Application of mind map can promote the health education effect of children with vasovagal syncope.

Objective: To explore the effect of mind map on health education in children with vasovagal syncope (VVS). Methods: In this prospective controlled study, 66 children with VVS (29 males, 10.38 ± 1.80 years) and their parents (12 males, 39.27 ± 3.74 years) who were hospitalized in the Department of Pediatrics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from April 2020 to March 2021 were set as the control group. 66 children with VVS (26 males, 10.29 ± 1.90 years) and their parents (9 males, 38.65 ± 1.99 years) who were hospitalized in the same hospital from April 2021 to March 2022 were set as the research group. Traditional oral propaganda method was applied in the control group, and the health education method based on mind map was applied in the research group. The self-designed VVS health education satisfaction questionnaire and comprehensive health knowledge questionnaire were used to conduct on-site return visits to the children and their parents who had been discharged from the hospital for 1 month. Results: There was no significant difference in age, sex, hemodynamic type of VVS, and the parental age, sex, education level between the control group and the research group (P > 0.05). Health education satisfaction score, health education knowledge mastery score, compliance score, subjective efficacy and objective efficacy in the research group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). If the satisfaction score, knowledge mastery score, and compliance score increase by 1 point, the risk of poor subjective efficacy is reduced by 48, 91, and 99%, respectively, and the risk of poor objective efficacy is reduced by 44, 92, and 93%, respectively. Conclusions: Application of mind map can improve the health education effect of children with VVS.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate protects cardiomyocytes from hypoxia-reoxygenation damage via raising autophagy related 4C expression.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a serious issue during the therapy of myocardial infarction. Herein, we explored the beneficial influence of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-stimulated cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells damage, along with possible internal molecular mechanism related autophagy related 4C (ATG4C). H9c2 cells were subjected to H/R stimulation and/or EGCG treatment. ATG4C mRNA expression was measured via q-PCR assay. ATG4C overexpression plasmid (OE-ATG4C) was transfected to arise ATG4C level. Cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, ATP level were tested via CCK-8 assay, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, DCFH-DA staining and ATP Assay Kit, respectively. Western blotting was performed to test Cleaved-caspase 3, Cleaved-caspase 9, cytochrome C, and LC3B protein levels. H/R stimulation resulted in H9c2 cell viability loss, promoted cell apoptosis, and ROS overproduction, as well as lowered ATP level in cells. EGCG treatment alleviated H/R-resulted H9c2 cell viability loss, cell apoptosis, ROS overproduction, and reduction of ATP level. Moreover, H/R stimulation reduced the ATG4C expression in H9c2 cells, while EGCG raised the ATG4C expression. Overexpression of ATG4C strengthened the beneficial influence of EGCG on H/R-stimulated H9c2 cell viability, apoptosis and ROS production. Besides, ATG4C overexpression weakened the H/R-stimulated H9c2 cell autophagy via reducing LC3B II/I expression. EGCG exerted beneficial influence on H/R-stimulated cardiomyocytes, which protected cardiomyocytes from H/R-stimulated viability loss, apoptosis, and ROS overproduction via enhancing ATG4C expression.

The predictive value of urine specific gravity in the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is a kind of common neurally mediated syncope in children and adolescents. Decreased blood volume is one of the pathogenesis of VVS. The diagnosis of VVS is mainly based on head-up tilt test (HUTT), but some complications may easily occur when HUTT induces syncope. To find a simple and safe VVS diagnosis method can improve the VVS diagnosis efficiency. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This was a prospective study. The study will explore the predictive value of urine specific gravity (USG) in the diagnosis of VVS in children and adolescents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-seven cases (43 males and 54 females, aged 4 to 16 years old, with an average age of 10.91 ± 2.18 years old) hospitalized due to unexplained premonitory syncope or syncope and diagnosed with VVS through HUTT from September 2014 to September 2018 were selected as VVS group. During the same period, 91 cases of children and adolescents, including 45 males and 46 females, aged from 5 to 15 years old, who underwent a healthy examination were matched as a control (control group). USG was measured in both groups. RESULTS: The USG of VVS group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.01), and USG of females was lower than that of males in VVS group (P = 0.045). The sensitivity and specificity of USG in predicting VVS were evaluated by ROC curve. The area under the ROC curve was 0.751, standard error was 0.035, and 95% CI (0.683, 0.819) suggested that USG was of moderate predictive value in the diagnosis of VVS. As cut-off value of USG was 1.0185, the sensitivity and specificity and diagnostic coincidence rate of VVS were 74.39, 66.04 and 69.68%, respectively. CONCLUSION: There are less USG in children and adolescents with VVS, especially lower USG in females. Therefore, USG has predictive value in the diagnosis of VVS in children and adolescents.