Stability Enhancement in All-Inorganic Perovskite Light Emitting Diodes via Dual Encapsulation.

Addressing the challenge of lighting stability in perovskite white light emitting diodes (WLEDs) is crucial for their commercial viability. CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I, or mixed) nanocrystals (NCs) are promising for next-generation lighting due to their superior optical and electronic properties. However, the inherent soft material structure of CsPbX3 NCs is particularly susceptible to the elevated temperatures associated with prolonged WLED operation. Additionally, these NCs face stability challenges in high humidity environments, leading to reduced lighting performance. This study introduces a two-step dual encapsulation method, resulting in CsPbBr3 @SiO2 /Al2 SiO5 composite fibers (CFs) with enhanced optical stability under extreme conditions. In testing, WLEDs incorporating these CFs, even under prolonged operation at high power (100 mA for 9 h), maintain consistent electroluminescence (EL) intensity and optoelectronic parameters, with surface temperatures reaching 84.2 °C. Crucially, when subjected to 85 °C and 85% relative humidity for 200 h, the WLEDs preserve 97% of their initial fluorescence efficiency. These findings underscore the efficacy of the dual encapsulation strategy in significantly improving perovskite material stability, marking a significant step toward their commercial application in optoelectronic lighting.

Correlation of circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 levels with inflammatory factors and the degree of coronary artery stenosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a secreted protein that plays an important role in atherosclerosis and pathological cardiac remodeling. However, the correlation between FGF21 and the degree of coronary artery stenosis and its potential role in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain unclear. We examined whether changes in FGF21 levels in AMI correlate with the degree of coronary artery stenosis and the levels of inflammatory factors, and preliminarily investigated the effects of FGF21 on inflammatory factor levels and myocardial injury in rats with AMI. METHODS: Serum levels of FGF21 and inflammatory factors in the AMI group and control group were measured, and the correlation between FGF21 and clinical indicators and inflammatory factors was analyzed. The effects of FGF21 on cardiac function and inflammatory response were evaluated through echocardiography and measurement of inflammatory factors. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that neutrophil percentage (NEUT%, odds ratio [OR]: 1.232; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.028-1.477; p = 0.024) and FGF21 levels (OR: 2.063; 95 % CI: 1.187-3.586; p = 0.01) had independent effects on AMI. Spearman's rank correlation test showed that FGF21 levels were positively correlated with leukocyte count, NEUT%, neutrophil count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and Gensini scores (p < 0.01), but negatively correlated with lymphocyte count (p < 0.01). FGF21 levels in myocardial tissues and serum levels of FGF21, IL-6, TNF-a, and MCP-1 were significantly higher in AMI rats than in the sham-operated group (p < 0.01). After overexpression of FGF21, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-a, and MCP-1 in rats were significantly decreased (p < 0.01), and cardiac function improved significantly. CONCLUSIONS: FGF21 levels were independently associated with AMI and may be related to the severity of coronary artery stenosis. Overexpression of FGF21 reduced serum inflammatory factor levels and improved cardiac function in AMI rats.

A novel method for quality consistency evaluation of Glycyrrhiza formula granules based on a spectrum-effect study.

Quality consistency of Glycyrrhiza formula granules is essential for guaranteeing clinical efficacy. However, a suitable method to accurately and conveniently evaluate the consistency of the clinical efficacy of Glycyrrhiza formula granules is currently not available. This study established a method for the simultaneous determination of 12 active components in Glycyrrhiza formula granules using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. The rate of inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 by different batches of Glycyrrhiza formula granules was determined. Near-infrared spectra were collected for different batches of Glycyrrhiza formula granules to detect their biological activity in the inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2. The quality consistency of the 11 batches of Glycyrrhiza formula granules was evaluated using principal component and correlation analyses. The results showed significant differences in the formula granules of Glycyrrhiza uralensis produced by the different manufacturers. Some differences were also observed among batches of formula granules produced by the same manufacturer. Correlation analysis of the chemical components and cyclooxygenase-2 activity showed that glycyrrhizic acid, liquiritin, and isoliquiritin were the main active components of Glycyrrhiza. Correlation analysis of the near-infrared spectra and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition activity showed a high correlation between the active components and three characteristic bands: 3383-3995, 4227-4651, and 5315-5878 cm-1 . In this study, the main active anti-inflammatory components of Glycyrrhiza granules were screened. Thus, the near-infrared spectrum and characteristic active band of multi-index active components can be used to quickly detect the quality consistency of Glycyrrhiza formula granules, thereby improving the ability to control the quality and consistency of these granules.

Clinical Efficacy of 2-Needle Joint Lavage for Osteoarthritis-Related Knee Pain and Predictors of Response Based on Knee MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score: A Medical Records Review Study.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is notoriously difficult to treat. Pain is the key symptom for patients to seek medical attention. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of joint lavage (JL) for OA-related knee pain and to explore the knee pathological changes detected by magnetic resonance imaging that may affect the prognosis of patients who received JL. METHODS: Eighty-two hospitalized patients who were diagnosed with knee OA and received JL in our department were finally enrolled in this study. The patients' clinical data including Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index pain subscale, analgesic medication usage, adverse events, and magnetic resonance imaging data of the affected knee joint scored by the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: The NRS scores significantly decreased after JL and remained steady until 6 months ( p < 0.001). The Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index pain scores and the percentage of patients who needed analgesic medication significantly decreased at 6 months compared with baseline ( p < 0.001). At 6 months after JL, 51 of the 82 patients experienced ≥50% improvement in their NRS scores (effective). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that duration of pain (odds ratio [OR], 1.022; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.003-1.042; p = 0.024), bone marrow lesion score (OR, 1.221; 95% CI, 1.028-1.450; p = 0.023), and cartilage loss score (OR, 1.272; 95% CI, 1.021-1.585; p = 0.032) significantly influenced the therapeutic efficacy of JL. CONCLUSIONS: JL treatment can significantly alleviate the OA-related knee pain in at least 6 months. JL tends to provide limited benefit for patients with long duration of pain, serious bone marrow lesions, and severe cartilage loss.

Predictive value of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in critically Ill patients with atrial fibrillation: A propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays a key role in the initiation and progression of atrial fibrillation (AF). Lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been proved to be a reliable predictor of many inflammation-associated diseases, but little data are available on the relationship between LMR and AF. We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of LMR in predicting all-cause mortality among AF patients. METHODS: Data of patients diagnosed with AF were retrieved from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III (MIMIC-III) database. X-tile analysis was used to calculate the optimal cutoff value for LMR. The Cox regression model was used to assess the association of LMR and 28-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortality. Additionally, a propensity score matching (PSM) method was performed to minimize the impact of potential confounders. RESULTS: A total of 3567 patients hospitalized with AF were enrolled in this study. The X-tile software indicated that the optimal cutoff value of LMR was 2.67. A total of 1127 pairs were generated, and all the covariates were well balanced after PSM. The Cox proportional-hazards model showed that patients with the low LMR (≤2.67) had a higher 1-year all-cause mortality than those with the high LMR (>2.67) in the study cohort before PSM (HR = 1.640, 95% CI: 1.437-1.872, p < 0.001) and after PSM (HR = 1.279, 95% CI: 1.094-1.495, p = 0.002). The multivariable Cox regression analysis for 28-day and 90-day mortality yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS: The lower LMR (≤2.67) was associated with a higher risk of 28-day, 90-day, and 1-year all-cause mortality, which might serve as an independent predictor in AF patients.

Proteomic analysis of small extracellular vesicles from the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Liver cancer is one of the most common tumors with the seventh-highest incidence and the third-highest mortality. Many studies have shown that small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) play an important role in liver cancer. Here, we report comprehensive signatures for sEV proteins from plasma obtained from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which might be valuable for the evaluation and diagnosis of HCC. METHODS: We extracted sEVs from the plasma of controls and patients with HCC. Differentially expressed proteins in the sEVs were analyzed using label-free quantification and bioinformatic analyses. Western blotting (WB) was used to validate the abovementioned sEV proteins. RESULTS: Proteomic analysis was performed for plasma sEVs from 21 patients with HCC and 15 controls. Among the 335 identified proteins in our study, 27 were significantly dysregulated, including 13 upregulated proteins that were involved predominantly in the complement cascade (complement C1Q subcomponent subunit B (C1QB), complement C1Q subcomponent subunit C (C1QC), C4B-binding protein alpha chain (C4BPA), and C4B-binding protein beta chain (C4BPB)) and the coagulation cascade (F13B, fibrinogen alpha chain (FGA), fibrinogen beta chain (FGB), and fibrinogen gamma chain (FGG)). We verified increased levels of the C1QB, C1QC, C4BPA, and C4BPB proteins in the plasma sEVs from patients with HCC in both the discovery cohort and validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The complement cascade in sEVs was significantly involved in HCC progression. C1QB, C1QC, C4BPA, and C4BPB were highly abundant in the plasma sEVs from patients with HCC and might represent molecular signatures.

Sand Dust Images Enhancement Based on Red and Blue Channels.

The scattering and absorption of light results in the degradation of image in sandstorm scenes, it is vulnerable to issues such as color casting, low contrast and lost details, resulting in poor visual quality. In such circumstances, traditional image restoration methods cannot fully restore images owing to the persistence of color casting problems and the poor estimation of scene transmission maps and atmospheric light. To effectively correct color casting and enhance visibility for such sand dust images, we proposed a sand dust image enhancement algorithm using the red and blue channels, which consists of two modules: the red channel-based correction function (RCC) and blue channel-based dust particle removal (BDPR), the RCC module is used to correct color casting errors, and the BDPR module removes sand dust particles. After the dust image is processed by these two modules, a clear and visible image can be produced. The experimental results were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, and the results show that this method can significantly improve the image quality under sandstorm weather and outperform the state-of-the-art restoration algorithms.

Transcriptome analysis revealing molecular mechanisms of enhanced pigment yield by succinic acid and fluconazole.

This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms through which succinic acid and fluconazole stimulate Monascus pigment biosynthesis under liquid fermentation conditions. The pigment yield was significantly improved by adding 0.35 g·L-1 succinic acid or 1.5 g·L-1 fluconazole. Transcriptome sequencing and RT-qPCR confirmation were performed to reveal transcriptome changes. The results indicated that the addition of succinic acid significantly decreased mRNA expression of genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis while increasing expression of genes involved in pyruvate metabolism. Fluconazole significantly down-regulated transcripts involved in branched-chain amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and pyruvate metabolism, as well as the generation of acetyl-CoA for pigment biosynthesis. On the other hand, nitrogen metabolism and lysine degradation pathways were significantly enriched, which could stimulate the generation of acetyl-CoA. Therefore, the mechanism for enhancing pigment yield may be attributed to the competitive regulation of metabolic pathways toward acetyl-CoA biosynthesis. Additionally, up-regulation of some different key genes in the presence of fluconazole or succinic acid was involved in improving pigment production. This study deepens the theoretical understanding for enhancing pigment biosynthesis and provides a few potential approaches for improving pigment yield.

Sensitive Oxidation of Sorbitol-Mediated Fe2+ by H2O2: A Reliable TD-NMR Method for Clinical Blood Glucose Detection.

The clinical challenge of high-accuracy blood glucose detection schemes is to overcome the detection error caused by the background interferences in different individuals. H2O2 as the specific product of glucose oxidation can be involved in the Fe2+/Fe3+ conversion and detected by the time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) method sensitively. But, in clinical applications, the oxidation of Fe2+ is susceptible to the complex sample substrates. In this work, we sorted out two kinds of possible interference mechanisms of Fe2+ oxidation in the NMR blood glucose detection method and proposed a feasible scheme that uses sorbitol to weaken the adverse effects of interference. We found that sorbitol-mediated Fe2+ can greatly enhance the sensitivity of the T2 value to H2O2. The chain reaction caused by sorbitol can significantly amplify the efficiency of Fe2+ oxidation at the same concentration of H2O2. Thereby, we can achieve the higher dilution multiple of serum samples to reduce the amount of interfering substances involved in the Fe2+/Fe3+ conversion. We justified the accuracy and availability of our method by successfully detecting and confirming the correlation between the T2 decrease and glucose concentration of the serum samples collected from 16 subjects. The sorbitol-Fe2+ glucose detection method with high sensitivity can be further combined with miniature NMR analyzers to satisfy the calibration requirements of glucose monitoring in diabetic patients instead of frequent medical visits.

Expression level and diagnostic value of exosomal NEAT1/miR-204/MMP-9 in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Acute myocardium infarction (AMI) is one of the main causes of cardiovascular death, and timely intervention and diagnosis are essential. Owing to the irreversible apoptosis and death of myocardial cells, which ultimately causes heart failure, the problem of myocardial repair after myocardial infarction needs to be urgently addressed. Exosomes can act as messengers between cells, delivering large amounts of proteins, RNA, and lipids to receptor cells, and regulating target cell functions. Studies have shown that exosomes can repair infarcted myocardium. We aimed to investigate the relationship between long non-coding RNA NEAT1 in serum exosomes of patients and AMI and its underlying mechanism. Subjects were divided into control, UA, and STEMI groups. RNA was extracted from the serum exosomes, and the expressions of lncRNA NEAT1 and miR-204 were detected by qRT-PCR. MMP-9 was detected by western blot, Spearman test was used to analyze the correlation among the three. Logistic regression and Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) were used to evaluate the prediction of acute myocardial infarction. The expressions of NEAT1 and MMP-9 in serum exosomes of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were up-regulated and positively correlated, miR-204 expression was down-regulated, there were no correlations between miR-204 with NEAT1, or MMP-9. Exosomal NEAT1, miR-204, and MMP-9 displayed potent biomarkers for diagnosis of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

A Novel Mechanism of Specialized Proresolving Lipid Mediators Mitigating Radicular Pain: The Negative Interaction with NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Inhibition of immune and inflammatory reaction induced by the expose of nucleus pulposus (NP) could effectively ameliorate neuropathic pain in the lumbar disc herniation. Maresin1 (MaR1), as a macrophage-derived mediator of inflammation resolution, displayed potent anti-inflammatory action. In the present study, we attempted to elucidate the impact of MaR1 on radicular pain and the interaction with NLRP3 inflammasome. We established a rat model of non-compressive lumbar disc herniation and different administration (MaR1 or Caspase-1 inhibitor) was given to them. The paw withdrawal latency (PWL) and paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were observed to assess pain behaviors. The spinal cord horns were collected and the levels of IL-1ß and IL-18 were measured by ELISA. The mRNA and protein expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome components were tested by RT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The endogenous MaR1 levels of the spinal cord were analyzed using LC-MS/MS. The application of NP in the models lead to mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity, increased IL-1ß and IL-18 levels and expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome components, which were reversed markedly by administration of MaR1. Caspase-1 inhibition also improved mechanical hypersensitivity, decreased the expressions of inflammatory cytokines and restrained the activation of inflammasome. Meanwhile, Caspase-1 inhibitor promoted the endogenous MaR1 synthesis, which was hindered in the pain models. Altogether, our study indicated that the negative interaction between MaR1 and NLRP3 inflammasome mediated the inflammatory response in spinal dorsal horn, which involved in the pathogenesis of radicular pain.

MDM2 controls NRF2 antioxidant activity in prevention of diabetic kidney disease.

Oxidative stress and P53 contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a master regulator of cellular antioxidant defense system, is negatively regulated by P53 and prevents DKD. Recent findings revealed an important role of mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) in protection against DKD. However, the mechanism remained unclear. We hypothesized that MDM2 enhances NRF2 antioxidant signaling in DKD given that MDM2 is a key negative regulator of P53. The MDM2 inhibitor nutlin3a elevated renal P53, inhibited NRF2 signaling and induced oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, DKD-like renal pathology and albuminuria in the wild-type (WT) non-diabetic mice. These effects exhibited more prominently in nutlin3a-treated WT diabetic mice. Interestingly, nutlin3a failed to induce greater renal injuries in the Nrf2 knockout (KO) mice under both the diabetic and non-diabetic conditions, indicating that NRF2 predominantly mediates MDM2's action. On the contrary, P53 inhibition by pifithrin-α activated renal NRF2 signaling and the expression of Mdm2, and attenuated DKD in the WT diabetic mice, but not in the Nrf2 KO diabetic mice. In high glucose-treated mouse mesangial cells, P53 gene silencing completely abolished nutlin3a's inhibitory effect on NRF2 signaling. The present study demonstrates for the first time that MDM2 controls renal NRF2 antioxidant activity in DKD via inhibition of P53, providing MDM2 activation and P53 inhibition as novel strategies in the management of DKD.

Intracellular Mechanism of Rosuvastatin-Induced Decrease in Mature hERG Protein Expression on Membrane.

The hERG potassium channel (IKr) encoded by human ether-a-go-go-related gene plays an important role in cardiac repolarization. Decreased IKr may lead to long QT syndrome, which subsequently causes torsade de pointes and sudden cardiac death. Previous studies have shown that statins inhibit IKr and are more potent in inhibiting hERG currents when combined with other drugs. Since chemical structure of rosuvastatin is similar to that of several IKr blockers (ibutilide and E-4031), the present study aimed to reveal the mechanism that underlies rosuvastatin-induced hERG current reduction and to evaluate the possibility of cardiac toxicity. The results showed that rosuvastatin reduced hERG currents by accelerating the inactivation and prolonged action potential duration (APD) in hiPSC-CMs. Meanwhile, it was observed that rosuvastatin reduced the expression of the mature hERG. Transcription factor Sp1 was involved in hERG protein downregulation induced by rosuvastatin, and the result was verified by Sp1 siRNA and Sp1 agonist epicatechin. These results indicated that rosuvastatin could potentially inhibit transcription and reduce hERG mRNA expression. The interaction between hERG and heat shock protein was evaluated to study the mechanism of trafficking inhibition through co-immunoprecipitation. We found that rosuvastatin reduces the interaction of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) with the hERG protein, thereby affecting the folding of the hERG channel. Additionally, rosuvastatin significantly activates ATF6, which plays a key role in the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway. Increased expression of the molecular chaperone calnexin and calreticulin, which are activated by ATF6 to help channel folding, further confirmed UPR activation. Meanwhile, the degradation of the hERG channel was mediated by lysosomes and proteasomes. In conclusion, Rosuvastatin reduced the expression of hERG plasma membrane by two pathways, the first is to disrupt the transport of immature hERG channels to the membrane, and the second is to increase the degradation of mature hERG channels. In addition, Rosuvastatin potently blocked hERG current, delayed cardiac repolarization, and thereby prolonged APDs and QTc intervals. Therefore, caution should be taken when rosuvastatin is used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, especially when combined with drugs that can prolong the QT interval.

Differences in the treatment and control of hypertension in urban and rural residents of the northeastern region of the People's Republic of China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a significant global public health problem and an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to determine treatment and control rates of hypertension and to explore related risk factors by urban and rural areas. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 14,956 participants (≥ 15 years) was conducted in Jilin Province, China from July 2014 to December 2015 using questionnaire forms and physical measurements. RESULTS: Total rates of hypertension treatment, control, and controlled blood pressure among treated subjects were 31.7%, 8.8%, and 27.9% in the Jilin Province. Rates of hypertension treatment, control, and controlled blood pressure among treated subjects were 35.9%, 13.7%, and 38.3% in urban areas and 28.4%, 5.0%, and 17.5% in rural areas, respectively. Higher treatment of hypertension was associated with older age, female sex, other races (except Han), and higher body fat percentage in both areas. Among urban residents, higher education was additionally associated with higher treatment of hypertension; among rural residents, a family history of coronary artery disease and unemployment were associated with higher treatment of hypertension. Higher control of hypertension was associated with unemployment, married status, higher education, healthy body mass index, lower abdominal waist circumference, non-smoking status, and lower visceral adiposity index in urban residents; higher control of hypertension was associated with younger age in rural residents. CONCLUSION: Treatment and control rates of hypertension in urban and rural areas were lower than the national average; blood pressure control in patients taking antihypertensive drugs needs further improvement.

Effects of Mercapto-functionalized Nanosilica on Cd Stabilization and Uptake by Wheat Seedling (Triticum aestivum L.) in an Agricultural Soil.

In the present study, a pot-culture experiment was conducted to investigate the influences of mercapto-functionalized nanosilica (MPTS/nano-silica) on Cd stabilization and uptake by wheat seedling. Four different dosages of MPTS/nano-silica were applied: 0%, 0.3%, 0.6% and 1% (w/w), and the changes of DTPA-extractable Cd in soil, soil properties, wheat biomass, and uptake of Cd to wheat tissues (shoots and roots) were measured throughout the experiment. The results showed that the application of MPTS/nano-silica (at dose of 1%) reduced the DTPA-extractable Cd from 4.21 to 1.45 mg/kg in the soil. Whereas the addition of MPTS/nano-silica hardly changed soil properties and slightly decreased the biomass of wheat seedling. In addition, Cd concentration in wheat tissues decreased from 6.388 to 2.625 mg/kg for shoot, and from 18.622 to 6.368 mg/kg for root. These results indicated that MPTS/nano-silica is an ideal candidate for remediation of Cd contaminated agricultural soil.

Comparison of drug-eluting balloon versus drug-eluting stent for treatment of coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Drug-eluting balloons (DEB) have significant value for treating coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the merits of using DEB versus drug-eluting stents (DES) to treat CAD remain controversial. Herein, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare the safety and efficacy of DEB and DES for treatment of CAD. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases for eligible trials comparing DEB with DES for treatment of CAD. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE); the secondary endpoints included in-lesion late lumen loss (LLL), binary restenosis (BR), myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR) and mortality. RESULTS: Twenty-three trials with a total of 2712 patients were included. There were no significant differences in the primary endpoint of MACE between the DEB and DES groups (Risk Ratio (RR) 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.87, 1.63); P = 0.27), or in the clinical outcomes of each of MACE's components, including TLR, MI and mortality. However, efficacy was significantly different between the DEB and DES groups, especially when we compared DEB to second-generation DES: in-lesion LLL (Mean Difference (MD) 0.11; (0.01, 0.22); P = 0.03); binary restenosis (RR 1.46; (1.00, 2.13); P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DEB is equivalent to DES in terms of safety for managing CAD, and DEB may be considered as an alternative choice for treatment of CAD.

Taurine Protects Primary Neonatal Cardiomyocytes Against Apoptosis Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of taurine (Tau) on primary cultured neonatal myocardial cells treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the underlying mechanism. Primary cardiac myocytes from neonatal Wistar rats were pre-incubated with Tau, and its effects on cell viability and expression of CaM, CaMKII, p53, Bcl-2, and Bax were examined. Tau enhanced the viability of myocardial cells, decreased apoptosis, and alleviated the intracellular calcium overload, especially at dosages of 40 or 80 mM (P < 0.01 or P < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, Tau could inhibit the H2O2-induced decrease in CamKII and CaM expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. The pattern of CaMKII expression was consistent with that of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, but contrasted the pattern of the pro-apoptotic proteins p53 and Bax. Thus, our results show that Tau protects myocardial cells against damage caused by H2O2 exposure, suggesting that it might play a role in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by upregulating the expression of CaMKII to rescue myocardial cells. However, the underlying mechanism still needs to be investigated. In addition, we tested the protective effect of taurine on cardiac myocytes, and the effect of taurine on another model, specifically an animal model.

Selective phosphodiesterase-2A inhibitor alleviates radicular inflammation and mechanical allodynia in non-compressive lumbar disc herniation rats.

PURPOSE: Phosphodiesterase inhibitors possess anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, some studies report that phosphodiesterase 2A (PDE2A) are highly expressed in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The present study aimed to investigate whether intrathecal administration of Bay 60-7550, a specific PDE2A inhibitor, could alleviate mechanical allodynia in non-compressive lumbar disc herniation (NCLDH) rats. METHODS: Rat NCLDH models by autologous nucleus pulposus implantation to dorsal root ganglion were established. Vehicle or Bay 60-7550 (0.1, 1.0 mg/kg) was injected by intrathecal catheter at day 1 post-operation. The ipsilateral mechanical withdrawal thresholds were analyzed from the day before surgery to day 7 after surgery. At day 7 post-operation, the ipsilateral lumbar (L4-L6) segments of the spinal dorsal horns were removed, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) expressions were measured by ELISA. Furthermore, PDE2A mRNA and protein expressions in spinal cord were measured by Real-Time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: Intrathecal administration of the PDE2A inhibitor Bay 60-7550, significantly attenuated mechanical allodynia, down-regulated spinal TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 over-expressions, increased the expression of spinal cAMP, as well as cGMP in a more remarkable manner, and decreased the spinal PDE2A expression in NCLDH rats in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: Bay 60-7550 alleviated mechanical allodynia and inflammation in NCLDH rats, which might be associated with increased cAMP and especially cGMP increase. Thus, spinal PDE2A inhibition might represent a potential analgesic strategy for radiculopathy treatment in non-compressive lumbar disc herniation.

Exercise and Congenital Heart Disease.

Exercise is an essential part of the physical and mental health. However, many doctors and patients have a conservative attitude to participate in exercise in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Exercise in patients with CHD is a relatively new and controversial field. Taking into account the involvement of exercise in patients with CHD is likely to induce acute cardiovascular events and even sudden death; many doctors have a conservative attitude to participate in exercise in patients with CHD, leading to the occurrence of excessive self-protection. CHD has been transformed from the original fatal diseases into chronic diseases, medical treatment will also transform from the improvement of the survival rate to the improvement of the quality of life. It is still a problem that whether patients with CHD should participate in exercise and which kind of CHD should take part in exercise to improve the quality of life.

Experimental research on laser interference micro/nano fabrication of hydrophobic modification of stent surface.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) has become one of the important causes of human death, and coronary stent implantation is one of the most effective methods for the treatment of CAD. But the current clinical treatment has a high long-term restenosis rate and is easy to form late stent thrombosis. In order to solve these problems, coronary artery stent surface was directly modified by laser interference lithography and the highly ordered concave structures were fabricated. The morphology and contact angle (CA) of the microstructure were measured with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and CA system. The water repellent property of the stent was also evaluated by the method of contacting the water drop with the stent and then separating. The result showed that the close-packed concave structure with the period of about 12.194 µm can be fabricated on the stent surface under special parameters (laser energy density of 3.5 J/cm-2, incident angles of 3°, exposure time of 80 s) by the three-beam laser interference of 1064 nm and the form structure has good water repellency with contact angle of 120°.