Outcomes Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis in Patients With Type 0 Bicuspid, Type 1 Bicuspid, and Tricuspid Aortic Valves.

BACKGROUND: Data concerning the outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in type 0 bicuspid aortic stenosis (AS) are scarce. The study aims to compare the outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement for AS in patients with type 0 bicuspid, type 1 bicuspid, and tricuspid aortic valve anatomy. METHODS: We enrolled consecutive patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement for severe AS between 2012 and 2022 in this single-center retrospective cohort study. The primary outcome was mortality, while secondary outcomes included in-hospital complications such as stroke and pacemaker implantation and transcatheter heart valve hemodynamic performance. RESULTS: The number of patients with AS with type 0 bicuspid, type 1 bicuspid, and tricuspid aortic valve anatomy was 328, 302, and 642, respectively. Self-expanding transcatheter heart valves were used in the majority of patients (n=1160; 91.4%). In the matched population, differences in mortality (30 days: 4.2% versus 1.7% versus 1.7%, Poverall=0.522; 1 year: 10% versus 2.3% versus 6.2%, Poverall=0.099) and all stroke (30 days: 1.0% versus 0.9% versus 0.0%, Poverall=0.765; 1 year: 1.4% versus 1.6% versus 1.3%, Poverall=NS) were nonsignificant, and the incidence of overall in-hospital complications was comparable among groups. Ascending aortic diameter was the single predictor of 1-year mortality in type 0 bicuspid patients (hazard ratio, 1.59 [95% CI, 1.03-2.44]; P=0.035). The proportion of patients with a mean residual gradient ≥20 mm Hg was the highest in those with type 0 bicuspid anatomy, although the need for permanent pacemaker implantation was the lowest in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Major clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement for AS in patients with type 0 bicuspid, type 1 bicuspid, and tricuspid aortic valve anatomy are equivalent at short- and mid-term follow-up. These observations merit further exploration in prospective international registries and randomized controlled trials.

Snaring Self-Expanding Devices to Facilitate Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients with Complex Aortic Anatomies.

The snare-assisted technique has been described to facilitate transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) delivery system advancement in complex aortic anatomies. However, the evidence is limited to case reports. To evaluate the safety profile of the snare-facilitated approach and its impact on self-expanding (SE) TAVR outcomes, we collected consecutive patients who underwent transfemoral SE-TAVR for aortic stenosis, using propensity score matching (PSM) separately in tricuspid and type-0 and type-1 bicuspid aortic valve morphology between the snare and non-snare groups. In 766 patients, despite the snare group having significantly larger annulus angulation and maximal ascending aortic diameter, both groups achieved comparable 30-day device success rates, regardless of first-generation or new-generation valve use. After PSM, the snare group had a significantly lower new permanent pacemaker implantation rate among 193 type-0 patients (3.3% vs. 18.3%, p = 0.01). The ipsilateral group used new-generation valves less frequently (23.0% vs. 75.4%, p < 0.001), but there were no significant inter-group differences in procedure-related events, except for a lower incidence of PVL ≥ mild in the ipsilateral group (14.9% vs. 32.3%, p = 0.01). In conclusion, the snare-assisted technique appears useful in SE-TAVR with angulated aortic root anatomy, and the benefits were comparable between ipsilateral and contralateral snare techniques.

Extraction, characterization and anti-oxidant activity of polysaccharide from red Panax ginseng and Ophiopogon japonicus waste.

Red ginseng and Ophiopogon japonicus are both traditional Chinese medicines. They have also been used as food in China for thousands of years. These two herbs were frequently used in many traditional Chinese patent medicines. However, the carbohydrate compositions of these two herbs were not normally used during the production of said medicine, such as Shenmai injection, resulting in a large amount of waste composed of carbohydrates. In this study, the extraction conditions were optimized by response surface methodology. The Shenmai injection waste polysaccharide was extracted by using distilled water that was boiled under the optimized conditions. The Shenmai injection waste polysaccharide (SMP) was thereby obtained. SMP was further purified by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. With this method, a neutral polysaccharide fraction (SMP-NP) and an acidic polysaccharide fraction (SMP-AP) were obtained. The results of structure elucidation indicated that SMP-NP was a type of levan, and SMP-AP was a typical acidic polysaccharide. SMP-NP exhibited potential stimulation activity on the proliferation of five different Lactobacilli strains. Therefore, SMP-AP could promote the antioxidant defense of IPEC-J2 cells. These findings suggest that Shenmai injection waste could be used as a resource for prebiotics and antioxidants.

Evolutionary-scale prediction of atomic-level protein structure with a language model.

Recent advances in machine learning have leveraged evolutionary information in multiple sequence alignments to predict protein structure. We demonstrate direct inference of full atomic-level protein structure from primary sequence using a large language model. As language models of protein sequences are scaled up to 15 billion parameters, an atomic-resolution picture of protein structure emerges in the learned representations. This results in an order-of-magnitude acceleration of high-resolution structure prediction, which enables large-scale structural characterization of metagenomic proteins. We apply this capability to construct the ESM Metagenomic Atlas by predicting structures for >617 million metagenomic protein sequences, including >225 million that are predicted with high confidence, which gives a view into the vast breadth and diversity of natural proteins.

Comparison of patients with bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve in transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a safe and effective alternative to surgery for aortic stenosis (AS). However, there are still differences in the procedural process and outcome of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) treated with TAVI compared with tricuspid aortic valve. AREAS COVERED: This review paper aims to summarize the main characteristics and clinical evidence of TAVI in patients with bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valves and compare the outcomes of TAVI procedure. EXPERT OPINION: The use of TAVI in patients with BAV has shown similar clinical outcomes compared with tricuspid aortic valve. The efficacy of TAVI for challenging BAV anatomies remains a concern due to the lack of randomized trials. Detailed preprocedural planning is of great importance in low-surgical-risk BAV patients. A better understanding of which subtypes of BAV anatomy are at greater risk for adverse outcomes can potentially benefit the selection of TAVI or open-heart surgery in low surgical risk AS patients.

Prognostic value of the dynamic hepatorenal function on intermediate-term mortality in TAVI patients with survival to discharge.

BACKGROUND: Renal and liver dysfunctions are risk factors for mortality in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has the potential to break the vicious cycle between AS and hepatorenal dysfunction by relieving aortic valve obstruction. HYPOTHESIS: A part of patients can derive hepatorenal function improvement from TAVI, and this noncardiac benefit improves the intermediate-term outcomes. METHODS: We developed this retrospective cohort study in 439 consecutive patients undergoing TAVI and described the dynamic hepatorenal function assessed by model for end-stage liver disease model for end-stage liver disease (MELD)-XI score in subgroups. The endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed that the baseline MELD-XI score of 10.71 was the cutoff point. A high MELD-XI score (>10.71) at baseline was an independent predictor of the 2-year mortality hazard ratio (HR: 2.65 [1.29-5.47], p = .008). After TAVI, patients with irreversible high MELD-XI scores had a higher risk of 2-year mortality than patients who improved from high to low MELD-XI scores (HR: 2.50 [1.06-5.91], p = .03). Factors associated with reversible MELD-XI scores improvement were low baseline MELD-XI scores (≤12.00, odds ratio [OR]: 2.02 [1.04-3.94], p = .04), high aortic valve peak velocity (≥5 m/s, OR: 2.17 [1.11-4.24], p = .02), and low body mass index (≤25 kg/m2 , OR: 2.73 [1.25-5.98], p = .01). CONCLUSION: High MELD-XI score at baseline is an independent predictor for 2-year mortality. Patients with hepatorenal function improvement after TAVI have better outcomes. For patients with irreversible hepatorenal dysfunction after TAVI, further optimization of the subsequent treatment after TAVI is needed to improve the outcomes.

H2O2-activated in situ polymerization of aniline derivative in hydrogel for real-time monitoring and inhibition of wound bacterial infection.

Wound is highly susceptible to bacterial infection, which can cause chronic wound and serial complications. However, timely treatment is hampered by the lack of real-time monitoring of wound status and effective therapeutic systems. Herein, in situ biosynthesis of functional conjugated polymer in artificial hydrogel was developed via the utilization of biological microenvironment to realize monitoring in real time of wound infection and inhibition of bacteria for the first time. Specially, an easily polymerizable aniline dimer derivative (N-(3-sulfopropyl) p-aminodiphenylamine, SPA) was artfully in situ polymerized into polySPA (PSPA) in calcium alginate hydrogel, which was initiated via the catalysis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) overexpressed in infected wound to produce hydroxyl radical (•OH) by preloaded horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Benefitting from outstanding near infrared (NIR) absorption of PSPA, such polymerization can be ingeniously used for real-time monitoring of H2O2 via naked-eye and photoacoustic signal, as well as NIR light-mediated photothermal inhibition of bacteria. Furthermore, combining the persistent chemodynamic activity of •OH, the in vivo experimental data proved that the wound healing rate was 99.03% on the 11th day after treatment. Therefore, the present work opens the way to manipulate in situ biosynthesis of functional conjugated polymer in artificial hydrogels for overcoming the issues on wound theranostics.

Sex Difference in Outcomes Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether the sex difference whereby female transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) candidates had a lower risk profile, a higher incidence of in-hospital complications, but more favorable short- and long-term survival observed in tricuspid cohorts undergoing TAVR would persist in patients with bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to reexamine the impact of sex on outcomes following TAVR in patients with BAVs. METHODS: In this single-center study, patients with BAVs undergoing TAVR for severe aortic stenosis from 2012 to 2021 were retrospectively included. Baseline characteristics, aortic root anatomy, and in-hospital and 1-year valve hemodynamic status and survival were compared between sexes. RESULTS: A total of 510 patients with BAVs were included. At baseline, women presented with fewer comorbidities. Men had a greater proportion of Sievers type 1 BAV, higher calcium volumes (549.2 ± 408.4 mm3 vs 920.8 ± 654.3 mm3; P < 0.001), and larger aortic root structures. Women experienced more vascular complications (12.9% vs 4.9%; P = 0.002) and bleeding (11.1% vs 5.3%; P = 0.019) and higher residual gradients (16.9 ± 7.7 mm Hg vs 13.2 ± 6.4 mm Hg; P < 0.001), while men were more likely to undergo second valve implantations during index TAVR (6.3% vs 15.9%; P = 0.001). Death at 1 year was not significantly different between sexes (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.56-2.35; P = 0.70). Bleeding (adjusted HR: 4.62; 95% CI: 1.51-14.12; P = 0.007) was the single independent predictor of 1-year death for women. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with BAVs undergoing TAVR, women presented with fewer comorbidities, while men had a greater proportion of type 1 BAV, more calcification, and larger aortic roots. In-hospital outcomes favored men, with fewer complications except for the need for second valve implantation, but 1-year survival was comparable between sexes.

NIR-II-responsive AuNRs@SiO2-RB@MnO2 nanotheranostic for multimodal imaging-guided CDT/PTT synergistic cancer therapy.

Specific tumor-responsive capabilities and efficient synergistic therapeutic performance are the keys to effective tumor treatment. Herein, AuNRs@SiO2-RB@MnO2 was developed as a new type of tumor-responsive nanotheranostic for multimodal imaging and synergistic chemodynamic/photothermal therapy. In AuNRs@SiO2-RB@MnO2, the SiO2 layer wraps the AuNRs, providing light absorption in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) region. The SiO2 layer also adsorbs the MnO2 nanosheets, which have Fenton-like activity, resulting in a fluorescent sensing platform based on the fluorescence quenching properties of MnO2 for rhodamine B dye. The fluorescence can be recovered by the consumption of MnO2 by glutathione, which simultaneously produces Mn2+ in the tumor region. The recovery of fluorescence reflects the consumption of glutathione and the increase in Mn2+, which produces hydroxyl radicals via Fenton-like reaction in the tumor microenvironment to realize chemodynamic therapy. Meanwhile, the AuNRs are a good photothermal reagent that can effectively absorb NIR-II light and convert it into heat energy to kill tumor cells via photothermal therapy. The NIR-II absorption performance of the AuNRs provides good photoacoustic imaging and deep photothermal performance, which is favorable for efficient NIR-II photoacoustic imaging-guided photothermal therapy. As a result, the AuNRs@SiO2-RB@MnO2 nanotheranostic exhibits outstanding imaging and synergistic chemodynamic/photothermal therapeutic performance for tumor imaging and treatment.

Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: We sought to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical adverse events in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) vs. tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) anatomy and the efficacy of balloon-expandable (BE) vs. self-expanding (SE) valves in the BAV population. Comparisons aforementioned will be made stratified into early- and new-generation devices. Differences of prosthetic geometry on CT between patients with BAV and TAV were presented. In addition, BAV morphological presentations in included studies were summarized. Method: Observational studies and a randomized controlled trial of patients with BAV undergoing TAVR were included according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Results: A total of 43 studies were included in the final analysis. In patients undergoing TAVR, type 1 BAV was the most common phenotype and type 2 BAV accounted for the least. Significant higher risks of conversion to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), the need of a second valve, a moderate or severe paravalvular leakage (PVL), device failure, acute kidney injury (AKI), and stroke were observed in patients with BAV than in patients with TAV during hospitalization. BAV had a higher risk of new permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) both at hospitalization and a 30-day follow-up. Risk of 1-year mortality was significantly lower in patients with BAV than that with TAV [odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% CI 0.75-0.97, p = 0.01]. BE transcatheter heart valves (THVs) had higher risks of annular rupture but a lower risk of the need of a second valve and a new PPI than SE THVs. Moreover, BE THV was less expanded and more elliptical in BAV than in TAV. In general, the rates of clinical adverse events were lower in new-generation THVs than in early-generation THVs in both BAV and TAV. Conclusions: Despite higher risks of conversion to SAVR, the need of a second valve, moderate or severe PVL, device failure, AKI, stroke, and new PPI, TAVR seems to be a viable option for selected patients with severe bicuspid aortic stenosis (AS), which demonstrated a potential benefit of 1-year survival, especially among lower surgical risk population using new-generation devices. Larger randomized studies are needed to guide patient selection and verified the durable performance of THVs in the BAV population.

Risk of Coronary Obstruction During Redo-TAVR in Patients With Bicuspid Versus Tricuspid Aortic Valve Stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of coronary obstruction during redo-transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) within a previously implanted self-expanding valve in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) versus tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) stenosis. BACKGROUND: The prevalence of BAV in TAVR patients is expected to increase as the indication expands; however, no study has investigated the risk of coronary obstruction for future redo-TAVR in these patients. METHODS: Computed tomography (CT) simulation analysis was performed in 86 type 0 BAV, 70 type 1 BAV, and 132 TAV patients who underwent TAVR with 1 VenusA-Valve (Venus Medtech) between January 2014 and December 2019. RESULTS: CT-identified risk of coronary obstruction during redo-TAVR was observed in 36.1% of patients for the left coronary ostium (LCO) and 27.8% of patients for the right coronary ostium (RCO); however, the incidences were significantly lower in the type 0 BAV group than in the type 1 BAV or TAV group (for LCO: OR: 1.00 [reference] vs OR: 2.49; 95% CI: 1.24-5.01 vs OR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.40-4.81; for RCO: OR: 1.00 [reference] vs OR: 2.14; 95% CI: 1.02-4.48 vs OR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.02-3.80). The leaflet laceration technique may be unfeasible to improve coronary flow in 61.5% of the threatened LCOs and 58.8% of the threatened RCOs during redo-TAVR. The percentages were significantly or numerically lower in the type 0 BAV group than other groups (for LCO: 26.3% vs 62.1% vs 73.2%; P overall = 0.001; for RCO: 43.8% vs 65.2% vs 61.0%; P overall = 0.374). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in anatomical features may impact the feasibility of future redo-TAVR. Type 0 BAV anatomy was associated with the lower incidence of CT-identified risk of coronary obstruction during redo-TAVR, and the leaflet laceration technique may be more feasible to ensure coronary flow in this population.

Coronary access after transcatheter aortic valve replacement in bicuspid versus tricuspid aortic stenosis.

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether there are differences in coronary access after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) between bicuspid and tricuspid anatomy. AIMS: Our aim was to investigate coronary access after TAVR using a self-expanding transcatheter heart valve (THV) in bicuspid versus tricuspid aortic valves (BAV vs TAV), based on CT simulation. METHODS: A total of 86 type 0 BAV, 70 type 1 BAV, and 132 TAV patients were included. If the coronary ostium faced the sealed parts of the THV or the tilted-up native leaflet (NL), this was defined as THV- or NL-related challenging coronary access, respectively. If coaxial engagement was not allowed due to interference from the unwrapped frame, THV-related complex coronary access was defined. RESULTS: The incidence of THV-related challenging coronary access was 21.2% for the left coronary artery (LCA) and 17.7% for the right coronary artery (RCA), and type 0 BAV patients encountered fewer THV-related challenging LCA access than their TAV counterparts (OR 0.42, 95% CI: 0.20-0.89). NL-related challenging coronary access was observed in 3.1% for LCA and 1.4% for RCA, and THV-related complex coronary access was identified in 5.9% for LCA and 17.0% for RCA; however, no significant differences were found among groups. The proportion of optimal fluoroscopic viewing angles suitable for guiding LCA engagement was similar among groups (64.0% vs 70.0% vs 62.1%), but those suitable for guiding RCA engagement were significantly higher in the type 0 BAV group (31.4% vs 4.3% vs 9.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Coronary access may be challenging or complex in a significant proportion of both BAV and TAV patients after TAVR. Type 0 BAV anatomy may be more favourable for post-TAVR coronary access.

Near Complete Repair After Myocardial Infarction in Adult Mice by Altering the Inflammatory Response With Intramyocardial Injection of α-Gal Nanoparticles.

Background: Neonatal mice, but not older mice, can regenerate their hearts after myocardial-infarction (MI), a process mediated by pro-reparative macrophages. α-Gal nanoparticles applied to skin wounds in adult-mice bind the anti-Gal antibody, activate the complement cascade and generate complement chemotactic peptides that recruit pro-reparative macrophages which are further activated by these nanoparticles. The recruited macrophages decrease wound healing time by ~50%, restore the normal skin structure and prevent fibrosis and scar formation in mice. Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine if α-gal nanoparticles injected into the reperfused myocardium after MI in adult-mice can induce myocardial repair that restores normal structure, similar to that observed in skin injuries. Methods and Results: MI was induced by occluding the mid-portion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery for 30 min. Immediately following reperfusion, each mouse received two 10 µl injections of 100 µg α-gal nanoparticles in saline into the LAD territory (n = 20), or saline for controls (n = 10). Myocardial infarct size was measured by planimetry following Trichrome staining and macrophage recruitment by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Left ventricular (LV) function was measured by echocardiography. Control mice displayed peak macrophage infiltration at 4-days, whereas treated mice had a delayed peak macrophage infiltration at 7-days. At 28-days, control mice demonstrated large transmural infarcts with extensive scar formation and poor contractile function. In contrast, mice treated with α-gal nanoparticles demonstrated after 28-days a marked reduction in infarct size (~10-fold smaller), restoration of normal myocardium structure and contractile function. Conclusions: Intramyocardial injection of α-gal nanoparticles post-MI in anti-Gal producing adult-mice results in near complete repair of the infarcted territory, with restoration of normal LV structure and contractile function. The mechanism responsible for this benefit likely involves alteration of the usual inflammatory response post-MI, as previously observed with regeneration of injured hearts in adult zebrafish, salamanders and neonatal mice.

Characterization of an antioxidant pectic polysaccharide from Platycodon grandiflorus.

Platycodonis Radix is widely used as homology of medicine and food in China; polysaccharides are thought to be one of its functional constituents. In this study, a pectic polysaccharide, PGP-I-I, was obtained from the root of the traditional medicine plant Platycodon grandiflorus through ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. This was characterized being mainly composed of 1,5-α-L-arabinan and both arabinogalactan type I (AG-I) and II chains linked to rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) backbone linked to longer galacturonan chains. In vitro bioactivity study showed that PGP-I-I could restore the intestinal cellular antioxidant defense under the condition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatment through promoting the expressions of cellular antioxidant genes and protect against oxidative damages.

[Diagnostic Application of Invasive Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test in Patients with Unexplained Dyspnea].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical diagnostic application of invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test (iCPET) in patients with unexplained dyspnea. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted, covering patients with a chief complaint of exertional dyspnea between May 5, 2017 and October 1, 2020. Right cardiac catheterization examination was performed on patients whose cause had not been identified through routine examination, and further iCPET was performed on patients if no clear etiology was identified through right cardiac catheterization. According to the results and the diagnostic criteria of iCPET, patients showing no obvious abnormalities in the right cardiac catheterization examination were divided into four subgroups: exercise-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (eiPAH), exercise-induced heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (eiHFpEF), preload failure, and oxidative myopathy. By comparing the lab test, echocardiography, right heart catheter and iCPET peak exercise data of the subgroups, the disease distribution and exercise hemodynamic characteristics of patients with unexplained dyspnea examined by iCPET were described. RESULTS: Of the 1 046 patients with exertional dyspnea, 771 were diagnosed with routine examination, while among the remaining 275 patients, 131 (47.6%) were diagnosed with right cardiac catheterization and 144 (52.4%) showed no clear etiology after routine examination and right cardiac catheterization. Of these 144 patients, 49 (34.0%) received iCPET with a median exercise time of 375 s. A total of 47 patients completed the examination, with a male-to-female ratio of 0.27∶1 and an average age of (47.9±14.4) years old. Among the 47 patients, 76.6% (36/47) aged between 20 and 59 and 78.7% (36/47) lived in urban areas. The preload failure group ( n=27) showed low right atrium pressure at peak exercise intensity. The eiHFpEF group ( n=9) showed high wedge pressure of pulmonary capillaries at peak of exercise intensity. The eiPAH group ( n=8) showed high average pulmonary artery pressure at peak exercise intensity. The oxidative myopathy group ( n=3) was characterized by impairment of tissue uptake and/or utilization of oxygen during exercise. According to the comparison among the three subgroups of the preload failure, eiHFpEF and eiPAH, the eiPAH group had the highest blood K + level in routine examination, while the preload failure group had the lowest blood K + level ( P=0.014). The iCPET of the three subgroups showed statistically significant ( P=0.001) difference in right atrial pressure increase during exercise. Among the three, the eiHFpEF group had the highest increase and the preload failure group had the lowest increase. Conclusion 　In unexplained dyspnea patients showing no abnormal results in right cardiac catheterization examination, the main cause was preload failure, which manifested as low right atrial pressure at peak exercise intensity. The study showed that iCPET was of important value for dyspnea cases when the cause of the condition was not revealed with right cardiac catheterization.

Characterization of inulin-type fructans from two species of Radix Codonopsis and their oxidative defense activation and prebiotic activities.

BACKGROUND: Codonopsis pilosula and C. tangshen are both plants widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Polysaccharides, which are their primary active components, are thought to be important in their extensive use. In this study, two neutral polysaccharide fractions of C. pilosula (CPPN) and C. tangshen (CTPN) were obtained by fractionation on a DEAE-Sepharose column and characterized. RESULTS: It was confirmed that the neutral polymers CPPN and CTPN were ß-(2,1)-linked inulin-type fructans with non-reducing terminal glucose, and degree of polymerization (DP) of 19.6 and 25.2, respectively. The antioxidant and prebiotic activities in vitro were assayed based on IPEC-J2 cell lines and five strains of Lactobacillus. Results indicated that the effects of CPPN and CTPN were increased antioxidant defense in intestinal epithelial cells through enhanced cell viability, improved expression of total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase, and reduced levels of malondialdehyde and lactic dehydrogenase. The prebiotic activity of CPPN and CTPN was demonstrated by the promoting effect on Lactobacillus proliferation in vitro. The different biological activities obtained between the two fractions are probably due to the different DP and thus molecular weights of CPPN and CTPN. CONCLUSION: The inulin fractions from C. pilosula and C. tangshen were natural sources of potential intestinal antioxidants as well as prebiotics, which will be valuable in further studies and new applications of inulin-containing health products. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

DDCI-01, a novel long acting phospdiesterase-5 inhibitor, attenuated monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a progressive, malignant heart disease, characterized by pulmonary arteriole remodeling and increased pulmonary vascular resistance, which eventually leads to right heart failure. This study sought to evaluate the effects of a novel long-acting phospdiesterase-5 inhibitor, namely DDCI-01, as an early intervention for monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertensive rats. To establish this model, 50 mg/kg of monocrotaline was intraperitoneally injected into rats. At Day 7 after monocrotaline injection, two doses of DDCI-01 (3 or 9 mg/kg/day) or tadalafil (at 3 or 9 mg/kg/day) were intragastrically administered. The rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital for hemodynamic and echocardiographic measurements, at Day 21 after monocrotaline injection. Compared to the monocrotaline group, DDCI-01 at 3 and 9 mg/kg/day (P) reduced the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular transverse diameter, pulmonary arterial medial wall thickness (WT%), and right ventricle hypertrophy. However, no significant difference in the indices mentioned as above was found between DDCI-01 (3 mg/kg/day) and tadalafil (3 mg/kg/day). In addition, DDCI-01 at 9 mg/kg/day resulted in lower mPAP and WT%, as well as higher cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels in the lung and plasma compared with the same dose of tadalafil (9 mg/kg/day) (all P < 0.05). These findings suggested that DDCI-01 improved monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats, and a dose of DDCI-01 of 9 mg/kg/day might be more effective than the same dose of tadalafil in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats.

Comparison of the Partial Structure and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides from Two Species of Chinese Truffles.

Truffles are world-renowned premium commodities. Due to their unique aroma and rarity, the price of truffles has always been very high. In this study, Diethylaminoethyl anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration were employed for polysaccharide purification from two different species of Chinese truffles. Three polysaccharide fractions were obtained from Tuber panzhihuanense and referred to as TPZ-NP, TPZ-I, and TPZ-II. Additionally, two polysaccharide fractions were purified from T. pseudoexcavatum (TPD-NP and TPD-I). The results of structural elucidation indicated that the polysaccharide from different species showed different monosaccharide composition and linkage units, as well as molecular weight. Two of the polysaccharide fractions with the highest yield, TPZ-I and TPD-I, were chosen for biological testing. The results indicated that both fractions displayed antioxidant properties through mediation of the intestinal cellular antioxidant defense system, which could protect cultured intestinal cells from oxidative stress-induced damage and cell viability suppression. The TPD-I fraction showed stronger antioxidant effects, which may be due to the difference in structure. Further study on the structure-activity relationship is needed to be done.