Vagus nerve stimulation reduces ventricular arrhythmias and increases ventricular electrical stability.

BACKGROUND: Transcutaneous stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (AB-VNS) is a potentially noninvasive, inexpensive, and safe approach for vagus nerve stimulation that suppresses the induction and duration of atrial fibrillation and reduces sympathetic nerve outflow in healthy humans. Researchers have not determined whether AB-VNS affects ventricular arrhythmias. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antiarrhythmic effects of noninvasive AB-VNS on ventricular arrhythmias induced by myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Twelve beagle dogs were randomly divided into the following two groups: a AB-VNS group (coronary artery occlusion and noninvasive AB-VNS) and a control group (coronary artery occlusion but without AB-VNS). We examined spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias, ventricular electrophysiological properties, and cardiac function in conscious dogs. Morphology, fibrosis, and ultrastructures were also assessed. AB-VNS significantly reduced the occurrence of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias, including isolated premature ventricular complexes, ventricular couplets, ventricular bigeminy, ventricular trigeminy, and ventricular tachycardia. AB-VNS effectively increased ventricular electrical stability, including significantly prolonged ventricular effective refractory periods, decreased the dispersion of effective refractory period, enhanced the ventricular fibrillation threshold, and decreased the maximum slope of the monophasic action potential duration restitution curve. AB-VNS treatments alleviate ventricular interstitial fibrosis after MI. However, cardiac function was not improved, and MI-induced ultrastructural changes in the myocardium were not reversed by 4 weeks of AB-VNS. In addition, AB-VNS for 4 weeks resulted in mild mitochondrial swelling within the neuronal axons of the auricular vagus fiber. CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive AB-VNS reduces the occurrence of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias in conscious dogs with MI. AB-VNS increases ventricular electrical stability and alleviates ventricular interstitial fibrosis induced by MI.

Catalpol stimulates VEGF production via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway to improve angiogenesis in rats' stroke model.

ETHNOBOTANICAL RELEVANCE: Catalpol is the main active component of the radix from Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch, which has pleiotropic protective effects in neurodegenerative diseases, ischemic stroke, metabolic disorders and others AIM: Catalpol has been shown to have neuroprotective, neurorepair, and angiogenesis effects following ischemic brain injury. However, its molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. In previous studies, the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway was found to play a role in neuroprotection and angiogenesis. This study investigated the role of catalpol in stimulating angiogenesis via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway after permanent focal cerebral ischemia (pMCAO). METHODS: Rats were subjected to right middle cerebral artery occlusion through electrocoagulation and were treated with catalpol (5mg/kg), AG490 was also used to inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation (pSTAT3). RESULTS: Following stroke, Catalpol improved the neuroethology deficit, increased the cerebral blood flow (CBF) of infarcted brain and upregulated EPO and EPOR. AG490 suppressed the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), ultimately inhibited VEGF mRNA expression, which reduced VEGF protein expression and inhibited stroke-induced angiogenesis. However, Catalpol enhanced stroke-induced STAT3 activation and subsequently restored STAT3 activity through the recovery of STAT3 binding to VEGF. Moreover, Catalpol reversed the effect of AG490 on STAT3 activation and nuclear translocation, restored the transcriptional activity of the VEGF promoter by recruiting STAT3 to the VEGF promoter, improved VEGF mRNA and protein expression, increased angiogenesis, reduced the difference in CBF between the infarcted and intact brain and ameliorated the neuroethology behaviors after stroke. CONCLUSION: Catalpol affects neuroprotection and angiogenesis via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, which is mediated by STAT3 activation and VEGF expression. Catalpol may be used as a potential therapeutic drug for stroke.

Clinical Observation of Electroacupuncture in Treating Withdrawal Anxiety in Heroin-dependent Patients / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on withdrawal anxiety in heroin-dependent patients. Methods: Sixty heroin-withdrawal subjects with negative urine morphine were digitally randomized into two groups: acupuncture group in which 30 cases were treated by electroacupuncture and control group in which 30 cases were given no treatment. The patients were assessed by Hamilton anxiety scale before treatment and one week, two weeks and three weeks after treatment. Results: After treatment, the anxiety symptoms of heroin-dependent patients were improved more significantly in the acupuncture group than in the control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Electroacupuncture has good effects on anxiety symptoms and emotions of heroin-dependent patients.

Effect of L-arginine on human coagulant factor VIII gene expression / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of L-arginine on expression of human FVIII gene.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Plasmid pcDNA6/V5-HisA-BDDhF VIII containing B domain deleted human coagulant factor VIII cDNA (BDDhF VIII cDNA) was constructed and transfected into human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). After 72 h incubation with L-arginine (final concentration was 10 mmol/L) , the supernatant was collected for determining the antigen and clotting activity of human FVIII (FVIII: Ag and FVIII: C ) with ELISA and one stage clotting assay respectively. HUVECs were harvested for detecting human FVIII mRNA by Northern blot analysis. The five functional domains of BDDhFVIII cDNA including A1, A2, A3, C1 and C2 were amplified with PCR and inserted into pcDNA6/V5-HisA to construct the expression plasmids pcDNA6/V5-Hi-sA-BDDhFVIII-A1, pcDNA6/V5-HisA-BDDhFVIII-A2, pcDNA6/V5-HisA-BDDhFVIII-A3, pcDNA6/V5-HisA-BDDhFVIII-C1 and pcDNA6/V5-HisA-BDDhFVIII-C2, respectively. HUVEC were transfected with the five plasmids respectively and incubated with L-arginine (at the final concentration of 10 mmol/L) for 72 h. Nucleoli were then isolated and underwent run-on assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 24 h incubation with L-arginine, FVIII: Ag and FVIII: C were increased markedly in the supernatant of HUVEC [FVIII: Ag was (146.08 +/- 4.78) ng/ ml, and FVIII: C (0.752 +/- 0.009) U/ml/10(6) cells x 24 h, while in control supernatant without L-arginine, FVIII: Ag was (34.66 +/- 3.98) ng/ml, and FVIII: C (0.171 +/- 0.006) U/ml/10(6) cell x 24 h, P < 0.01]. Northern blot analysis indicated that, after adding L-arginine, the transcription of human FVIII mRNA was intensified remarkably in HUVEC transfected with pcDNA6/V5-HisA-BDDhFVIII, but no any transcription in those transfected with pcDNA6/V5-HisA. Run-on assay demonstrated that with L-arginine induction, A1 and A2 domains transcription was increased obviously, while no change in A3, C1 and C2 domains transcription.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>L-arginine increases expression of human FVIII gene in HUVEC through enhancing its transcription, particularly, domain A1 and A2 within FVIII gene.</p>