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Background: The excess volume of contrast media (CM) is a marker of a more severe coronary culprit lesion and longer intervention duration in patients undergoing cardiac procedures. However, it is unclear whether the contrast volume is directly correlated with worse clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between contrast dose and the incidence of 1-year major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and all-cause bleeding events in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization and coronary angiography (CAG). Methods: We prospectively enrolled 10,961 consecutive patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease expecting CAG from 2012 to 2013. The study population was pursued with a follow-up duration of 1 year. The predictive value of contrast volume, divided into quartiles, for the risk of MACCE and all-cause bleeding events was assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results: The cumulative incidence of 1-year MACCE was 8.65%, which was directly associated with increasing contrast volume. In particular, MACCE was observed in 7.16%, 7.89%, 9.31%, and 11.73% of cases in the contrast volume quartile Q1 (≤100 ml), Q2 (101–140 ml), Q3 (141–200 ml), and Q4 (>200 ml), respectively (P < 0.001). Moreover, the incidence of 1-year all-cause bleeding events was noted in 4.70%, 5.93%, 7.28%, and 8.21% of patients in Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively (P < 0.001). The survival analysis showed that the 1-year MACCE rate was higher in patients using greater CM volume during the CAG. CM volume used >140 ml was associated with the occurrence of 1-year MACCE, and the incidence was dramatically elevated in patients exceeding a contrast volume of 200 ml (P = 0.007). Conclusion: Our data suggested that higher contrast volume was significantly correlated with an increased risk of MACCE and all-cause bleeding events in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01735305; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01735305?id=NCT017353057rank=1.

The carcinogenic or tumourigenic testing of seven animal kidney cell lines (F-81, CRFK, MDCK, Vero, Vero-2 cell line, MA-104 and BHK-21) established in China, were carried out in more than 700 nude mice for colony formation in soft agar and for agglutination under different density of plant lectins. Tests showed that there were correlation between cell line chromosome number variations and anchorage independence in soft agar, agglutinability under lectins and tumour-forming ability in nude mice. Since testing in vitro was more economical, simpler and faster and thus thought to be more reliable, we recommend measuring agglutinability, followed by anchorage independence or analysis of karyotype as the initial means for monitoring tumourigenicity of animal cell lines in nude mice.

Objectives Inflammation and platelet aggregation and activation are key processes in the initiation of a cardiovascular event. Patients with metabolic syndrome have a high risk of cardiovascular events. This study determined whether small and medium doses of aspirin have anti-inflammation and antiplatelet aggregation effects in patients with metabolic syndrome. Methods One hundred and twenty-one consecutive patients with metabolic syndrome were randomized into three groups, receiving 100 mg/day of aspirin, 300 mg/day of aspirin or a placebo, respectively, for 2 weeks. The blood levels of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), a stable product of the platelet aggregation mediator TXA2, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1-α (6-keto-PGF1-α), a stable product of the endogenous cyclooxygenase metabolite prostaglandin I2, and inflammatory mediators including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were determined by ELISA and radioimmunoassay. Key findings The blood levels of hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6 and TXB2 were significantly decreased after 2 weeks of treatment with 300 mg/day of aspirin. Patients who received 100 mg/day of aspirin had decreased blood levels of hs-CRP and TXB2. The blood level of IL-6 in the 300 mg/day aspirin group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups after 2 weeks of therapy. Aspirin at either dose did not affect the blood level of 6-keto-PGF1-α. Conclusions Aspirin at all doses suppresses the blood levels of inflammatory markers and the platelet aggregation mediator TXA2 in Chinese patients with metabolic syndrome. Since the suppression induced by 300 mg/day of aspirin was greater than that induced by 100 mg/day of aspirin, these data suggest that 300 mg/day of aspirin may be beneficial in decreasing the risk of cardiovascular events in Chinese patients with metabolic syndrome.