Heng-Chen Yao

Correlation between serum high-mobility group box-1 levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and troponin I in patients with coronary artery disease.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between levels of serum high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and cardiac troponin I in patients with coronary artery disease. The levels of serum HMGB1, hs-CRP and cardiac troponin I were measured in 98 patients with coronary artery disease and in 30 healthy subjects. The correlation between serum HMGB1 levels and hs-CRP and cardiac troponin I levels was analyzed. Serum HMGB1 levels in patients with coronary artery disease were higher compared with those in healthy volunteers (63.5±15.29 vs. 21.98±4.33 μg/l; P<0.01). Serum HMGB1 levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction were higher compared with those in patients with unstable and stable angina pectoris (77.53±6.86 vs. 63.67±8.6 and 44.39±9.01 μg/l, respectively; both P<0.01). The levels of HMGB1 were positively correlated with hs-CRP and cardiac troponin I levels (r=0.657 and 0.554, respectively; both P<0.01) in patients with coronary artery disease. In conclusion, serum HMGB1 levels were elevated in patients with coronary artery disease, particularly in those with acute myocardial infarction. The levels of HMGB1 were correlated with the levels of hs-CRP and cardiac troponin I.

Effect of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor on the Myocardial Expression of Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1α and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Following Acute Myocardial Infarction

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on myocardial expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats. METHODS Eighty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham operation (n=20), AMI control (n=20), bFGF50 (intravenous bFGF 50 μg/kg/d, n=20) and bFGF200 (intravenous bFGF 200 μg/kg/d, n=20) groups. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was measured by echocardiography. The expression of HIF-1α mRNA and VEGF mRNA in the ischaemic tissues was analysed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The LVEF in the bFGF50 and bFGF200 group was higher than in the AMI control group (p<0.05) seven and 14 days after the treatment. There was no difference in HIF-1α mRNA expression between the bFGF50 and AMI control group (p>0.05). However, the HIF-1α mRNA expression in the bFGF200 group was higher than in the AMI control group seven days (1.13 ± 0.18 vs 0.90 ± 0.14, p<0.01) and 14 days (1.31 ± 0.18 vs 0.93 ± 0.09, p<0.01) after the treatment. The VEGF mRNA expression in the bFGF200 group was also higher than in the AMI control group seven days (1.10 ± 0.17 vs 0.86 ± 0.14, p<0.01) and 14 days after the AMI (1.28 ± 0.19 vs 0.89 ± 0.14, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS bFGF therapy was associated with an improvement in left ventricular function and an increase in myocardial expression of HIF-1α mRNA and VEGF mRNA following AMI. bFGF may exert its cardioprotective effect through upregulating HIF-1α mRNA and VEGF mRNA in the ischaemic myocardium.

Prognostic Values of Serum Tenascin-C in Patients with Ischaemic Heart Disease and Heart Failure

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic values of serum tenascin-C in patients with heart failure and ischaemic heart disease. METHODS Serum tenascin-C levels were assessed in 83 patients with heart failure and in 30 healthy subjects. The correlations between serum tenascin-C levels and left ventricular ejection fraction, serum B-type natriuretic peptide and procollagen III were analysed. Patients were followed up for 12 months, and the relations between the serum levels of tenascin-C and cardiac events (re-hospitalisation for worsening heart failure and mortality) were analysed. RESULTS Serum tenascin-C levels in patients with heart failure were higher than in healthy volunteers (72.24 ± 11.02 vs. 22.78 ± 2.51 μg/L, p<0.01). Serum tenascin-C levels in patients of NYHA class IV were higher than in patients with NYHA class II (88.56 ± 3.73 vs. 64.88 ± 3.15 μg/L, p<0.01). The levels of tenascin-C were negatively correlated with the left ventricular ejection fraction (r=-0.636, p<0.01), but were positively correlated with serum B-type natriuretic peptide (r=0.553, p<0.01) or procollagen III levels (r=0.665, p<0.01). An increased level of tenascin-C was an independent predictor for combined re-hospitalisation and mortality (OR 1.22, 95% CI: 0.86-2.14). CONCLUSION Serum tenascin-C levels were elevated in patients with heart failure. The levels of tenascin-C were associated with the severity of left ventricular dysfunction and 12-month major adverse cardiac events.

Association between sildenafil and inflammation markers/mediators.

Article history: Received 28 June 2015 Accepted 30 June 2015 Available online 3 July 2015 cytokines are influenced by heart dysfunction. Both HF and ED are associated with increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 [2]. Recently, one study recruited 40 well-trained endurance athletes that underwent evaluation prior to and immediately following one of four endurance sporting events ranging from 3 to 11 hour duration. Cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6,

Serum albumin levels might be an adverse predictor of long term mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Article history: Received 2 August 2016 Received in revised form 11 August 2016 Accepted 12 August 2016 Available online 21 August 2016 levelwas an independent predictor of no-reflowafter primary PCI in patients with acutemyocardial infarction. In their study, they had enrolled 536 patients (aged 60 ± 13 years, 74% men) who underwent PCI. The results suggested that admission serum albumin were significantly lower in the no-reflow group than in the =normal reflow group (3.55 ± 0.44 vs. 4.01 ± 0.32 mg/dL, p b 0.001). Also, in multivariate analysis, lower serumalbumin level remained an independent predictor

Autophagy in myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury: Friend or foe?

Article history: Received 9 January 2017 Accepted 12 January 2017 jury. Overexpressed iNOS in I/R myocardium could improve migration and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and it was associated with increased autophagy [5]. Nonetheless, a-kinase anchoring protein 1 deficiency, degradation of gap junction protein connexin43, and PI3K/SGK1/GSK3β signaling pathway were also participate in the

Atherosclerosis is critical in the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction

a Department of Cardiology, Liaocheng Peoples Hospital and Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Shandong Province, Liaocheng 252000, PR China b Department of Echocardiography, Liaocheng Peoples Hospital and Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Shandong Province, Liaocheng 252000, PR China c Department of Andrology, Liaocheng Peoples Hospital and Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng 252000, PR China