Anti-fibrillogenic and fibril destabilizing effects of metal ions on cystatin fibrils

Metals such as Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺, and Zn²⁺ are major contributors to the biology of a brain in stages of health, aging, and disease because of their unique effects on both protein structures (misfolding) and oxidative stress. The relationship between metal ions and neurodegenerative diseases is very complicated. Our study highlights how metal ions influence amyloid formation at low pH and on preformed amyloid fibrils. By using thioflavin T assay, ANS fluorescence, Congo red assay, circular dichroism, and microscopy to elucidate the effects of Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺, and Zn²⁺ on goat brain cystatin (GBC) aggregation at low pH. Results showed that Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺ inhibit fibril formation of GBC by promoting amorphous aggregates. However, Zn²⁺ exclusively promotes fibril formation at low pH, leading to the formation of more ordered aggregates. Furthermore, the combined results of these complementary methods also suggested that Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺ destabilize the β-sheet secondary structure of preformed amyloid fibrils of GBC.     

Cardiac Restricted Overexpression of Membrane Type-1 Matrix Metalloproteinase Causes Adverse Myocardial Remodeling following Myocardial Infarction

The membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a unique member of the MMP family, but induction patterns and consequences of MT1-MMP overexpression (MT1-MMPexp), in a left ventricular (LV) remodeling process such as myocardial infarction (MI), have not been explored. MT1-MMP promoter activity (murine luciferase reporter) increased 20-fold at 3 days and 50-fold at 14 days post-MI. MI was then induced in mice with cardiac restricted MT1-MMPexp (n = 58) and wild type (WT, n = 60). Post-MI survival was reduced (67% versus 46%, p < 0.05), and LV ejection fraction was lower in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp mice compared with WT (41 ± 2 versus 32 ± 2%,p < 0.05). In the post-MI MT1-MMPexp mice, LV myocardial MMP activity, as assessed by radiotracer uptake, and MT1-MMP-specific proteolytic activity using a specific fluorogenic assay were both increased by 2-fold. LV collagen content was increased by nearly 2-fold in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp compared with WT. Using a validated fluorogenic construct, it was discovered that MT1-MMP proteolytically processed the pro-fibrotic molecule, latency-associated transforming growth factor-1 binding protein (LTBP-1), and MT1-MMP-specific LTBP-1 proteolytic activity was increased by 4-fold in the post-MI MT1-MMPexp group. Early and persistent MT1-MMP promoter activity occurred post-MI, and increased myocardial MT1-MMP levels resulted in poor survival, worsening of LV function, and significant fibrosis. A molecular mechanism for the adverse LV matrix remodeling with MT1-MMP induction is increased processing of pro-fibrotic signaling molecules. Thus, a proteolytically diverse portfolio exists for MT1-MMP within the myocardium and likely plays a mechanistic role in adverse LV remodeling.     

Microtubule-associated distribution of specific granules and secretion of atrial natriuretic factor in primary cultures of rat cardiomyocytes

A close spatial relationship between specific granules containing atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and microtubules was demonstrated in primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. For the detection of specific granules and microtubules, the myocytes were double immunolabelled with antibodies against -ANF and -tubulin and examined by conventional fluorescence or laser scanning confocal microscopy. In addition, the ultrastructural distribution of specific granules was demonstrated by electron microscopy. In the atrial myocytes, ANF was stored in numerous specific granules that were mainly localized in the perinuclear sarcoplasm. In the ventricular myocytes, however, a minority of the cells (10%) exhibited limited ANF immunoreactivity after 4 days in culture. Microtubules were present throughout the sarcoplasm of the myocytes. They were most densely packed in the perinuclear regions. Depolymerization of the microtubules with nocodazole was followed by dispersal of ANF immunostaining both in the atrial myocytes and in the ventricular myocytes exhibiting ANF immunoreactivity. When the microtubules were allowed to recover, the perinuclear distribution of specific granules, as seen in non-treated myocytes, reappeared. Measurements of secreted immunoreactive ANF by radioimmunoassay revealed that the secretion of ANF from atrial myocytes into the medium was significantly reduced following nocodazole treatment, whereas a similar decrease in secretion from ventricular myocytes was not observed. These findings indicate that ANF-containing specific granules are closely associated with microtubules within the myocytes. It is suggested that secretion of ANF from the atrial myocytes, in contrast to the ventricular myocytes, is microtubule-dependent.     

丹参素注射液对急性心肌梗死大鼠的心室重构、心室功能及肢体导联与胸导联心电图参数的影响

摘要 目的：探讨丹参素注射液对急性心肌梗死大鼠的心室重构、心室功能及肢体导联与胸导联心电图参数的影响。方法：选择SD大鼠40只,将其鼠随机模型组、假手术组、硝酸甘油组、丹参注射液组。假手术组大鼠给予只在冠状动脉处穿针,不进行结扎,其余步骤同其余3组,其余3组均进行动物模型构建。假手术组、模型组大鼠均腹腔注射氯化钠注射液,硝酸甘油组腹腔注射硝酸甘油,丹参注射液组腹腔注射丹参注射液。对比4组大鼠的肢体导联与胸导联心电图参数,对比4组大鼠的血液流变学指标、左心室功能及左心室重构。结果：模型组的Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、aVL、aVF、V1、V2、V5、血浆粘度、纤维蛋白原、红细胞聚集指数、舒张末期室间隔厚度、左室舒张末期内径、左室收缩末期内径、左室舒张末期容积、左室收缩末期容积明显较假手术组、硝酸甘油组、丹参注射液组高,硝酸甘油、丹参注射液组以上指标明显较假手术组高,模型组的的左室舒张末期厚度、左室射血分数、左室短轴缩短率明显较假手术组、硝酸甘油组、丹参注射液组低,硝酸甘油、丹参注射液组的左室舒张末期厚度、左室射血分数、左室短轴缩短率明显较假手术组低。模型组的左心室重量指数、左心室截面直径明显较假手术组、硝酸甘油组、丹参注射液组高,硝酸甘油、丹参注射液组的左心室重量指数、左心室截面直径、梗死面积明显较假手术组高（P<0.05）,硝酸甘油组与丹参注射液组以上指标对比无差异（P>0.05）。结论：丹参素注射液可改善急性心肌梗死大鼠的心室重构、左心室功能及肢体导联与胸导联心电图参数,可能与其可降低大鼠的血液流变学指标水平有关。     

Activity of amylin at CGRP1-preferring receptors coupled to positive contractile response in rat ventricular cardiomyocytes

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) exerts a positive contractile response directly in rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. This response is mediated by receptors of the CGRP₁-subtype. Amylin is 46% homologous with CGRP and binds to receptors selective for CGRP in a range of tissues. The ability of amylin to influence ventricular contractility has been assessed using cardiomyocytes isolated from the ventricles of adult rats. Cardiomyocytes were subjected to biphasic electrical stimulation at 0.5 Hz. CGRP produced a concentration-dependent positive contractile response which became maximal 4 min after initial stimulation. CGRP increased the contractile amplitude maximally at 1 nM and to a value which was 23.3% greater than in the absence of peptide (EC₅₀ VALUE = 21 pM). Amylin increased the contractile amplitude maximally at 20 nM and to a value which was 17.3% greater than in the absence of peptide (EC₅₀ VALUE = 216 pM). In the presence of amylin (20 nM), the concentration-dependence of the contractile response to CGRP was shifted to the left, so that the response became maximal when CGRP was present at 50 pM. In the presence of CGRP_8–37 (100 nM), a selective antagonist at CGRP₁-preferring receptors, the concentration-dependence of the contractile response to CGRP was shifted to the right (dose RATIO = 54). Similarly, in the presence of CGRP_8–37 (100 nM), the contractile response to amylin was inhibited significantly (P ≤ 0.01). Amylin_8–37 (100 nM) did not inhibit the concentration-dependence of the contractile responses to CGRP and amylin significantly (dose RATIOS = 4.2 and 2.4, respectively). In conclusion, these data indicate that amylin exerts a contractile response directly in rat ventricular cardiomyocytes via CGRP₁-preferring receptors. This effect could assume greater significance in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and in hypertensive states, in which the concentration of amylin is elevated in plasma.     

阿托伐他汀预处理对心肌缺血再灌注损伤大鼠心室重构、炎症反应和氧化应激的影响

目的:研究阿托伐他汀预处理对心肌缺血再灌注损伤大鼠心室重构、炎症反应和氧化应激的影响.方法:选取90只SD级大鼠进行研究,将其随机分成假手术组、缺血再灌注组、阿托伐他汀组,每组30只.假手术组与缺血再灌注组大鼠予以生理盐水(5 mL/d)连续灌胃7d处理,阿托伐他汀组予以阿托伐他汀20 mg/(kg-d)连续灌胃7 d...     

Mechanisms of the acute ischemia-induced arrhythmogenesis--a simulation study

The underlying ionic mechanisms of ischemic-induced arrhythmia were studied by the computer simulation method. To approximate the real situation, ischemic cells were simulated by considering the three major component conditions of acute ischemia (elevated extracellular K(+) concentration, acidosis and anoxia) at the level of ionic currents and ionic concentrations, and a round ischemic zone was introduced into a homogeneous healthy sheet to avoid sharp angle of the ischemic tissue. The constructed models were solved using the operator splitting and adaptive time step methods, and the perturbation finite difference (PFD) scheme was first used to integrate the partial differential equations (PDEs) in the model. The numerical experiments showed that the action potential durations (APDs) of ischemic cells did not exhibited rate adaptation characteristic, resulting in flattening of the APD restitution curve. With reduction of sodium channel availability and long recovery of excitability, refractory period of the ischemic tissue was significantly prolonged, and could no longer be considered as same as APD. Slope of the conduction velocity (CV) restitution curve increased both in normal and ischemic region when pacing cycle length (PCL) was short, and refractory period dispersion increased with shortening of PCL as well. Therefore, dynamic changes of CV and dispersion of refractory period rather than APD were suggested to be the fundamental mechanisms of arrhythmia in regional ischemic myocardium.     

随机、平行对照评价陶瓷膜室间隔缺损封堵器安全性和有效性

目的:随机、平行对照的临床试验验证先健科技(深圳)有限公司生产的TM陶瓷膜VSD封堵器治疗室间隔缺损的安全性及有效性。方法:根据试验的要求入选术前确诊为室间隔缺损的病人42例,随机分为实验组(A组)和对照组(B组),每组各21例,对A组病人植入CeraTM陶瓷膜VSD封堵器,对B组病人植入普通镍钛合金VSD封堵器,在超声心动图下或X线下观察室间隔缺损大小、位置、形态、类型,选择合适的封堵伞,经输送系统置入封堵器闭合VSD,分别于术前、术后24小时、术后30天、90天及术后180天进行随访,主要随访内容包括临床症状和体征、超声心动图、心电图、胸片、24小时动态心电图检查等。比较这两组患者的即刻手术成功率以及随访过程中终点事件发生率的不同。结果:试验组和对照组的成功率均为100%,残余分流率分别为0和4.8%,试验组的并发症发生率与对照组未见明显差异(P0.005)。结论:试验组与对照组安全性与疗效相当,应用国产陶瓷封堵器是安全、有效的。但由于该项技术是一项新技术,临床试验样本量较少,其安全性和疗效特别是中远期疗效仍需进一步观察。     

影响侧脑室脑膜瘤手术疗效的多因素分析

目的：探讨影响侧脑室脑膜瘤手术疗效的因素,从而更好的促进侧脑室脑膜瘤的手术治疗。方法：回顾性分析侧脑室脑膜瘤显微手术30例的临床病理特征与顸后情况,其中KPS〉70分表示为预后良好,KP懿70分表示为预后不良。对各性别、年龄、部位、肿瘤大小、病理分型及术后有无并发症因素与预后进行χ^2检验与用Logistic回归分析其影响因素。结果：单因素分析表明肿瘤部位、病理分型及术后有无并发症对侧脑室脑膜瘤的预后有明显影响,P〈0．05,差异有统计学意义。经Logistic回归分析,最终进入模型的影响因素有2个,它们分别是肿瘤部位和术后有无并发症,其P值均小于0．05。结论：在显微手术下,侧脑室脑膜瘤大部分可以全切并取得了较好的远期疗效。肿瘤部位和术后有无并发症是影响预后的一个重要因素,及时处理并发症能显著地改善预后。     

A region of calpastatin domain L that reprimes cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels

Calpastatin, an endogenous inhibitor of calpain, is composed of domain L and four repetitive homologous domains 1-4. Domains 1-4 inhibit calpain, whereas domain L partially reprimes L-type Ca2+ channels for voltage-gated activation. In the present study, the effects on Ca2+ channel activity of four isoforms and a series of fragments of calpastatin domain L were investigated in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes with the patch-clamp method. With one exception, all the isoforms and fragment peptides that contained amino acid residues 54-64 of domain L reprimed the Ca2+ channels to comparable levels (9-15% of control activity) to those observed previously with a full-length form of calpastatin. These results suggest that the region containing amino acid residues 54-64 (EGKPKEHTEPK) is responsible for the Ca2+ channel repriming function of calpastatin domain L.