Current treatment of hypertension in patients with coronary artery disease recommended by different guidelines

Introduction: It is important to know how to treat hypertension in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The reason for the review was to update this treatment and to discuss the 2015 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/American Society of Hypertension 2015 guidelines of treatment of hypertension in patients with CAD.

Areas covered: Studies between 1968 and 2015 were reviewed on treatment of hypertension in patients with CAD using a Medline search, and studies between 1977 and 2015 were reported. Hypertension should be treated with beta blockers and ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Long-acting nitrates are effective antianginal and anti-ischemic drugs. Calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) may be added if angina persists despite beta blockers and long-acting nitrates. The 2015 guidelines recommend that the blood pressure should be < 140/90 mm Hg in patients aged ≤ 80 years and the systolic blood pressure < 150 mm Hg if they are ≥ 80 years.

Expert opinion: Hypertension in patients with CAD should be treated with beta blockers and ACE inhibitors or ARBs. Long-acting nitrates are effective antianginal and anti-ischemic drugs. CCBs may be added if angina persists despite beta blockers and long-acting nitrates. The blood pressure should be < 140/90 mm Hg in patients aged < 80 years and the systolic blood pressure < 150 mm Hg if they are ≥ 80 years.     

The relationships among monocyte subsets,miRNAs and inflammatory cytokines in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) causes irreversible myocardial damage and release of inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, chemokines and miRNAs. We aimed to investigate changes in the levels of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10), miRNAs profiles (miR-146 and miR-155) and distribution of different monocyte subsets (CD14++CD16-, CD14++CD16+, CD14+CD16++) in the acute and post-healing phases of AMI.

5-Aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic activity in patient-derived cholangiocarcinoma organoids

BackgroundAccurate diagnosis of the disease extension of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is often difficult in clinical practice. The diagnostic yield of conventional pre-operative imaging or endoscopic procedures is sometimes insufficient for the evaluation of longitudinal spreading of CCA. Here we investigated the usefulness of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) for the pre- or intra-operative diagnosis of CCA, using patient-derived organoids.MethodsFour CCA- and two adjacent tissue-derived organoids were established. After 5-ALA treatment, we assessed their photodynamic activity using fluorescence microscopy.ResultsCCA organoids established from different patients showed diverse morphology in contrast to monolayer structures of non-tumor organoids, and had the ability to form subcutaneous tumors in immunodeficient mice. CCA organoids demonstrated remarkably high photodynamic activity based on higher accumulation of protoporphyrin IX as a metabolite of 5-ALA compared to non-tumor organoids (40–71% vs. < 4%, respectively). Importantly, cancer cell-specific high photodynamic activity distinguished the organoids originated from biliary stenotic lesions from those of non-stenotic lesions in a CCA patient. The high photodynamic activity did not depend on the expression profile of heme biosynthesis genes.ConclusionsDistinct 5-ALA-based photodynamic activity could have diagnostic potential for the discrimination of CCA from non-tumor tissues.     

A Reminder of Methylene Blue's Effectiveness in Treating Vasoplegic Syndrome after On-Pump Cardiac Surgery

The inflammatory response induced by cardiopulmonary bypass decreases vascular tone, which in turn can lead to vasoplegic syndrome. Indeed the hypotension consequent to on-pump cardiac surgery often necessitates vasopressor and intravenous fluid support. Methylene blue counteracts vasoplegic syndrome by inhibiting the formation of nitric oxide.We report the use of methylene blue in a 75-year-old man who developed vasoplegic syndrome after cardiac surgery. After the administration of methylene blue, his hypotension improved to the extent that he could be weaned from vasopressors. The use of methylene blue should be considered in patients who develop hypotension refractory to standard treatment after cardiac surgery.     

综合疗法治疗4~5期慢性肾脏病31例临床观察

目的:观察综合疗法治疗慢性肾脏病(CKD)4~5期脾肾亏虚证的效果。方法:将CKD4~5期脾肾亏虚证患者62例随机分为2组,其中治疗组31例,对照组30例(剔除1例)。对照组予基础治疗合中药、骨化三醇及碳酸钙D3片治疗,治疗组予基础治疗合中药、骨化三醇及益肾泄浊汤保留灌肠治疗,观察时间为4周。比较2组血肌酐(Scr)、肾小球滤过率(e GFR)、尿素氮(BUN)、血钙、血磷、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、甲状旁腺激素(i PTH)及中医证候疗效。结果:中医证候总有效率治疗组为83.87%(26/31),对照组为73.33%(22/30),组间比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);2组Scr、e GFR、BUN、血磷治疗前后组内比较及治疗后组间比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01或P<0.05);2组血钙、i PTH、ALP治疗前后组内比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01),但治疗后组间比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:综合疗法治疗慢性肾脏病4~5期脾肾亏虚证效果确切,安全可靠。     

结肠癌T-cadherin表达水平分析与5-Aza-CdR对其表达和结肠癌细胞增殖、侵袭及凋亡的影响

背景与目的：结肠癌是临床常见恶性肿瘤，探讨抑癌蛋白T-cadherin在结肠癌中的表达情况及其与患者临床病理学特征的关系，并分析5-Aza-CdR对T-cadherin表达和结肠癌细胞增殖、侵袭及凋亡的影响。方法：收集福建医科大学附属第二医院2015—2016年40例手术切除的结肠癌组织及癌旁组织新鲜样本，并经过病理学检查验证，分别提取总RNA和总蛋白质。采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应（real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction，RTFQ-PCR）分析T-cadherin mRNA的表达，采用蛋白质印迹法（Western blot）分析T-cadherin蛋白水平，并分析T-cadherin的mRNA表达变化与患者临床病理学特征的关系。进一步以人结肠癌细胞系HT-29为研究对象，采用甲基化抑制剂5-Aza-CdR处理HT-29细胞，分别采用RTFQ-PCR和Western blot分析T-cadherin表达变化，采用细胞计数试剂盒（cell counting kit-8，CCK-8）分析细胞增殖，采用Transwell实验验证细胞侵袭能力，采用流式细胞术分析细胞凋亡。结果：T-cadherin在结肠癌组织的蛋白水平和mRNA表达均明显低于癌旁组织，其mRNA表达与淋巴结转移（F=5.316，P=0.009 3）和分化程度（F=5.807，P=0.006 4）明显相关，而与其他病理变量（包括性别、年龄、肿瘤大小和肿瘤浸润深度）无明显相关。药物5-Aza-CdR可以显著上调HT-29细胞中T-cadherin的表达水平，抑制HT-29细胞增殖、侵袭并促进细胞凋亡。结论：T-cadherin表达可能与结肠癌恶性程度密切相关，药物5-Aza-CdR处理可上调结肠癌细胞T-cadherin的表达，并抑制结肠癌细胞的增殖、迁移，促进结肠癌细胞凋亡，提示T-cadherin可能是结肠癌患者使用甲基化抑制剂5-Aza-CdR治疗的靶点。     

Quantification of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor Binding in Depressed Suicide Attempters and Non-Attempters

Objective: To determine serotonin system abnormalities related to major depression or previous suicidal behavior.

Methods: [¹¹C]WAY100635, [¹⁸F]altanserin and positron emission tomography were used to compare 5-HT_1A and 5-HT_2A binding in MDD patients divided into eight past suicide attempters (>4yrs prior to scanning) and eight lifetime non-attempters, and both groups were compared to eight healthy volunteers.

Results: The two receptor types differed in binding pattern across brain regions from each other, but there were no differences in binding between healthy volunteers and the two depressed groups or between depressed suicide attempters and non-attempters. No effects of depression severity or lifetime aggression were observed for either receptor.

Conclusion: Limitations of this study include small sample size and absence of high lethality suicide attempts in the depressed attempter group. No trait-like binding correlations with past suicide attempt or current depression were observed. Given the heterogeneity of nonfatal suicidal behavior, a larger sample study emphasizing higher lethality suicide attempts may find the serotonin biological phenotype seen in suicide decedents.