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Although macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is known to have antioxidant property, the role of MIF in cardiac fibrosis has not been well understood. We found that MIF was markedly increased in angiotension II (Ang-II)-infused mouse myocardium. Myocardial function was impaired and cardiac fibrosis was aggravated in Mif-knockout (Mif-KO) mice. Functionally, overexpression of MIF and MIF protein could inhibit the expression of fibrosis-associated collagen (Col) 1a1, COL3A1 and α-SMA, and Smad3 activation in mouse cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Consistently, MIF deficiency could exacerbate the expression of COL1A1, COL3A1 and α-SMA, and Smad3 activation in Ang-II-treated CFs. Interestingly, microRNA-29b-3p (miR-29b-3p) and microRNA-29c-3p (miR-29c-3p) were down-regulated in the myocardium of Ang-II-infused Mif-KO mice but upregulated in CFs with MIF overexpression or by treatment with MIF protein. MiR-29b-3p and miR-29c-3p could suppress the expression of COL1A1, COL3A1 and α-SMA in CFs through targeting the pro-fibrosis genes of transforming growth factor beta-2 (Tgfb2) and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (Mmp2). We further demonstrated that Mif inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and Smad3 activation, and rescued the decrease of miR-29b-3p and miR-29c-3p in Ang-II-treated CFs. Smad3 inhibitors, SIS3 and Naringenin, and Smad3 siRNA could reverse the decrease of miR-29b-3p and miR-29c-3p in Ang-II-treated CFs. Taken together, our data demonstrated that the Smad3-miR-29b/miR-29c axis mediates the inhibitory effect of macrophage migration inhibitory factor on cardiac fibrosis.

Aims Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in gene regulation in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of circRNA_000203 on cardiac hypertrophy and the potential mechanisms involved. Methods and results CircRNA_000203 was found to be up-regulated in the myocardium of Ang-II-infused mice and in the cytoplasma of Ang-II-treated neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes (NMVCs). Enforced expression of circRNA_000203 enhances cell size and expression of atrial natriuretic peptide and β-myosin heavy chain in NMVCs. In vivo, heart function was impaired and cardiac hypertrophy was aggravated in Ang-II-infused myocardium-specific circRNA_000203 transgenic mice (Tg-circ203). Mechanistically, we found that circRNA_000203 could specifically sponge miR-26b-5p, -140-3p in NMVCs. Further, dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-26b-5p, -140-3p could interact with 3′-UTRs of Gata4 gene, and circRNA_000203 could block the above interactions. In addition, Gata4 expression is transcriptionally inhibited by miR-26b-5p, -140-3p mimic in NMVCs but enhanced by over-expression of circRNA_000203 in vitro and in vivo. Functionally, miR-26b-5p, -140-3p, and Gata4 siRNA, could reverse the hypertrophic growth in Ang-II-induced NMVCs, as well as eliminate the pro-hypertrophic effect of circRNA_000203 in NMVCs. Furthermore, we demonstrated that NF-κB signalling mediates the up-regulation of circRNA_000203 in NMVCs exposed to Ang-II treatment. Conclusions Our data demonstrated that circRNA_000203 exacerbates cardiac hypertrophy via suppressing miR-26b-5p and miR-140-3p leading to enhanced Gata4 levels., Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract

// Zhi-Qin Hu 1, 2, * , Jian-Fang Luo 1, 2, * , Xue-Ju Yu 1, 2, * , Jie-Ning Zhu 1, 2 , Lei Huang 3 , Jing Yang 1, 4 , Yong-Heng Fu 1, 2 , Tao Li 2 , Yu-Mei Xue 1, 2 , Ying-Qing Feng 1, 2 and Zhi-Xin Shan 1, 2 1 Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou, China 2 Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China 3 Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China 4 School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Ying-Qing Feng, email: fyq1819@163.com Zhi-Xin Shan, email: zhixinshan@aliyun.com Keywords: microRNA-92b-3p, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte, MEF2D Received: June 10, 2017 Accepted: July 30, 2017 Published: September 08, 2017 ABSTRACT The role of microRNA-92b-3p (miR-92b-3p) in cardiac hypertrophy was not well illustrated. The present study aimed to investigate the expression and potential target of miR-92b-3p in angiotensin II (Ang-II)-induced mouse cardiac hypertrophy. MiR-92b-3p was markedly decreased in the myocardium of Ang-II-infused mice and of patients with cardiac hypertrophy. However, miR-92b-3p expression was revealed increased in Ang-II-induced neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes. Cardiac hypertrophy was shown attenuated in Ang-II-infused mice received tail vein injection of miR-92b-3p mimic. Moreover, miR-92b-3p inhibited the expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), skeletal muscle α-actin (ACTA1) and β-myosin heavy chain (MHC) in Ang-II-induced mouse cardiomyocytes in vitro . Myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D), which was increased in Ang-II-induced mouse hypertrophic myocardium and cardiomyocytes, was identified as a target gene of miR-92b-3p. Functionally, miR-92b-3p mimic, consistent with MEF2D siRNA, inhibited cell size increase and protein expression of ANP, ACTA1 and β-MHC in Ang-II-treated mouse cardiomyocytes. Taken together, we demonstrated that MEF2D is a novel target of miR-92b-3p, and attenuation of miR-92b-3p expression may contribute to the increase of MEF2D in cardiac hypertrophy.

To study the benefit of prophylactic antibiotics (PA) in totally percutaneous aortic endovascular repair (PEVAR) in the catheterization laboratory for reducing stent-graft infection and postimplantation syndrome (PIS).The clinical data were analyzed of patients undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repairs. The patients were divided into non-PA group and PA group according to the use of prophylactic antibiotics before PEVAR. The diagnosis of infection was made by two senior physicians with reference to Hospital Acquired Infection Diagnostic Criteria Assessment released by the Ministry of Health of China.The 95 enrolled patients included 35 with PA and 60 without PA group, who were comparable for baseline characteristics. Infection-related deaths occurred in 1 case in non-PA group and retrograde Stanford type A dissection and death occurred in 1 case in PA group (1.67% vs 2.85%, P=1.00). The PA and non-PA groups showed no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative infection (5% vs 2.86%, P=1.000), hospital stay (9.30±7.21 vs 10.06±5.69, P=0.094), infection-related mortality (1.67% vs 0%, P=1.00), or postoperative fever (70.90% vs 91.43%, P=0.20). The body temperature showed significant variations at different time points after procedure (F=19.831, P0.001) irrelevant to the use of prophylactic antibiotics (F=0.978, P=0.326).The current data do not support the benefit of PA in reducing postoperative infection and PIS in patients undergoing PEVAR, but the patients without PA may have worse clinical outcomes in the event of postoperative infections.

Decreasing the intracranial pressure has been advocated as one of the major protective strategies to prevent spinal cord ischemia after endovascular aortic repair. However, the actual changes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure and its relation with spinal cord ischemia have been poorly understood. We performed CSF pressure measurements and provisional CSF withdrawal after thoracic endovascular aortic repair, and compared the changes of CSF pressure in high risk patients and in patients with new onset paraplegia and paraparesis.Four hundred and nineteen patients were evaluated for the risk of spinal cord ischemia after thoracic endovascular aortic repair. Patients with identified risk factors before the procedure constituted group H and received prophylactic sequential CSF pressure measurement and CSF withdrawal. Patients who actually developed spinal cord ischemia constituted group P and received rescue CSF pressure measurements and CSF withdrawal.Among the 419 patients evaluated, 17 were graded as high risk. Four patients actually developed spinal cord ischemia after endovascular repair. The incidence of spinal cord ischemia in this investigation was 0.9%. The patients who actually developed spinal cord ischemia had no identified risk factors and had elevated CSF pressure, ranging from 15.4 to 30.0 mmHg. Six of the 17 patients graded as high risk had elevated CSF pressure:20 mmHg in two patients and15 mmHg in four patients. Sequential CSF pressure measurements and provisional withdrawal successfully decrease CSF pressure and prevented symptomatic spinal cord ischemia in high-risk patients. However, these measurements could only successfully reverse the neurologic deficit in two of the patients who actually developed spinal cord ischemia.Cerebrospinal fluid pressure was elevated in patients with spinal cord ischemia after thoracic endovascular aortic repair. Sequential measurements of CSF pressure and provisional withdrawal of CSF decreased CSF pressure effectively in high risk patients and provided effective prevention of spinal cord ischemia. Risk factor identification and prophylactic measurements play the key role in prevention of spinal cord ischemia after thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

To analysis the complications of coronary rotational atherectomy and evaluate the safety of this procedure.A total of 250 rotational atherectomy cases from April 1994 to February 2012 were screened retrospectively and 22 cases patients (8.8%) with rotational atherectomy-related complications were included in this analysis.Among these 22 patients, all lesions were either type B2 or C calcified lesions as evidenced by coronary angiography. After the rotation procedure, there were seven cases (2.8%) with slow reflow and two (0.8%) cases with no reflow. Seven cases (2.8%) developed severe coronary spasm and two cases (0.8%) had sinus bradycardia. Coronary dissection occurred in two cases (0.8%), while one case (0.4%) had coronary perforation and cardiac tamponade. Burr entrapment happened in one case (0.4%). There was no malignant arrhythmia, acute myocardial infarction, emergent coronary artery bypass graft or device related death during and post procedure. Comparison with baseline data, the concentration of CK-MB elevated significantly after the rotational atherectomy [(31.2 ± 4.8) mmol/L vs. (11.4 ± 6.5) mmol/L, P0.05].Coronary rotational atherectomy is safe and procedure-related complications are rare.

The perioperative aortic dissection (AD) rupture is a severe event after endovascular stent graft placement for treatment of type B AD. However, this life-threatening complication has not undergone systematic investigation. The aim of the study is to discuss the reasons of AD rupture after the procedure.The medical record data of 563 Stanford type B AD patients who received thoracic endovascular repair from 2004 to December 2011 at our institution were collected and analyzed. Double entry and consistency checking were performed with Epidata software.Twelve patients died during the perioperation after thoracic endovascular repair, with an incidence of 2.1%, 66.6% were caused by aortic rupture and half of the aortic rupture deaths were caused by retrograde type A AD. In our study, 74% of the non-rupture surviving patients had the free-flow bare spring proximal stent implanted, compared with 100% of the aortic rupture patients (74% vs. 100%, P = 0.213). The aortic rupture patients are more likely to have ascending aortic diameters = 4 cm (62.5% vs. 9.0%, P = 0.032), involvement the aortic arch concavity (62% vs. 27%, P = 0.041) and have had multiple stents placed (P = 0.039).Thoracic AD endovascular repair is a safe and effective treatment option for AD with relative low in-hospital mortality. AD rupture may be more common in arch stent-graft patients with an ascending aortic diameter = 4 cm and with severe dissection that needs multi-stent placement. Attention should be paid to a proximal bare spring stent that has a higher probability of inducing an AD rupture. Post balloon dilation should be performed with serious caution, particularly for the migration during dilation.

Transfemoral artery access is the main approach for the interventional treatment of renal artery stenosis (RAS). This study aimed to investigate the technical feasibility of a transradial interventional (TRI) treatment of renal artery stenosis.A series of 23 patients who underwent transradial renal artery stenting from October 2010 to October 2011 were studied. Radial sheath system (Terumo, Japan) was used to get access to the radial artery. Radial tourniquet (Terumo) was used to stop bleeding. A 5Fr MPA (COOK, USA) was used to perform selective renal arteriography. Percutaneous renal artery stent systems were used to perform renal artery stenting.Renal artery angiography showed that 15 patients had unilateral renal artery stenosis and eight patients had bilateral renal artery stenosis. The descending aorta could not be catheterized in one patient because of the type III aortic arch. Twenty-two patients successfully underwent transradial renal artery angiography and the technical success rate was 95.7%. There was no puncture site hematoma or pseudoaneurysm. Mean procedure time was (38.4 ± 7.2) minutes, the mean amount of contrast agent used was (93.2 ± 6.3) ml, and the mean postprocedure bleeding time was (3.2 ± 1.9) minutes.Transradial renal artery intervention is technically reliable with less invasion, rapid recovery, fewer complications and may become an alternative intervention approach for the treatment of renal artery stenosis.

To investigate if there is altered microRNAs (miRNAs) expression in aortic dissection (Debakey Type A) and normal aorta tissue.Total RNA was exacted from aorta of 5 patients with aortic dissection (AD) and four patients without aortic diseases (NA). miRNAs of the aortic tissues were analyzed by miRNA microarray. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to verify the expression of miRNAs in larger sample size (AD = 11 and NA = 9).hsa-miR-146b-5p_st, hsa-miR-19a_st and hsa-miR-505_st were significantly upregulated while hsa-miR-1268_st and hsa-miR-939_st were significantly downregulated [fold change2, q-value (%) ≤ 5] in AD group compared with NA group. RT-PCR verified hsa-miR-146b-5p_st miRNAs change in AD group.Altered miRNAs expression might play an essential role in the pathogenesis of aortic dissection formation and hsa-miR-146b-5p_st might serve as a new diagnosis biomarker of aortic dissection.

To compare the safety, efficacy and their impact on stent graft positioning between rapid artificial cardiac pacing induced hypotension and sodium nitroprusside induced hypotension during thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).From September 2007 to February 2009, a randomized controlled trial as approved by the Ethics Committee of our hospital was conducted in 197 patients undergoing elective thoracic endovascular aortic repair of thoracic aortic dissection (n = 175) or aneurysm (n = 22). The patients were randomized into sodium nitroprusside group (n = 98) and rapid artificial cardiac pacing group (n = 99). During the localization and deployment of stent graft, hypotension was induced by intravenous sodium nitroprusside or rapid artificial cardiac pacing. Hemodynamics, landing precision (deviation from planned placement site), duration of procedure, renal function, neurocognitive function, incidence of endoleaks and paraplegia/hemiplegia were compared.Rapid artificial cardiac pacing was conducted without technical difficulty in all 99 patients. The level of hypotension (mm Hg, 1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) was most pronounced in the rapid artificial cardiac pacing group (47 ± 5 vs 82 ± 7, P = 0.003. Once rapid pacing ceased, blood pressure recovered more quickly to the preparing levels in the rapid artificial cardiac pacing group [(9 ± 2) s vs (481 ± 107) s, P0.01]. And the duration of procedure was also shorter in the rapid artificial cardiac pacing group [(94 ± 16) min vs (103 ± 24) min, P0.01]. Moreover, precise positioning and deployment was observed in rapid artificial cardiac pacing group versus to the sodium nitroprusside group (P0.01). There was no difference in renal function and neurocognitive function before and after the procedure in both groups. There was no difference in the incidences of endoleaks and paraplegia/hemiplegia between different groups (P0.05).As compared with sodium nitroprusside, rapid artificial cardiac pacing is safer in thoracic endovascular aortic repair. It shortens the endovascular procedure and enables more precise positioning and deployment of stent graft.

Two new chromophores with carbazole as molecular focal point bearing either one o-pyridine-benzothiadiazole unit or two o-pyridine-benzothiadiazole units at the periphery respectively, named as 2,8-(o-pyridine-benzothiadiazole)-N-ethyl-carbazole (CPTZ1) and 2,8-bis(o-pyridine-benzothiadiazole)-N-ethyl-carbazole (CPTZ2), were synthesized and characterized by IR spectra, 1H NMR spectra and MS. The influence of proton upon one-photon and two-photon fluorescence about these two compounds was discussed. Stern-Volmer equation gives that the S-V constants (k(SV)(1P)) of one-photon fluorescence (1PF) of CPTZ1 and CPTZ2 are 0.04 and 0.10 L mol(-1), respectively; while the k(SV)(2P) of two-photon fluorescence (2PF) of CPTZ1 and CPTZ2 are 0.20 and 0.22 L mol(-1), respectively. Obviously, two-photon (2P) fluorescence detection presented more sensitivity than one-photon (1P) fluorescence response, which exhibits the potential application of two-photon sensor in PH detection.

To explore the prevalence of coronary artery disease and risk factors in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).Coronary angiography was performed immediately after abdominal angiography in 70 elderly (50 years) consecutive patients with AAA. Medical history and imaging characteristics were evaluated.CAD was diagnosed in 63 patients (90.0%) by coronary angiography: 20 (28.6%) patients with single-vessel disease (SVD), 15(21.4%) with 2VD, 22 (31.4%) with 3VD and 6 (8.6%) with left main disease + 3VD. Multi-variance logistic analysis showed that peripheral disease was the strongest predictor for CAD in AAA patients.Coronary angiography should be performed in elderly AAA patients due to the high prevalence of CAD in this patient cohort.

To investigate the influence of albuminuria on clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after elective pecutaneous coronary intervention. We observed 407 patients with T2DM after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients were divided into three groups

To investigate the clinical therapeutic effects of endovascular repair for patients with DeBakey III aortic dissection.From December 2002 to June 2007, endovascular TALENT stent-graft exclusion was performed in 75 (65 males, mean age 54.4 +/- 12.6 years) patients with DeBakey III aortic dissection (1 young woman due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, 2 young men due to primary aldosteronism and trauma respectively). All patients were diagnosed by contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) or MRI. Stent-grafts were deployed via femoral artery to exclude the tear of dissection. Aortic angiography was performed immediately after procedure.Eighty-one stent-grafts were installed in 75 patients successfully without operation related dissection. Endoleakage immediately after stent-graft deploying was evidenced in 25 patients and disappeared after stent placements (n = 6) or balloon dilation (n = 19). Two patients died from aortic rupture within 2 days after procedure. Iliac artery was torn in a female patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, this patient developed hemorrhagic shock after stent-graft placement and recovered after anti-shock treatments and iliac artery replacement with synthetic artery. During the follow-up of 1 - 24 months, 2 patients (including the woman with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) suddenly died half a year after procedure. The remaining patients were alive and well. Repeat CT during follow up showed that reduced lumen size and thrombosis in the false lumen. There was no aortic rupture, endoleak and stent migration during the follow-up period except descending aortic dissection distal of the stent-graft in 1 patient 1 year after procedure and the patient were successfully treated surgically without complication.Endovascular repair is a safe and effective treatment for patients with DeBakey III aortic dissection, suitable for old patients with high risk of surgery. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome should be considered in young DeBakey III aortic dissection patients without hypertension. Further studies are warranted on endovascular repair therapy for artery complication of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

To investigate gender-related differences in risk factors, clinical manifestation and outcomes in patients with aortic dissection (AD) from Guangzhou.Consecutive patients with AD admitted to our institute over the past 10 years were included in this retrospective analysis. Prevalence of hypertension, smoking, thickness of intraventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall measured by echocardiography, and outcomes were compared between male and female AD patients.There were more male AD patients than female AD patients (5.33:1) from the 418 patients. Prevalence of hypertension, thickness of intraventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall were similar in male and female AD patients. Heavy smoking history was 56.5% in males and 13.6% in females (P = 0.000). Acute survival rate in female patients tended to be better than that in male patients.There were significantly more male AD patients than female AD patients in this cohort. Prevalence of heave smoking in male patients is 3 times higher than that in female population.

To discuss the clinical epidemiology features and change trend of aortic dissection (AD).Retrospective analysis of consecutive 339 patients with AD over 10 years in Guangdong Cardiovascular Institution. Hospital records and prognosis were compared between two five-year periods.339 cases with AD were hospitalized during the past 10 years. The mean age was 55.7 +/- 11.2. The male/female ratio was 4.75 to 1. Hypertension was present in 71.7% of all patients. Heavy smoking history was elicited in 52.2% of all the patients. Type I dissection were identified in 32.3% of all the cases, type II in 5.1%, and type III in 62.6%. In-hospital mortality of acute type A dissection was 35.3%, acute type B dissection 8.0%. In two five-year periods, the total number of cases increased by 165%, among which type I was the fastest, increased by 270%. Changes of mean age and male/female ratio were not significant. For acute AD, changes of prognosis in one year improved, but did not reach statistical significance.This study provides insight into current regional profiles of AD. The number of hospitalized patients with AD is increasing dramatically. The mean age of the first-attack is much younger and the male ration is much higher than that reported by other regional researchers. Limited by sample size, one year prognosis of acute AD dissection improved, but did not reach statistical significance. These data support the urgent need for further improvement in prevention and treatment of AD.

To assess the value of renal vein renin , plasma endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in predicting the therapeutic effect of percutaneous renal artery stenting.Selective renal angiography was performed in 60 patients with coronary artery disease and hypertension. All the patients with obvious unilateral renal artery stenosis (lumen narrowingor =50%) underwent percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty and stenting. Bilateral renal vein and inferior vena cava plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma ET, NO, and CGRP levels were measured and the two-year follow-up data of the patients analyzed.In all the patients, PRA in the ischemic kidney was significantly higher than that in the contralateral kidney (3.89-/+3.14 vs 2.01-/+1.93 nmol/L/h, P0.05). After renal artery revascularization with stenting, PRA in the ischemic kidney was reduced obviously (P0.05), which was significantly lower in patients with renal vein renin ratio (RVRR)1.5 than in those with RVRR1.5 (1.92-/+2.15 vs 2.42-/+0.56 nmol/L/h, P0.05]. Plasma ET level was significantly higher, whereas plasma NO level significantly lower in patients with PVRR1.5 (P0.05). Greater improvement of blood pressure was observed in patients with RVRR1.5 after two years than in those with RVRR1.5 (P0.05).The activity of penal vein renin, plasma ET, NO, and CGRP may provide valuable information for predicting the therapeutic effect of percutaneous renal artery stenting.

To investigate the feasibility of palliative percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) and stenting in patients with serious coronary heart disease and renal arterial stenosis.Thirty-four (23 male and 11 female) patients with a mean age of 61.0+/-11.8 years (ranging from 55 to 78 years) with serious coronary heart disease and renal arterial stenosis, who were unwilling or not suitable to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting, were enrolled in this study. All the cases underwent PTRA and were followed up for 17-53 months (average 35.0+/-9.3 months). The patients' renal and cardiac functions and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured in transthoracic echocardiography with the score of SF-36 Health Survey recorded.During the follow-up, the weekly incidence of angina pectoris reduced from 14.0+/-3.9 to 6.5+/-3.3 (P0.01) and LVEF increased from (40.2+/-10.4)% to (45.3+/-7.8)% (P0.05). The SF-36 scores were significantly improved from 56.5+/-8.0 to 80.1+/-16.8 (P0.01), with also significant improvement in the subscales of health and daily activity, self-feeling, and general health.Palliative PTRA and stenting is feasible and necessary in elderly patients with serious coronary heart disease and renal arterial stenosis when percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft therapy is not possible.

To investigate whether exercise would induce myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary artery ectasia without significant coronary stenosis.A total of 41 patients (male 29, female 12) with coronary artery ectasia without significant coronary stenosis, confirmed by selective coronary angiography, were enrolled in the study group. Forty-one patients with normal coronary arteries were in the control group. All the patients received a clinical examination and treadmill exercise before selective coronary angiography.Eighteen patients (43.9%) had typical angina in the study group with respect to two patients in the control group (chi(2)=10.498, P=0.001). In the study group, 32 cases had positive treadmill test with respect to five cases in the control group (chi(2)=35.903, P0.0001).Patients with coronary artery ectasia without significant coronary stenosis could get typical angina. Exercise could induce myocardial ischemia which should be paid attention to.

To investigate the morphological features of the coronary artery visualized in angiography in hypertensive patients.A total of 203 patients (including 159 male and 44 female patients aged 29 to 75 years) with suspected coronary artery disease were studied during the period from November 1999 to November 2001. All the patients received clinical examination and selective coronary angiography, and were divided into hypertensive and normotensive groups for comparison.There were 5.7+/-1.2 vascular curves in the hypertensive group, but only 3.1+/-0.8 in normotensive group, showing significant differences between the 2 groups (P0.01). The bifurcation lesion was found in 34.5% patients in hypertensive group, but in only 23.1% in normotensive group (P0.01).Hypertensive patients have more cardiovascular curves and bifurcation lesions in comparison with normotensive patients.

BACKGROUND The proposed mechanisms of restenosis after coronary angioplasty include neointima formation, vessel wall remodeling and mural thrombus. Poloxamer 188 does not inhibit coagulation factors, but was shown to reduce mural thrombus formation in pig coronary arteries after intracoronary stenting in an acute study. This study was performed to examine whether this agent may reduce neointima formation. METHODS Thirty domestic juvenile pigs of weight 20-30 kg were anesthetized. A left angiogram was performed via a femoral artery. Proximal left anterior descending and circumflex arteries were dilated three times with a 20-30% oversized coronary angioplasty balloon catheter. Fifteen animals were allocated randomly to receive intravenous infusions of poloxamer 188, starting 30 min before angioplasty and continuing for 24 h. The remaining 15 received intravenous 0.45% saline and served as controls. The animals were killed 2 weeks after the angioplasty. Histologic studies of the arteries were performed. The severity of the injury and the amount of thrombus material incorporated in the neointima were assessed by semiquantitative methods. RESULTS There was no significant difference between injury scores in the two groups. Thrombus material in the neointima in the treatment group was significantly less than that in those of the control group (thrombus areas 0.013 +/- 0.004 compared with 0.029 +/- 0.006 mm2, P < 0.02), but there were no significant differences between the neointimal (0.60 +/- 0.08 and 0.60 +/- 0.13 mm2) and luminal (2.51 +/- 0.21 and 2.44 +/- 0.26 mm2) areas in treatment and control groups. CONCLUSION Continuous 24 h intravenous infusion of poloxamer 188 after balloon injury in pig coronary arteries may reduce mural thrombus formation significantly, but did not reduce neointima formation.