Drug-eluting stent and drug-coated balloon for the treatment of de novo diffuse coronary artery disease lesions: A retrospective case series study.

BACKGROUND: The hybrid strategy of a combination of drug-eluting stent (DES) and drug-coated balloon (DCB) is promising for the treatment of de novo diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD). HYPOTHESIS: To investigate the efficacy and functional results of hybrid strategy. METHODS: This case series study included patients treated with a hybrid approach for de novo diffuse CAD between February 2017 and November 2021. Postprocedural quantitative flow ratio (QFR) was used to evaluate the functional results. The primary endpoint was procedural success rate. The secondary endpoints were major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) (including peri-procedural MI), and target vessel revascularization. RESULTS: A total of 109 patients with 114 lesions were treated. DES and DCB were commonly used in larger proximal segments and smaller distal segments, respectively. The mean QFR value was 0.9 ± 0.1 and 105 patients (96.3%) had values >0.8 in all the treated vessels. Procedural success was achieved in 106 (97.2%) patients. No cases of cardiac death were reported at a median follow-up of 19 months. Spontaneous MI occurred in three (2.8%) patients and target vessel revascularization in six (5.5%) patients. Estimated 2-year rate of MACE excluding peri-procedural MI was higher in the group with lower QFR value (12.1 ± 5.7% vs. 5.6 ± 4.4%, log-rank p = .035) (cut-off value 0.9). CONCLUSION: Hybrid strategy is a promising approach for the treatment of de novo diffuse CAD. Postprocedural QFR has some implications for prognosis and may be helpful in guiding this approach.

DDAH1 promoter -396 4N insertion variant is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes in a gender-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthases, making it a contributing factor for diabetes. Endogenous ADMA is hydrolyzed by dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (DDAH1), and a DDAH1 promoter -396 4N deletion/insertion polymorphism (DDAH1: -396_-395insGCGT) regulates its transcriptional activity. This study aimed to explore the association between this polymorphism and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: In a case-control study, all participants were genotyped for this polymorphism within two sets of populations (discovery: 1,227 T2DM patients and 1,339 controls; replication: 1,190 patients and 1,651 controls). The disease association was assessed by a unconditional logistic regression model. Homeostasis model assessment calculations were conducted among different genotypes. RESULTS: We identified that DDAH1: -396_-395insGCGT insertion allele was significantly associated with increased risk of T2DM (discovery: adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.380, 95% CI = 1.128-1.687, p = .002; replication: OR = 1.231, 95% CI = 1.007-1.504, p = .043). The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was increased in participants carrying Ins/Ins alleles (p = .0452). Interestingly, the insertion allele increased the risk of T2DM in males but not in females (male discovery: OR = 1.528, 95% CI = 1.141-2.047, p = .004; replication: OR = 1.439, 95% CI = 1.083-1.911, p = .012; female discovery: OR = 1.218, 95% CI = 0.913-1.626, p = .18; replication: OR = 1.161, 95% CI = 0.871-1.548, p = .308). CONCLUSION: The DDAH1: -396_-395insGCGT insertion allele is associated with increased risk of T2DM in a gender-dependent manner, affects males but not females.

CYP2J2-Derived EETs Attenuated Angiotensin II-Induced Adventitial Remodeling via Reduced Inflammatory Response.

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450 (CYP) epoxygenases metabolize arachidonic acids (AA) to form epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which exert beneficial roles in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, but little is known about its role on adventitial remodeling. METHODS: We used C57BL/6J mice in vivo and primary rat adventitial fibroblasts (AFs) in vitro treated with Angiotensin II to investigate the effects of CYP2J2 gene delivery and exogenous EETs administration on adventitial remodeling. RESULTS: CYP/sEH system was found to exist in human adventitia, and involved in adventitial remodeling process. Exogenous EETs administration significantly inhibited Ang II-induced AFs activation, characterized by differentiation, proliferation, migration, and collagen synthesis. These protective effects were partially reversed by PPARx03B3; antagonist GW9662 pretreatment or SOCS3 siRNA transfection. EETs suppressed Ang II-induced Ix03BA;Bα phosphorylation, subsequent NF-x03BA;B nuclear translocation via PPARx03B3; dependent signaling pathway in AFs. Additionally, EETs reduced Ang II-induced JAK2, STAT3 phosphorylation and subsequent phosphor-STAT3 nuclear translocation, which were mediated by SOCS3 induction but independent of PPARx03B3; activation. Furthermore, rAAV-CYP2J2 gene delivery reduced vessel wall thickening, AFs differentiation, proliferation and collagen deposition in aortic adventitia induced by Ang II infusion, which were mediated by NF-x03BA;B and SOCS3/JAK/STAT signaling pathways in blood pressure dependent and independent manner, respectively. CONCLUSION: We concluded that CYP2J2 overexpression attenuated Ang II-induced adventitial remodeling via PPARx03B3;-dependent NF-x03BA;B and PPARx03B3;-independent SOCS3/JAK/STAT inflammatory signaling pathways.