A Comparison of the Short-Term Outcomes After use of Aorto-Uni-Iliac Versus Bifurcated Endografts for Endovascular Repair of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: To compare short-term outcomes of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) with aorto-uni-iliac (AUI) versus bifurcated (BIFUR) endografts in ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). METHODS: A total of 26 rAAA patients receiving EVAR with AUI device (14 patients) or the BIFUR graft (12 patients) between January 2016 and December 2020 were enrolled and reviewed. All EVARs for rAAA were performed in an emergency basis. Graft implantation success, short-term survival rates, and major complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Endograft implantation success was achieved in all patients. AUI group had shorter operative time than BIFUR group (121.77 ± 75.03 vs. 138.45 ± 143.34; P < 0.05). The 24-hr and 30-day survival rates were 85.7% (12/14) and 71.4% (10/14), respectively, whereas BIFUR group have 58.3% and 58.3%. None of the rAAA patients in both groups required reintervention. AUI group exhibited less incidence of compartment syndrome and endoleak compared with those of BIFUR ones. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term results of EVAR with the AUI configuration graft in patients with rAAAs are encouraging.

Is the goal of 12,000 steps per day sufficient for improving body composition and metabolic syndrome? The necessity of combining exercise intensity: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the differences in body composition and metabolic syndrome (MS) under a daily 12,000-step strategy with or without moderate-intensity walking exercise in college students with obesity. METHODS: Thirty-two adults with obesity (mean (s.d.) age: 19.72 (0.80) years; height: 165.38 (3.99) cm; wt: 83.31 (4.66) kg; body mass index: 30.38 (0.83) kg m- 2) were recruited and randomly assigned to the walking step goal group (WSG; achieving 12,000 steps per day), walking exercise group (WEG; achieving 12,000 steps per day, including 3 days per week on which walking at a step rate of over 103 steps min- 1 was required), or control group (CG; maintaining a free-living life style). Each participant's accumulated daily steps from daily activities and walking exercises were monitored using a smartwatch for 8 weeks. The variables of body composition and MS were measured before and after intervention. RESULTS: Average daily steps over 8 weeks did not significantly differ between the WSG and WEG (11,677.67 (480.24) vs. 12,131.90 (527.14) steps per day, respectively, P > .05). Although the CG and WSG showed no improvement in body composition, the WEG exhibited significant improvements in terms of hip circumference and visceral fat area (VFA) (∆ - 2.28 (3.27) cm and ∆ - 13.11 (9.83) cm2, respectively, P < .05); high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting glucose (FG), and triglycerides (TG) (∆ 16.36 (8.39), ∆ - 2.53 (3.73), and ∆ - 10.52 (36.26) mg dL- 1, respectively, P < .05). The WSG exhibited improvements only in HDL-C (∆ 14.24 (16.13) mg dL- 1, P < .05). CONCLUSION: The combination of walking exercise program and daily step goal is a more time efficient strategy in improving body composition and MS than simply establishing a daily step goal. Furthermore, this strategy may also include a potential reduction effect on the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTR N12618001237279 (Retrospectively registered).

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Enhances Expression of Pdia-3 Which Is a Key Factor of the 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 Rapid Membrane Signaling Pathway in Treatment of Early Osteoarthritis of the Knee.

The goal of our research was demonstrated that multiple molecules in microenvironments of the early osteoarthritis (OA) joint tissue may be actively responded to extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) treatment, which potentially regulated biological function of chondrocytes and synovial cells in early OA knee. We demonstrated that shockwave treatment induced the expression of protein-disulfide isomerase-associated 3 (Pdia-3) which was a significant mediator of the 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 (1α,25(OH)2D3) rapid signaling pathway, using two-dimensional electrophoresis, histological analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). We observed that the expression of Pdia-3 at 2 weeks was significantly higher than that of other group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post-shockwave treatment in early OA rat knee model. The other factors of the rapid membrane signaling pathway, including extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 (ERK1), osteopontin (OPG), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and matrix metallopeptidase 13 (MMP13) were examined and were found to be significantly increased at 2 weeks post-shockwave treatment by qPCR in early OA of the knee. Our proteomic data revealed significant Pdia-3 expression in microenvironments of OA joint tissue that could be actively responded to ESWT, which may potentially regulate the biological functions of chondrocytes and osteoblasts in the treatment of the early OA of the knee.

Measuring individual corrective reaction time using the intermittent illumination model.

The corrective reaction time (tcr) is an essential motor property when modelling hand control movements. Many studies designed experiments to estimate tcr, but reported only group means with inconsistent definitions. This study proposes an alternative methodology using Drury's (1994) intermittent illumination model. A total of 24 participants performed circular tracking movements under five levels of visual information delay using a modified monitor in a darkened room. Measured movement speeds and the manipulated delays were used with the model to estimate tcr of individuals and test effects of gender and path width. The results showed excellent model fits and demonstrated individual differences of tcr, which was 273 ms on average and ranged from 87 to 441 ms. The wide range of tcr values was due to significant effects of gender and path width. Male participants required shorter tcr compared to female participants, especially for narrow path widths. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: This study reports the corrective reaction time (tcr) of individuals using a novel methodology. The estimated tcr ranged from 87 to 441 ms, helping model hand control movements, such as aiming and tracking. The methodology can be continuously applied to study tcr under conditions with various performers and movements.

Differential Serum Proteomic Signatures between Acute Aortic Dissection and Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Acute aortic dissection (AAD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are both severe cardiovascular diseases that may cause sudden death. However, whether serum proteins are differentially expressed between AAD and AMI remains unclear. Here, we aimed to explore serum protein profiles between AAD and AMI patients. A total of 75 serum samples were collected, including AAD patients without AMI (n = 25), AMI patients without AAD (n = 25), and normal subjects (n = 25). Protein identities and expression levels were assessed by LC-MS/MS analysis and a label-free quantitation method, respectively. After depletion of albumin and IgG, a total of 117 proteins with differential expression (fold change ≥2 or ≤−2.0, p < 0.05) were identified, of which 60 were upregulated and 57 were downregulated in AAD sera as compared to AMI sera. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed serum proteins were mainly derived from exosomes and the extracellular space, and their molecular functions and biological processes were primarily involved in the activity of transporters and complements and the immune response. In addition, the serum level of Cadherin-5, an identified protein with significant regulation in AAD, was further evaluated by ELISA and the results showed that Cadherin-5 in AAD sera was higher that in AMI and healthy sera. Collectively, these findings reveal the differential serum protein profiles between AAD and AMI, which may reflect the divergent pathophysiological progression between the two cardiovascular diseases.

BCL-6 promotes the methylation of miR-34a by recruiting EZH2 and upregulating CTRP9 to protect ischemic myocardial injury.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the following heart failure are public health problems faced all over the globe. The current study set out to investigate the role of B-cell lymphoma 6 (BCL-6) in cardiac protection after AMI. Initially, AMI mouse models and H9c2 cell oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) models were established. The cell models were transfected with the vectors containing oe-BCL-6, oe-EZH2, sh-EZH2, miR-34a mimic, and miR-34a inhibitor. RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis were applied to detect the expression patterns of microRNA-34a (miR-34a), BCL-6, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), and C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein 9 (CTRP9) in the treated cell models. ChIP-qPCR and co-immunoprecipitation assay were performed to detect EZH2 enrichment and H3K27me3 levels in the miR-34a promoter region and the interaction between BCL-2 and EZH2, respectively. EdU staining, TUNEL staining, and flow cytometry were performed to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis, while ELISA was conducted to detect the oxidative stress levels. It was found that miR-34a was highly expressed in heart tissues of AMI models, while BCL-6 and EZH2 were poorly expressed. BCL-2 overexpression increased the recruitment of EZH2, upregulated H3K27me3 level in the miR-34a promoter region, and inhibited the miR-34a expression. Ctrp9, the downstream negative-regulatory molecule of miR-34a, was upregulated. Besides, miR-34a/CTRP9 expression changes were found to affect cardiomyocyte apoptosis, oxidation stress, and proliferation, and prevent myocardial injury in AMI mice. Our findings indicate that BCL-6 increases the level of H3K27me3 in the promoter region of miR-34a via EZH2 recruitment and CTRP9 upregulation, which inhibits the apoptosis of myocardial cells.

Chinese Herbal Medicine, Guilu Erxian Glue, as Alternative Medicine for Adverse Side Effects of Chemotherapy in Doxorubicin-Treated Cell and Mouse Models.

Doxorubicin (DOX), a chemotherapeutic drug, often causes many adverse side effects in patients with cancer, such as weight loss, motor disability, blood circulation defects, myelosuppression, myocardial injury, joint degeneration, and bone loss. The Chinese herbal medicine Guilu Erxian Glue (GEG) has been used in the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis for hundreds of years, with considerably fewer side effects. We expected that GEG could serve as a protective and beneficial alternative treatment for DOX-induced adverse side effects. In this study, we evaluated whether GEG can alleviate DOX-induced weight loss, motor disability, abnormal blood circulation, myelosuppression, myocardial injury, joint degeneration, and bone loss by using chemotherapy models of synoviocyte cell line HIG-82 and mice. Moreover, we examined the antioxidant capacity of GEG by using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free-radical scavenging. Our results revealed that GEG treatment can significantly enhance DPPH free-radical scavenging and reduce DOX-induced cytotoxicity in synoviocyte HIG-82 cells. In addition, GEG treatment for 2 weeks can significantly relieve weight loss, enhance exhaustive exercise capacity, improve blood circulation, alleviate myocardial oxidative stress and inflammation, and strengthen the tibias of DOX-treated mice. Thus, we suggest that GEG treatment can be a protective and alternative therapy for alleviating chemotherapy-related side effects such as weight loss, motor disability, blood circulation defects, and bone loss.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Alleviates Thyroidectomy-Induced Cardiopulmonary Exercise Dysfunction in Rats.

Hypothyroidism frequently causes cardiopulmonary dysfunction, such as heart failure and respiratory and metabolic deficiencies. This study investigated the effects of Chinese herbal formula B307 on thyroidectomy-induced cardiopulmonary exercise dysfunction in rats. Twenty male rats were equally divided into four groups: negative control with sham treatment, positive control with oral B307 treatment only, thyroidectomy treatment only, and thyroidectomy with B307 posttreatment groups. The feeding dose of B307 was 50 mg/kg per day for 14 days. We examined and then compared the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (T4), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the blood of these four groups. Also, we compared the body weight, neck subcutaneous blood flow, cardiac ejection function, cardiopulmonary exercise function of oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), and respiratory quotient (RQ = VCO2/VO2) among the four groups. Our results indicated that thyroidectomized rats had significantly decreased body weight, neck subcutaneous blood flow, cardiac ejection function, serum T3 and T4, and VO2 and VCO2, but had significantly increased ROS and TSH levels and RQ values compared with sham rats (P < 0.01-0.05). In addition, thyroidectomized rats receiving oral B307 treatment had significantly increased body weight, neck subcutaneous blood flow, cardiac ejection function, and VO2, but significantly decreased ROS and TSH levels and VCO2 and RQ values compared with thyroidectomized rats (P < 0.01-0.05). We suggest that the B307 could be a protective and beneficial alternative treatment for thyroidectomy-induced cardiopulmonary exercise dysfunction.

Chinese Veterinary Medicine B307 Promotes Cardiac Performance and Skeletal Muscle Contraction via Enhancing Intracellular Calcium Levels and Neural Electrical Activity in Animal and Cell Models.

The study mainly investigated the effects of Chinese veterinary medicine B307 in cardiac and motor functions in animal models of pigeons and mice. Related cellular mechanisms were also studied in the neuroblastoma cell model of SH-SY5Y. Cardiac functions of pigeons and mice were examined by using moorFLPI Laser color Doppler imager and M-mode echocardiography, and motor functions were examined by using muscle electrical stimulation and force recording in the isolated breast muscle. Intracellular calcium levels and electrical activity of SH-SY5Y cells were examined by using Fura 2-AM fluorescence and MED64 system separately. Our results in vivo found that those pigeons under oral B307 treatment obviously enhanced subcutaneous microcirculation and contractile force and prolonged fatigue time in their breast muscles. Those mice under oral B307 treatment obviously elevated ejection fraction and cardiac output in their hearts. Our results in vitro showed that those SH-SY5Y cells under B307 treatment obviously increased intracellular calcium mobilization and electrical activities. These results revealed that improvement of cardiac and motor functions under B307 treatments may be caused by increasing electrical activities and intracellular calcium levels in neuromuscular cells and a similar mechanism may also occur in muscle cells. Thus, we suggested that B307 can be a functional Chinese veterinary medicine for flying pigeons.

Oral treatment with the Chinese herbal supplements B307 enhances muscle endurance of ICR mice after exhaustive swimming via suppressing fatigue, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

Exhaustive exercise may damage muscles due to oxidative stress and inflammation and cause muscle fatigue and soreness. The study investigated the effects of Chinese herbal supplements (CHS) B307 on muscle endurance after exhaustive swimming (ES). Thirty-two male ICR mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: Sham + ES, pretreatment of CHS B307 + ES (Pre + ES), post-treatment of CHS B307 + ES (Post + ES), and dual treatment of CHS B307 + ES (Dual + ES). All mice were subjected to ES in the form of a forced swimming test. Then, we compared ES time (EST) as the index of muscular endurance. Also, we examined the fatigue, oxidative stress, inflammation, and damage in the muscle tissue among these groups by using immunohistochemistry (IHC), chemiluminescence, and biochemical analysis. Our results revealed that those mice of Pre + ES and Dual + ES groups had remarkably better EST than those mice of Sham + ES and Post + ES groups. Those mice with oral treatment of CHS B307(Pre + ES, Post + ES, and Dual + ES groups) showed significantly reduced leukocyte counts in the urine, and reduced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), neutrophils, and lactic acid in the blood than those mice of Sham + ES. In addition, those mice with oral treatment of CHS B307 (Pre + ES, Post + ES, and Dual + ES groups) showed significant alleviation of oxidative stress, inflammation, and damage in the muscle tissue than those mice of Sham + ES. Thus, we suggested that CHS B307 can be a functional sports supplement because it can enhance muscle endurance after exhaustive swimming via suppressing fatigue, oxidative stress, and inflammation.