ABSTRACT
Heart failure is the leading cause of death worldwide. Compound Danshen Dripping Pill (CDDP) or CDDP combined with simvastatin has been widely used to treat patients with myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases in China. However, the effect of CDDP on hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis-induced heart failure is unknown. We constructed a new model of heart failure induced by hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and LDL receptor (LDLR) dual deficient (ApoE-/-LDLR-/-) mice and investigated the effect of CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin on the heart failure. CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin inhibited heart injury by multiple actions including anti-myocardial dysfunction and anti-fibrosis. Mechanistically, both Wnt and lysine-specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A) pathways were significantly activated in mice with heart injury. Conversely, CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin inhibited Wnt pathway by markedly up-regulating expression of Wnt inhibitors. While the anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress by CDDP were achieved by inhibiting KDM4A expression and activity. In addition, CDDP attenuated simvastatin-induced myolysis in skeletal muscle. Taken together, our study suggests that CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin can be an effective therapy to reduce hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis-induced heart failure.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the expression levels of serum soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(sTREM2)in patients with vascular dementia(VD)and its relationship with β-amyloid 1-42(Aβ1-42)and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase 2(Lp-PLA2), as well as its value in diagnosis and differential diagnosis.Methods:A total of 152 patients with ischemic stroke receiving routine treatment in our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were included and divided into a VD group(n=76)and a non-VD group(n=76)according to evaluation from subsequent visits at 3 months.General data, Mini-Mental State Examination Scale(MMSE), Hachinski Ischemic Scale(HIS)scores, and the levels of biochemical indicators were compared and analyzed for the two groups.Results:There were statistically significant differences in lesion size between the VD group and the non-VD group( P<0.05). The MMSE score in the VD group was significantly lower than that in the non-VD group.The HIS score, serum levels of sTREM2[(3.34±1.18)μg/L and(2.78±1.25)μg/L, t=2.121, P=0.036], Aβ1-42[(93.69±14.45)ng/L and(81.24±14.21)ng/L, t=4.003, P<0.001]and Lp-PLA2 levels[(58.67±14.15)μg/L and(43.18±13.86)μg/L, t=5.096, P<0.001]were significantly higher in patients with VD than in patients without VD( P<0.05). Serum sTREM2 was positively correlated with Aβ1-42( r=0.723, P<0.001)and Lp-PLA2( r=0.714, P<0.001), and Aβ1-42 was positively correlated with Lp-PLA2( r=0.698, P<0.001)in VD patients.The cut-off value, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve of serum sTREM2 for differentiating VD from non-VD were 3.96 μg/L, 81.30%, 78.40%, and 0.838, respectively. Conclusions:Serum sTREM2 is abnormally elevated in VD patients, and is significantly correlated with Aβ1-42 and LP-PLA2, thus STREM2 may be an indicator in the differential diagnosis of VD and non-VD.
ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the risk factors for renal function deterioration in patients with lupus nephritis. Methods Clinical data of patients with lupus nephritis admitted to the Third and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College from June 2013 to June 2015 were reviewed and retrospectively analyzed. Of them ,62 lupus nephritis patients with the rapid deterioration of renal function were selected as an observation group ,and 62 patients were selected randomly from 200 lupus nephritis patients with normal renal function and were considered as a control group.Risk factors for the rapid deterioration of renal function in patients with lupus nephritis were analyzed by univariate analysis. Furthermore ,multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for the rapid deterioration of renal function in patients with lupus nephritis. Results Univariate analysis revealed that infection , lupus activity , anemia , hypoproteinemia and hypertriglyceridemia were risk factors for the rapid deterioration of renal function in patients with lupus nephritis (P ＜ 0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that infection ,lupus activity and hypoproteinemia were the independent risk factors for the rapid deterioration of renal function in patients with lupus nephritis(OR=3.109 ,3.669 and 2.691 ,P=0.003 ,0.004 and 0.033 , respectively ). Conclusions Infection ,lupus activity and hypoproteinemia are the independent risk factors for the rapid deterioration of renal function in patients with lupus nephritis. Early prevention and intervention can improve clinical outcome and quality of life in lupus nephritis patients.