Resiniferatoxin reduces cardiac sympathetic nerve activation to exert a cardioprotective effect during myocardial infarction

Background and objective: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common critical disease of the cardiovascular system. The process of MI is often accompanied by the excessive activation of cardiac sympathetic nerves, which leads to arrhythmia. Resiniferatoxin (RTX) is a transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), involved in the cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex. However, whether RTX can reduce the occurrence of arrhythmia and exert a cardioprotective effect by inhibiting the sympathetic reflex during MI is still unknown. Methods: The left anterior descending artery of cardiac was clamped to construct a model of MI. RTX (50 μg/ml) was used by epicardial application in MI rats. Ventricular electrophysiologic properties were continuously monitored by a body surface ECG. Yrosine hydroxylase (TH) and growth associated protein 43 (GAP43) were detected by Immunofluorescence staining. Connexin43 and transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (TGF-β1) were detected by western blot. Norepinephrine (NE) and BNP levels in blood and tissue were determined by ELISA. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Results: The ERP, APD90, QRS, QT and the Tend-Tpeak intervals in MI rats were all prolonged, but decreased after RTX treatment (n = 3, P<0.05). In contrast, the RR interval was shortened in the MI group, but prolonged in the MI+RTX group (n = 3, P<0.05). RTX treatment significantly reduced ventricular arrhythmias after MI. TH- and GAP43-positive nerve densities and TGF-β1, and cx-43 protein expression were up-regulated in the MI group compared to the sham group, and they were decreased in the MI+RTX group compared to the MI group (n = 3, P<0.05). RTX can decrease serum and tissue NE and BNP levels (n = 3, P<0.05). RTX pretreatment significantly decreased heart rate, HW/BW ratio and LVIDS, and increased LVEF andLVFS values (n = 3, P<0.05). Conclusion: RTX improved cardiac dysfunction, ventricular electrophysiologic properties, and sympathetic nerve remodeling in rats with MI by inhibiting the excessive cardiac sympathetic drive.     

A High Order Bound Preserving Finite Difference Linear Scheme for Incompressible Flows

We propose a high order finite difference linear scheme combined with a high order bound preserving maximum-principle-preserving (MPP) flux limiter to solve the incompressible flow system. For such problem with highly oscillatory structure but not strong shocks, our approach seems to be less dissipative and much less costly than a WENO type scheme, and has high resolution due to a Hermite reconstruction. Spurious numerical oscillations can be controlled by the weak MPP flux limiter. Numerical tests are performed for the Vlasov-Poisson system, the 2D guiding-center model and the incompressible Euler system. The comparison between the linear and WENO type schemes, with and without the MPP flux limiter, will demonstrate the good performance of our proposed approach.     

lncRNAPCGEM1对肺癌A549细胞恶性生物学行为的影响及其作用机制

目的：探讨长链非编码RNA（long-chain noncoding，lncRNA）PCGEM1 对肺癌A549 细胞恶性生物学行为的影响及其作用机制。方法：收集2016 年3 月至2018 年5 月湖北医药学院附属太和医院胸外科接受手术治疗的62 例肺癌（lung cancer，LC）患者癌组织及相应的癌旁组织标本，并用以上组织构建LC组织芯片。用qPCR检测lncRNA PCGEM1 及miR-148a 在LC组织相应的癌旁组织及LC细胞株中的表达。构建lncRNA PCGEM1 沉默细胞系A549-siPCGEM1 和阴性对照A549-NC，并以A549 细胞作为空白对照（Control 组），用MTT和平板克隆实验检测敲减PCGEM1 对A549 细胞增殖能力的影响，Transwell 和划痕实验检测敲减PCGEM1 对A549 细胞侵袭和迁移能力的影响。使用生物信息学网站StarBase 预测可互补结合PCGEM1的miRNA，再根据Targetscan 网站预测相应可靶向结合miRNA的基因；Western blotting 实验检测TGF-β2/Smad2 信号通路蛋白表达情况。结果：在LC组织中PCGEM1 的表达水平高于癌旁组织而miR-148a 的表达量明显低于癌旁组织（均P<0.05），PCGEM1 在5 种LC细胞株中的表达明显高于人肺成纤维细胞HLF-02（均P<0.05），且以A549 细胞中表达最高。敲减PCGEM1 后，与Control 组和A549-NC 组比较，A549-siPCGEM1 组A549 细胞增殖、侵袭和迁移能力显著降低（均P<0.05）。StarBase 和Targetscan 网站预测结果显示，PCGEM1 可与miR-148a 互补结合，miR-148a 与TGF-β2 存在靶向结合位点。与Control 组和A549-NC组比较，A549-siPCGEM1 组中miR-148a 表达明显升高，TGF-β2 及p-Smad2 蛋白的表达明显降低（均P<0.05）。结论：lncRNA PCGEM1在LC组织和细胞株中高表达，高表达的PCGEM1 可通过下调miR-148a 水平强化TGF β2/Smad2 信号通路，从而促进A549 细胞恶性生物学行为的进展。     

Cardiac Denervation for Arrhythmia Treatment with Transesophageal Ultrasonic Strategy in Canine Models

Stellate ganglion (SG) modification has been investigated for arrhythmia treatment. In this study, transesophageal SG imaging and intervention were explored using a homemade 30F integrated focused ultrasonic catheter in healthy mongrel canines in vivo. Anatomic details of SGs were ultrasonically imaged and evaluated. SG had a heterogeneous echoic structure and characteristic profiles sketched by hyper-echoic outlines in an ultrasonogram. Left SGs in the experimental group were successfully ablated through the esophagus under ultrasonic guidance provided by the catheter itself. Two weeks after the ablation, the QT and QTc of the experimental group decreased compared with those of the sham group and at baseline (both p values < 0.001). Histologic examination revealed that left SGs were destroyed. No major complications were observed. This approach may be further explored as a method for ganglia remodeling evaluation and as a strategy of ganglia modification for arrhythmia and for other diseases.     

Hypertension is a risk factor for adverse outcomes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019: a cohort study

Abstract

Background

Comorbidities are commonly seen in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the clinical implication is not yet well-delineated. We aim to characterize the prevalence and clinical implications of comorbidities in patients with COVID-19.     

Cefoperazone-sulbactam and risk of coagulation disorders or bleeding: a retrospective cohort study

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Limited evidence has suggested that cefoperazone-sulbactam causes coagulation disorders and bleeding.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective study to compare patients receiving cefoperazone-sulbactam versus those treated with cefoperazone-tazobactam or ceftazidime. Propensity-score matching was used to explore whether treatment with cefoperazone-sulbactam increased the risk of prothrombin time (PT) prolongation, coagulation disorders, and bleeding, or decreased platelets (PLT).

Results: The cohort included 23,242 patients. Among patients receiving cefoperazone-sulbactam, the risk of PT prolongation, coagulation disorders, decreased PLT, and bleeding was 5.3%, 9.2%, 15.7%, and 4.2%, respectively. Propensity-score matching analyses suggested that cefoperazone-sulbactam increased the risk of PT prolongation (aOR 2.26, 95% CI 1.61–3.18), coagulation disorders (aOR 1.81, 95% CI 1.43–2.30), and decreased PLT (aOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.25–1.72), but not increase bleeding (aOR 1.05, 95% CI 0.79–1.40) compared with ceftazidime. Patients receiving cefoperazone-sulbactam had higher risk of PT prolongation (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.11–2.10), coagulation disorders (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.21–1.95), but not decreased PLT (aOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.81–1.07) or bleeding (aOR 1.11, 95% CI 0.87–1.42), compared with those receiving cefoperazone-tazobactam.

Conclusion: Cefoperazone-sulbactam may be associated with a higher risk of PT prolongation and coagulation disorders compared with cefoperazone-tazobactam and ceftazidime.     

Experimental animal models of pancreatic carcinogenesis and metastasis

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease characterized by early metastasis, local invasion, and resistance to conventional therapies. To understand its etiology and eventually make prevention of it possible and effective, appropriate carcinogenesis models will certainly help us understand the effects of environmental and genetic elements on pancreatic carcinogenesis. The development of new treatment strategies to control cancer metastasis is of immediate urgency. Fulfillment of this task relies on our knowledge of the cellular and molecular biology of pancreatic cancer metastasis and the availability of biologically and clinically relevant model systems. Many of the existing pancreatic cancer carcinogenesis and metastasis animal models are described in this review. The advantages and disadvantages of each model and their clinical implications are discussed, and special attention is focused on experimental therapeutic strategies targeting pancreatic cancer metastasis.