Impact of Pulmonary Ventilation Dysfunction on Prognosis of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Single-Center, Observational Study.

Background: Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) often experience pulmonary ventilation dysfunction following their initial event. However, there is insufficient research exploring the relationship between this dysfunction and CAD prognosis. Methods: To address this gap, a retrospective observational study was conducted involving 3800 CAD patients without prior pulmonary ventilation disease who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) during hospitalization between November 2015 and September 2021. The primary endpoint was a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), such as death, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat revascularization, and stroke. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize selection bias between the two groups, with a subgroup analysis stratified by smoking status. Results: The results showed that patients were divided into normal (n = 2159) and abnormal (n = 1641) groups based on their pulmonary ventilation function detected by CPET, with 1469 smokers and 2331 non-smokers. The median follow-up duration was 1237 (25-75% interquartile range 695-1596) days. The primary endpoint occurred in 390 patients (10.26%). 1472 patients in each of the two groups were enrolled in the current analysis after PSM, respectively. However, pulmonary function was not associated with MACE before (hazard ratio (HR) 1.20, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.99-1.47; Log-rank p = 0.069) or after PSM (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.86-1.34; Log-rank p = 0.545) among the entire population. Nonetheless, pulmonary ventilation dysfunction was significantly associated with an increased risk of MACE in smoking patients (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.25-2.18; p < 0.001) but not in non-smoking patients (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.60-1.09; p = 0.159). In addition, there was a significant interaction between current smoking status and pulmonary ventilation dysfunction on MACE (p for interaction < 0.001). Conclusions: Pulmonary ventilation dysfunction identified through CPET was independently associated with long-term poor prognosis in smoking patients with CAD but not in the overall population.

Nanoscale Pickering emulsion food preservative films/coatings: Compositions, preparations, influencing factors, and applications.

Pickering emulsion (PE) technology effectively addresses the issues of poor compatibility and low retention of hydrophobic active ingredients in food packaging. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize that each stage of the preparation process for PE films/coatings (PEFCs) can significantly influence their functional properties. With the fundamental considerations of environmental friendliness and human safety, this review extensively explores the potential of raw materials for PEFC and introduces the preparation methods of nanoparticles, emulsification technology, and film-forming techniques. The critical factors that impact the performance of PEFC during the preparation process are analyzed to enhance food preservation effectiveness. Moreover, the latest advancements in PE packaging across diverse food applications are summarized, along with prospects for innovative food packaging materials. Finally, the preservation mechanism and application safety have been systematically elucidated. The study revealed that the PEFCs provide structural flexibility, where designable nanoparticles offer unique functional properties for intelligent control over active ingredient release. The selection of the dispersed and continuous phases, along with component proportions, can be customized for specific food characteristics and storage conditions. By employing suitable preparation and emulsification techniques, the stability of the emulsion can be improved, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the films/coatings in preserving food. Including additional substances broadens the functionality of degradable materials. The PE packaging technology provides a safe and innovative solution for extending the shelf life and enhancing the quality of food products by protecting and releasing active components.

A review on improving the sensitivity and color stability of naturally sourced pH-sensitive indicator films.

Naturally sourced pH-sensitive indicator films are of interest for real-time monitoring of food freshness through color changes because of their safety. Therefore, natural pigments for indicator films are required. However, pigment stability is affected by environmental factors, which can in turn affect the sensitivity and color stability of the pH-sensitive indicator film. First, natural pigments (anthocyanin, betalain, curcumin, alizarin, and shikonin) commonly used in pH-sensitive indicator films are presented. Subsequently, the mechanisms behind the change in pigment color under different pH environments and their applications in monitoring food freshness are also described. Third, influence factors, such as the sources, types, and pH sensitivity of pigments, as well as environmental parameters (light, temperature, humidity, and oxygen) of sensitivity and color stability, are analyzed. Finally, methods for improving the pH-sensitive indicator film are explored, encapsulation of natural pigments, incorporation of a hydrophobic film-forming matrix or function material, and protective layer have been shown to enhance the color stability of indicator films, the addition of copigments or mental ions, blending of different natural pigments, and the utilization of electrospinning have been proved to increase the color sensitivity of indicator films. This review could provide theoretical support for the development of naturally sourced pH-sensitive indicator films with high stability and sensitivity and facilitate the development in the field of monitoring food freshness.

The positive contribution of ultrasound technology in muscle food key processing and its mechanism-a review.

Traditional processing methods can no longer meet the demands of consumers for high-quality muscle food. As a green and non-thermal processing technology, ultrasound has the advantage of improving processing efficiency and reducing processing costs. Of these, the positive effect of power ultrasound in the processing of muscle foods is noticeable. Based on the action mechanism of ultrasound, the factors affecting the action of ultrasound are analyzed. On this basis, the effect of ultrasound technology on muscle food quality and its action mechanism and application status in processing operations (freezing-thawing, tenderization, marination, sterilization, drying, and extraction) is discussed. The transient and steady-state effects, mechanical effects, thermal effects, and chemical effects can have an impact on processing operations through complex correlations, such as improving the efficiency of mass and heat transfer. Ultrasound technology has been proven to be valuable in muscle food processing, but inappropriate ultrasound treatment can also have adverse effects on muscle foods. In the future, kinetic models are expected to be an effective tool for investigating the application effects of ultrasound in food processing. Additionally, the combination with other processing technologies can facilitate their intensive application on an industrial level to overcome the disadvantages of using ultrasound technology alone.

A near infrared fluorescent probe for the detection and imaging of prolyl aminopeptidase activity in living cells.

Prolyl aminopeptidase (PAP) is an important exopeptidase which might be a biomarker for pathogen infection and a potential therapeutic target. However, very few fluorescent probes have been developed for detecting PAP activity. Here we report the development of the first near infrared (NIR) turn-on fluorescent probe (NIR-PAP) for detecting and imaging PAP in living cells. The probe is prepared by reacting a cysteine-proline dipeptide with an acryloylated NIR fluorophore via a facile thiol-Michael addition reaction. NIR-PAP exhibits a dynamic response toward PAP in the range of 0.02-2.5 U mL-1 with an estimated limit of detection of 0.013 U mL-1. In vitro studies also reveal that the probe displays high specificity and robust responses toward PAP under physiological pH and temperature conditions. Moreover, NIR-PAP is successfully introduced to detect and differentiate PAP activity in four different cell lines via both confocal fluorescence imaging and flow cytometry. Therefore, our probe may hold great promise in diagnosing infectious diseases caused by pathogens and screening therapeutic drugs in vivo.

The novel intracellular protein CREG inhibits hepatic steatosis, obesity, and insulin resistance.

Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG), a novel cellular glycoprotein, has been identified as a suppressor of various cardiovascular diseases because of its capacity to reduce hyperplasia, maintain vascular homeostasis, and promote endothelial restoration. However, the effects and mechanism of CREG in metabolic disorder and hepatic steatosis remain unknown. Here, we report that hepatocyte-specific CREG deletion dramatically exacerbates high-fat diet and leptin deficiency-induced (ob/ob) adverse effects such as obesity, hepatic steatosis, and metabolic disorders, whereas a beneficial effect is conferred by CREG overexpression. Additional experiments demonstrated that c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) but not JNK2 is largely responsible for the protective effect of CREG on the aforementioned pathologies. Notably, JNK1 inhibition strongly prevents the adverse effects of CREG deletion on steatosis and related metabolic disorders. Mechanistically, CREG interacts directly with apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and inhibits its phosphorylation, thereby blocking the downstream MKK4/7-JNK1 signaling pathway and leading to significantly alleviated obesity, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. Importantly, dramatically reduced CREG expression and hyperactivated JNK1 signaling was observed in the livers of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients, suggesting that CREG might be a promising therapeutic target for NAFLD and related metabolic diseases. CONCLUSION: The results of our study provides evidence that CREG is a robust suppressor of hepatic steatosis and metabolic disorders through its direct interaction with ASK1 and the resultant inactivation of ASK1-JNK1 signaling. This study offers insights into NAFLD pathogenesis and its complicated pathologies, such as obesity and insulin resistance, and paves the way for disease treatment through targeting CREG. (Hepatology 2017;66:834-854).

Cellular Repressor of E1A-Stimulated Genes Is a Critical Determinant of Vascular Remodeling in Response to Angiotensin II.

OBJECTIVE: Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) is a lysosomal glycoprotein implicated in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Here, we have hypothesized that CREG is a critical target of intervention for the prevention of hypertensive vascular remodeling. APPROACH AND RESULTS: CREG gene expression was significantly decreased accompanied by an upregulated expression of angiotensin II (Ang II) in remodeled vascular tissues of high salt-induced Dahl salt-sensitive rats and Ang II-induced mice. In particular, the downregulation of CREG gene was Ang II specific and independent from blood pressure. Prominent medial hypertrophy and vascular fibrosis in both thoracic aortas and mesenteric arteries were observed in CREG+/- mice infused with Ang II than in CREG+/+ mice, but blunted response in CREG+/+ mice received recombinant human CREG protein, suggesting that changes in CREG expression account for the different phenotype between genotypes. Within a tiled promoter array, E26 transformation-specific-1 binds to CREG promoter at high stringency with the stimulation of Ang II. Moreover, the Ang II-induced E26 transformation-specific-1 directly interacted with the CREG promoter (-1179 and -271 bp) and inhibited its transcription in vascular smooth muscle cells. Selective, pharmacological inhibition of E26 transformation-specific-1 led to restoration of CREG expression in aortas and rescue of experimental vascular remodeling by systemic administration of dominant negative E26 transformation-specific-1 membrane-permeable peptides. CONCLUSIONS: CREG is a novel mediator of vascular remodeling in response to Ang II and may be an attractive therapeutic target for prevention of vascular diseases.

CREG protects from myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by regulating myocardial autophagy and apoptosis.

AIMS: Human cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) is a secreted glycoprotein that regulates tissue and cell homeostasis and has been shown to antagonize heart fibrosis, which indicates a potential protective effect of CREG against cardiomyocyte chronic damage. However, little is known about the role of CREG in myocardial tissue acute injury, in this study, we aimed to investigate the role of CREG in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury and clarify the mechanism of action. METHODS AND RESULTS: Wild-type Creg (Creg+/+), heterozygous Creg (Creg+/-) mice and mice pretreated with infusion of recombinant 0.3mg/kg·d CREG protein (reCreg+/+) were subjected to 30min of left ascending coronary ischemia and 24h of reperfusion. Evan's Blue-triphenyl- tetrazolium chloride (TTC) solution and echocardiography analysis were used to evaluate the effects of CREG on MI/R mice. The underlying mechanisms were further determined by cultured myocardial cells in vitro. Our findings revealed that the level of CREG protein in mouse hearts was significantly decreased after mice were subjected to MI/R. Moreover, Creg+/- mice had larger infarction size 2h after reperfusion and worse cardiac function 28days after MI/R injury compared to that in Creg+/+ mice. However, reCreg+/+ mice could maintain CREG at a high level even after MI/R injury, and mitigated infarction size and improved cardiac function significantly. In Creg+/- mice, myocardial autophagy was dysfunctional characterized by accumulation of LC3A and p62, while apoptotic cell number increase was detected by cleaved caspase-3 blotting and TUNEL staining. Conversely, decreased apoptosis and activated autophagy were detected in reCreg+/+ mice. Furthermore, chloroquine, a kind of autophagy blocker, was used to demonstrate recombinant CREG protected cardiomyocytes against apoptosis mediated by activating autophagy both in vivo and in vitro. Finally, we found CREG was involved into lysosomal protein transfer and improve cellular autophagy. CONCLUSION: CREG protects heart against MI/R injury-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis by activating lysosomal autophagy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Genetic and epigenetic control of heart failure - edited by Jun Ren and Megan Yingmei Zhang.

κ-opioid receptor activation prevents against arrhythmias by preserving Cx43 protein via alleviation of intracellular calcium.

κ-opioid receptor (κ-OR) activation with U50,488H, a selective κ-OR agonist, has been previously demonstrated to prevent against cardiac arrhythmias via stabilizing the synthesis and degradation of an integral membrane protein, Cx43, in gap junctions. However, the exact prevention mechanism remains unclear. The present study tested the hypothesis that the kappa OR agonist U50,488H mediates the prevention of arrhythmia through the regulation of intracellular calcium leading to the preservation of Cx43 protein. By performing electrocardiogram monitoring and immunoblotting in isolated Langendorff-perfused rat hearts, high concentrations of calcium-perfused rat hearts exhibited increased cardiac arrhythmias. Diminished expression of Cx43 protein was observed. The utilization of a whole-cell patch clamp technique revealed that U50,488H inhibited L-type calcium current in single ventricular myocytes in a dose-dependent manner. These effects were blocked by nor-binaltorphimine, potent and selective κ-OR antagonists. Administration of U50,488H before myocardial ischemia resulted in an attenuated of total arrhythmia scores. The attenuation effect was blocked by nor-binaltorphimine. The attenuation effect was antagonized both by Bay K8644, a L-type calcium channel agonist, and also by the Cx43 uncoupler heptanol. Finally, immunoblotting data demonstrated that the preservation of Cx43 protein conferred by U50,488H was reversed in the presence of Bay K8644. In summary, the present study demonstrates κ-OR activation with U50,488H may confer antiarrhythmic effects via modulation of the calcium-Cx43 pathway.

The Increased Ischemic Risk During the Early Period After Clopidogrel Noncompliance in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis.

Although dual antiplatelet therapy for secondary prevention in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is highly recommended by current guidelines, P2Y12 inhibitor non-adherence often occurs and devastates prognosis. To evaluate whether the ischemic risk during the early period of clopidogrel noncompliance was increased among ACS patients, a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted to identify studies reporting early ischemic risk after clopidogrel noncompliance in ACS patients. The primary endpoint was a composite of death or myocardial infarction (MI). Effect sizes were synthesized in patients with or without revascularization. A total of 7 observational studies focusing on clopidogrel noncompliance were included in this meta-analysis, whereas no studies involving ticagrelor or prasugrel were retrieved. A significantly increased risk of death or MI 0 to 90 days after clopidogrel noncompliance was found compared with that during 90 to 180 or 90 to 360 days regardless of revascularization (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 2.01, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.62-2.49, P < .001, I2 = 9%) or not (IRR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.05-2.48, P < .001, I2 = 74%). Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention had a higher risk of death or MI 0 to 90 days after clopidogrel noncompliance compared with 90-180 or 90-360 days irrespective of drug-eluting stent or bare metal stent implantation (P < .05 for both). The early ischemic risk after clopidogrel noncompliance is significantly higher than the late risk in ACS patients. Antiplatelet noncompliance remains a serious concern.

Cryoprotective effect of water-tailored trehalose-based natural deep eutectic solvents on frozen-thawed mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) surimi.

The inhibitory effect of water-tailored natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) constructed from citric acid and trehalose with different amounts on the quality deterioration and oxidation of frozen-thawed (F-T) mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) surimi was studied. NADES was obtained by citric acid to trehalose and the effect of moisture addition (v/v) on the structure, physicochemical, and anti-freezing capacity of NADES was assessed. NADES + 10 % H2O has relatively low viscosity (25 %) and strong freezing resistance. However, a 50 % H2O addition leads to the disappearance of the hydrogen bond. The addition of NADES effectively inhibits water loss, migration, and mechanical damage on F-T surimi. An inhibitory effect of 4 % (w/w) NADES on oxidation was verified by a decrease in carbonyl contents (17.4 %, 8.63 %) and TBARS (37.9 %, 15.2 %) of surimi compared with control (P < 0.05) and sucrose + sorbitol after 5F-T cycles, suggesting the potential of NADES as a cryoprotectant for the food industry.

Daily exercise improves the long-term prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: To demonstrate the effect of daily exercise on the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: A cohort of 9,636 patients with ACS were consecutively enrolled in our retrospective study between November 2015 and September 2017, which were used for model development. 6,745 patients were assigned as the derivation cohort and 2,891 patients were assigned as the validation cohort. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and COX regression were used to screen out significant variables for the construction of the nomogram. Multivariable COX regression analysis was employed for the development of a model represented by a nomogram. The nomogram was then evaluated for performance traits such as discrimination, calibration, and clinical efficacy. Results: Among 9,636 patients with ACS (mean [SD] age, 60.3 [10.4] years; 7,235 men [75.1%]), the 5-year incidence for MACE was 0.19 at a median follow-up of 1,747 (1,160-1,825) days. Derived from the LASSO regression and COX regression, the nomogram has included 15 factors in total including age, previous myocardial infarction (MI), previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), systolic pressure, N-terminal Pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), serum creatinine, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), Killip class, the Synergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score, left anterior descending (LAD) stenosis (≥50%), circumflex (LCX) stenosis (≥50%), right coronary artery (RCA) stenosis (≥50%), exercise intensity, cumulative time. The 5-year area under the ROC curve (AUC) of derivation and validation cohorts were 0.659 (0.643-0.676) and 0.653 (0.629-0.677), respectively. The calibration plots showed the strong concordance performance of the nomogram model in both two cohorts. Moreover, decision curve analysis (DCA) also showed the usefulness of nomogram in clinical practice. Conclusion: The present work provided a prediction nomogram predicting MACE for patients with ACS after incorporating the already known factors and the daily exercise, which demonstrated the effectiveness of daily exercise on the improvement of prognosis for patients with ACS.

The CREG1-FBXO27-LAMP2 axis alleviates diabetic cardiomyopathy by promoting autophagy in cardiomyocytes.

Autophagy plays an important role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes 1 (CREG1) is an important myocardial protective factor. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of CREG1 in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Male C57BL/6 J mice, Creg1 transgenic mice and cardiac-specific knockout mice were used to establish a type 2 diabetes model. Small animal ultrasound, Masson's staining and western blotting were used to evaluate cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis and autophagy. Neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes (NMCMs) were stimulated with palmitate, and the effects of CREG1 on NMCMs autophagy were examined. CREG1 deficiency exacerbated cardiac dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy, which was accompanied by exacerbated autophagy dysfunction. CREG1 overexpression improved cardiac function and ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy by improving autophagy. CREG1 protein expression was decreased in palmitate-induced NMCMs. CREG1 knockdown exacerbated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and inhibited autophagy. CREG1 overexpression inhibited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and improved autophagy. LAMP2 overexpression reversed the effect of CREG1 knockdown on palmitate-induced inhibition of cardiomyocyte autophagy. CREG1 inhibited LAMP2 protein degradation by inhibiting the protein expression of F-box protein 27 (FBXO27). Our findings indicate new roles of CREG1 in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Dynamic changes in postmortem quality of mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L.): Based on oxidation reaction and mitochondrial function properties.

The dynamic changes in the postmortem quality of mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) were investigated. With extended postmortem time, conductivity, redness, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation all increased, while lightness, whiteness, and freshness decreased. At 4 h postmortem, the pH value reached a minimum (6.58), while the centrifugal loss and hardness reached a maximum (17.13% and 2539 g). Additionally, variations in mitochondria-related parameters during apoptosis were studied. Within 72 h postmortem, the content of reactive oxygen species initially decreased and subsequently increased; furthermore, there was a significant increase in the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore, membrane fluidity, and swelling (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the cytosolic cytochrome c level decreased from 0.71 to 0.23, which indicated potential mitochondrial damage. Thus, mitochondrial dysfunction during postmortem aging can give rise to oxidation and the production of ammonia and amine compounds, which leads to flesh quality deterioration.

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in the absence of traditional risk factors.

AIMS: To investigate the frequency of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and evaluate its impacts on outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the absence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing was performed to detect the presence of CHIP in 183 patients underwent PCI for the treatment of ACS. The association between CHIP-related mutations and major adverse cardiac or cerebral events (MACCEs, a composite of all-cause mortality, coronary revascularization, myocardial infarction, or stroke) was analyzed in such cohort. RESULTS: Of 179 patients [median age, 65 years; 84 female (46.9%)] included in this analysis, CHIP-related mutations were detected in 36 (20.1%) patients. The somatic mutations most frequently occurred in the genes DNMT3A (17 mutations), TET2 (6 mutations), and ASXL1 (4 mutations). Clinical outcomes at median 635 follow-up days showed that DNMT3A/TET2/ASXL1-CHIP mutations were associated with significantly higher risk of MACCEs, compared with non-CHIP carriers in the CVRFs-absent ACS cohort (26.1% vs. 4.2%, log-rank P = 0.001). Multivariable regression showed that DNMT3A/TET2/ASXL1-CHIP driver mutations (HR 4.015; 95% CI 1.236-13.046; P = 0.021) were independent predictors of adverse clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: The most frequent CHIP-related mutations, DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1 are significantly associated with increased risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. Our study may be valuable target to reduce residual risk in patients with ACS carrying specific mutations.

Efficacy and Safety of Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training on the Improvement of Cardiopulmonary Function in Patients After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (ENERGY): A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on the improvement of cardiopulmonary function for patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). DESIGN: Randomized controlled study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Between August 20, 2021, and February 28, 2022, a total of 66 patients after TAVR were screened for inclusion and randomly divided into the MICT and control groups at a ratio of 1:1. MICT was scheduled 3 times per week for 3 months in the intervention group. Patients in the control group received one-time advice on physical activity according to the current guideline. METHODS: The primary endpoint was the 3-month change in peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The secondary endpoints included the 3-month change in 6-minute walk test (6MWT), the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, echocardiographic parameters, and laboratory parameters. RESULTS: After 3 months, the change in peak VO2 was higher in the MICT group than that in the control group (1.63 mL/kg/min, 95% CI 0.58-2.67, P = .003). Change in 6MWT (21.55 m, 95% CI 0.38-42.71, P = .046) was higher in the MICT group compared with the control group. A significant change in favor of MICT was also observed for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.62 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.23, P = .002). However, there were no significant changes in other echocardiographic indices, laboratory parameters, and SF-12 between the 2 groups (all P > .05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: MICT had a positive effect on the cardiopulmonary function and physical capacity of patients after TAVR.

Efficiency of nicotinamide-based supportive therapy in lymphopenia for patients with ordinary or severe COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of nicotinamide-based supportive therapy for lymphopenia in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: Twenty four patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 12) during hospitalization in a ratio of 1:1. Based on conventional treatment, the treatment group was administered 100 mg nicotinamide 5 times a day for 2 days. The control group received routine treatment only. The primary endpoint was the change in the absolute lymphocyte count. The secondary endpoints included both in-hospital death and the composite endpoint of aggravation, according to upgraded oxygen therapy, improved nursing level, and ward rounds of superior physicians for changes in conditions. RESULTS: Full blood counts before and after nicotinamide administration were comparable in each group (all P > .05). Before and after receiving nicotinamide, mean absolute lymphocyte counts were similar between the two groups ([0.94 ± 0.26] × 109/L vs [0.89 ± 0.19] × 109/L, P = .565; [1.15 ± 0.48] × 109/L vs [1.02 ± 0.28] × 109/L, P = .445, respectively). Therefore, there was no statistically significant difference in the lymphocyte improvement rate between the two groups (23.08 ± 46.10 vs 16.52 ± 24.10, P = .67). There was also no statistically significant difference in the secondary endpoints between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Among patients with COVID-19, there was no statistically significant difference in the change of whole blood counts and absolute lymphocyte counts before and after intervention in both groups. Therefore, no new evidence has been found regarding the effect of niacinamide on lymphopenia in COVID-19 patients.

Efficacy and Safety of the Reduced Bivalirudin in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography or Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Stratified by Renal Function (REDUCE BOLUS): A Single-Blind, Stratified Randomized, Non-inferiority Trial.

Background: In clinical practice, some cases indicated that the loading dose of bivalirudin increased the bleeding risk, particularly in patients with renal insufficiency. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the low-dose (80%) bolus injection of bivalirudin in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization stratified by renal function. Methods: A total of 204 individuals in the REDUCE BOLUS trial were stratified 1:1 to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 ml/min cohort or eGFR < 60 ml/min cohort, then randomized 1:1 to the reduced bolus bivalirudin group (i.e., the experimental group) or normal bolus bivalirudin group (i.e., the control group), respectively. The primary end point was to compare the differences of the area under the curve of activated clotting time (ACT) between the two groups. The secondary end points were the postoperative net adverse clinical events (NACEs) before discharge, defined as the all-cause mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization, stroke, and bleeding events. Results: Between January 3, 2020, and March 26, 2021, 204 patients undergoing coronary angiography were randomly assigned, including 102 (i.e., 51 in the control group and 51 in the experimental group) with normal eGFR and 102 (i.e., 51 control and 51 experimental) with abnormal eGFR. No difference was observed in the curve of ACT between the control group and the experimental group (0.55 ± 0.09 vs. 0.56 ± 0.08, P = 0.542 and 0.55 ± 0.06 vs. 0.57 ± 0.05, P = 0.075, respectively, for normal eGFR cohort and abnormal eGFR cohort). The one-sided 97.5% lower confidence bound for the difference in the area under the ACT curve was -0.017 and 0.0015 in eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min and eGFR<60 ml/min cohort, respectively, both above the preset non-inferiority criterion of -0.07, establishing the non-inferiority. There was no incidence of NACE and stent thrombosis before discharge in each group. Conclusion: In patients undergoing cardiac catheterization, the efficacy and safety of the reduced bolus of bivalirudin were non-inferior to the normal one, even in patients without chronic kidney disease. Clinical Trial Registration: [www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT03588611].