0.024). Logistic regression analysis suggested after adjustment of other confounders, the differences remained significant between the two groups [for rs2483205 CC vs CT + TT: odds ratio (OR) = 1.321, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.078-1.617, P = 0.007; CC + TT vs CT: OR = 1.255, 95% CI 1.021-1.542, P = 0.03; for rs2495477 AA vs GA + GG: OR = 1.297, 95% CI 1.060-1.588, P = 0.012]. CONCLUSION: The present study indicated that CT + TT genotype and CT genotype of rs2483205, as well as GA + GG genotype of rs2495477 in PCSK9 gene were associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the Uygur population in Xinjiang.

Prognostic value of von Willebrand factor for patients with atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether an abnormal level of von Willebrand factor (vWF) is correlated with the prognosis of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and current findings are controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between vWF levels and the clinical prognosis of patients with AF. METHODS: We searched prospective cohort studies on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and WanFang databases for vWF and adverse events of AF from inception of the databases to July 2019. The risk ratios of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), stroke and bleeding prognosis in patients with AF were analysed using a fixed-effects model or random-effects model, and all included studies were evaluated with heterogeneity and publication bias analysis. RESULTS: Twelve studies which included 7449 patients with AF were used in the meta-analysis. The average age was 71.3 years and the average follow-up time was 3.38 years. The analysis found that high vWF levels were associated with increased risks of all-cause death (RR 1.56; 95% CI 1.16 to 2.11, p=0.00400), cardiovascular death (RR 1.91; 95% CI 1.20 to 3.03, p=0.00600), MACE (RR 1.83; 95% CI 1.28 to 2.62, p=0.00090), stroke (RR 1.69; 95% CI 1.08 to 2.64, p=0.02000) and bleeding (RR 2.01; 95% CI 1.65 to 2.45, p<0.00001) in patients with AF. CONCLUSIONS: vWF is a risk factor for poor prognosis of AF, and patients with higher vWF levels have a higher risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, MACE, stroke and bleeding.

Correction: Epidemiological investigation into the prevalence of abnormal inter-arm blood pressure differences among different ethnicities in Xinjiang, China.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188546.].

Epidemiological investigation into the prevalence of abnormal inter-arm blood pressure differences among different ethnicities in Xinjiang, China.

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of and risk factors for IAD among different ethnicity groups was unknown. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for IAD among Han, Uygur and Kazakh ethnicities in Xinjiang. China. METHODS: In total, 14,618 adult participants (7,799 males and 6,819 females) were recruited from the Cardiovascular Risk Survey. A 4-stage stratified cluster random sampling method was used. The participants' personal information and medical history were assessed by questionnaire. IAD was diagnosed by a noninvasive arteriosclerosis analyzer. RESULTS: The prevalence of abnormal IAD among the general population was 14.3%, with 12.5% in the Han, 14.9% in the Uygur, and 16.4% in the Kazakh populations. The prevalence of abnormal IAD among the hypertensive population was 19.4%, with 17.0% in the Han, 18.1% in the Uygur, and 22.7% in the Kazakh populations. The prevalence of abnormal IAD increased with age (all P < 0.01) but was not significantly different between the genders (all P> 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age more than 45 years, obesity and hypertriglyceridemia were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of IAD. There were different risk factors for abnormal IAD in different ethnicities. Middle or old age, obesity, ABI and diabetes mellitus were risk factors for the Han population, smoking was a risk factor in the Uygur population, and obesity and PAD were risk factors in the Kazakh population. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of abnormal IAD in the Kazakh participants was higher than that in the Han and Uygur populations among both the general population and the hypertensive population in Xinjiang, China. The main risk factors of IAD were age, obesity, and triglyceride levels. Different ethnicities had different kinds of risk factors for IAD.

Interaction between MMP-9 gene polymorphisms and smoking in relation to myocardial infarction in a Uighur population.

OBJECTIVES: Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) plays a pivotal role in early atherosclerosis, vascular remodeling, and development of arterial plaque rupture. The potentially functional MMP-9 gene polymorphism may contribute to the susceptibility of myocardial infarction (MI). We aimed to investigate the association between the interaction of 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms ([SNPs] -1562C>T and R279Q) of the MMP-9 gene and smoking with MI in a Uighur population of China. METHODS: A case-control study composed of 384 coronary angiography proven patients with MI and 451 sex-matched and ethnically matched control participants were enrolled in the study. The genotypes of the 2 selected SNPs were determined by the method of polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: Analysis of 2 SNPs, the frequency of -1562 CT and TT genotypes in MI group was significantly higher than in control group (25.52% vs 17.29%; P = .004). And the -1562 T allele showed significant association with MI (MI vs controls: 14.19% vs 9.31%; P = .002). R279Q locus did not show significant differences between patients and controls ( P > .05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that -1562 T allele (CT or TT genotype; odds ratio [OR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-1.40; P = .004), the interaction between -1562 T allele and smoking (OR 4.42, 95% CI 2.74-7.13; P < .001), and the interaction between 279 Q allele and smoking (OR 2.07, 95% CI: 1.04-4.13; P = .021) were independent risk factors for MI. CONCLUSIONS: There findings suggest that MMP-9 -1562C>T polymorphism could be associated with the susceptibility to MI. Another SNP (R279Q) polymorphism was not significantly associated with MI. The -1562C>T or R279Q polymorphism of MMP-9 gene and smoking have a synergistic effect and are significantly associated with the risk of MI in Chinese Uighur population, respectively.

Alcohol consumption and carotid atherosclerosis in China: the Cardiovascular Risk Survey.

AIM: The relationship between alcohol consumption and carotid atherosclerosis has been reported in some epidemiological studies, but the results were conflicting. We investigated the association between alcohol intake and carotid atherosclerosis in the Han, Uygur, and Kazakh populations in Xinjiang in western China. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study population sample comprised 13,037 Chinese people (5277 Han, 4572 Uygur, and 3188 Kazakh) aged ≥35 years who participated in a cardiovascular risk survey between June 2007 and March 2010. Daily consumption of alcohol was determined by the number and frequency of alcoholic beverages consumed. Carotid-artery parameters, including common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) and carotid plaques were measured using high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography. In the Han and Kazakh populations, CCA-IMT as a function of alcohol consumption was depicted as a J-shaped curve with a nadir for the alcohol-intake category of 20-29.9 g/day; In the Uygur population, a similar curve with a nadir of 30-49.9 g/day was observed. With respect to the prevalence of carotid plaques, we also observed similar curves in the Han and Kazakh populations, but not in the Uygur population. After adjustment for age, sex, blood pressure, body mass index, and smoking status, as well as levels of glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, the J-shaped curves remained. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that alcohol consumption was associated with carotid atherosclerosis and that moderate drinking had an inverse association with carotid atherosclerosis. However, the definition of moderate drinking could be different in Han, Uygur, and Kazakh populations.

[Current status of valvular heart diseases in Xinjiang: an epidemiological study on Han, Uygur and Kazkh ethnic populations].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and epidemiological features of valvular heart disease (VHD) adult populations with different ethnicities in Xinjiang. METHODS: A total of 14 618 adults aged 35 or older were surveyed. Random sampling was employed to study valvular heart diseases in different age, gender and ethnic groups. Samples were collected from 7 localities (Urumqi, Ke lamayi, Fukang, Turfan Basin, Hetian, Altay, Yili Hazakh Autonomous Prefecture) in 23 municipalities and 5 autonomous counties in Xinjiang. The proportion of male to female accounted for 50% each. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of valvular heart diseases was 7.67% (male: 7.31% vs. female: 8.00%). The prevalence rates of valvular heart diseases were 10.57%, 2.36% and 12.22% in Han, Uygur and Kazakh populations, respectively. The prevalence of valvular heart diseases was lower in Uygur than in Hazak and Han ethnic populations (χ(2) = 3.90, P = 0.000). Complications related to valvular heart diseases would include hypertension (63.20%), diabetes (7.60%), coronary heart disease (7.50%) and fibrillation atrial (3.20%). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of valvular heart diseases had a substantial increase, parallel with age. Differences were seen on the prevalence rates of VHD among ethnic populations.

[Association of the Pro1770Leu polymorphism in CYP5A1 gene with myocardial infarction in Uigur population of Xinjiang].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the polymorphism of the thromboxane synthase gene and Uigur patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in Xinjiang. METHODS: Three hundred and fifteen patients with MI and 218 healthy control subjects were detected by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The serum thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in all subjects was detected with radioimmunoassay kit. RESULTS: The genotype distributions of the MI group and control group were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (Chi-square=0.375,0.029, P>0.05). The frequencies of CC and TC were 0.933 and 0.067 in MI group while they were 0.977 and 0.023 in controls. There was significant difference in frequencies of the TC genotype and T allele but no difference in frequencies of CC genotype between controls and MI cases. There was significant difference in serum TXB2 level between the MI and control group (P<0.05), and between individuals of the TC and CC genotypes (P<0.05). The serum TXB2 level in the MI cases with TC genotype was increased compared with that of other genotypes (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The TC genotype and T allele of thromboxane synthase gene might be risk factors of MI in Uigur population in Xinjiang, which might result from the increased serum TXB2 level.

[Association of Rs10487667 genetic polymorphism of thromboxane synthase with myocardial infarction in Uigur population of Xinjiang].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the polymorphism of thromboxane synthase gene (CYP5A1) and myocardial infarction (MI) of Uigur nationality patients in Xinjiang. METHODS: Rs10487667 site polymorphism in CYP5A1 gene of 318 patients with MI (MI group) and 232 healthy control subjects (control group) were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The serum thromboxane B(2)(TXB(2)) concentration was also detected in all subjects. The relationship of multiple factors and myocardial infarction was evaluated comprehensively by non-condition logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The frequencies of CYP5A1 gene Rs10487667 site polymorphism in MI group and control group were: GG type 0.204 (65/318) and 0.155 (36/232), GT type 0.553 (176/318) and 0.466 (106/232), TT type 0.242 (77/318) and 0.379 (88/232), respectively. There was significant difference in frequencies of GG genotype (χ(2) = 12.193, P = 0.002) between two groups and G allele frequency in MI group (0.481 (306/636)) was significant higher than control group (0.388 (180/464)) (χ(2) = 9.449, P = 0.021), but no difference in frequencies of GT and TT genotypes (χ(2) = 0.699, P > 0.05)between controls and MI cases. There was significant difference in serum TXB(2) level between MI ((184.3 ± 34.7) pg/ml) and control ((124.3 ± 28.1) pg/ml) groups (t = 5.503, P = 0.034). In the case and control group, the serum TXB(2) level of the person with GT + GG genotype ((164.21 ± 22.56) and (134.26 ± 19.83) pg/ml)) was significant higher than those of TT genotypes ((113.67 ± 54.23) and (98.54 ± 13.11) pg/ml) (t values were 5.433 and 5.108, respectively, both P values < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the T allele of the CYP5A1 gene was one independent risk factor of MI (OR = 1.673, 95%CI: 1.020 - 2.156) after adjustment of risk factors. CONCLUSION: Rs10487667 polymorphism in CYP5A1 gene might be a risk factor of MI in Uigur population in Xinjiang, which maybe related with the significant high serum TXB(2) level.