Calcium activated chloride channels (CaCCs) are critical in vascular smooth muscle function as they regulate proliferation/apoptosis of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and vascular tone. Transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A) was demonstrated to encode CaCCs in basilar artery SMCs (BASMCs) and participate in basilar artery remodeling during hypertension. In addition, TMEM16A has recently been illustrated to contribute to pressure‑induced myogenic response in cerebral vasculature. However, whether TMEM16A is involved in cerebral vasoconstriction that is stimulated by other vasoconstrictors remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to establish whether TMEM16A is involved in the progression of angiotensin II (Ang II)‑induced basilar artery constriction and elucidate its potential role during hypertension. The study demonstrated that the specific inhibitor of TMEM16A, T16A‑inhA01 attenuated Ang II‑induced constriction in rat basilar arteries, and that this effect was weakened in parallel with the decline of TMEM16A expression in basilar arteries of 2‑kidney, 2‑clip hypertensive rats. Furthermore, it was found that 100 nM Ang II evoked a chloride current in cultured BASMCs with a basal 100‑nM intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) level. In addition, the current could be abolished by TMEM16A small interfering RNA pretreatment and Ang II receptor type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker, losartan, while Ang II failed to cause a further increase to Ca2+‑dependent Cl‑ currents activated by 500 nM [Ca2+]i. In addition, in cultured BASMCs, Ang II induced phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase‑targeting subunit 1, and myosin light chains were significantly enhanced by TMEM16A overexpression, which were reversed by Rho‑associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, Y‑27632, while TMEM16A silencing demonstrated an opposing result. Furthermore, Ang II‑induced RhoA activation was enhanced by TMEM16A overexpression. In conclusion, the present study revealed that Ang II elicited a TMEM16A‑mediated current and TMEM16A participated in Ang II‑induced basilar constriction via the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

Background: Statins reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but no clinical studies have investigated the role of statins in ischemia-reperfusion injury after PCI. Hypothesis: Rosuvastatin could reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury in patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with PCI. Objectives: We investigated the effects of rosuvastatin on ischemia-reperfusion injury in patients with acute coronary syndrome after PCI and evaluated short-term prognosis. Methods: Patients scheduled for emergent PCI were given either rosuvastatin for ≥6 months (10 mg/d, every night; n = 55) or no statins (control group; n = 65). Serum superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were determined before and after PCI, as well as left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic volume. Major adverse cardiac events were observed at follow-ups for 6 months. Results: Superoxide dismutase activity in the rosuvastatin-treated group was higher than that of the control group; serum levels of malondialdehyde were lower. BNP and hs-CRP levels in the rosuvastatin-treated group were lower than that of the control group. Four weeks after PCI, the left ventricular ejection fraction in the treatment group was higher than that of the control group, and the left ventricular end-diastolic volume was lower. At the 6-month follow-up, there was no difference in major adverse cardiac events between the 2 groups. Conclusions: Rosuvastatin before PCI reduced ischemia-reperfusion injury in patients with acute coronary syndrome, which suggests the importance of application of rosuvastatin before PCI for early intervention.

A full understanding of the growth and distribution of tree roots is conducive to guiding precision irrigation, fertilization, and other agricultural work during agricultural production. Detecting tree roots with a ground-penetrating radar is a repeatable detection method that does no harm to the earth surface and tree roots. In this research, a rapid and accurate automatic detection was conducted on hyperbolic waveforms formed by root targets in B-scan images based on YOLOv5s. Following this, the regions of interest containing target hyperbolas were generated. Three or more coordinate points on the hyperbola were selected according to the three-point fixed circle (TPFC) method to locate the root system and estimate the root diameter. The results show that the accuracy of hyperbola detection using YOLOv5s was 96.7%, the recall rate was 86.6%, and the detection time of a single image was only 13 ms. In the simulation image, the TPFC method was used to locate the root system and estimate the root diameter through three different frequency antennas (500 MHz, 750 MHz, and 1000 MHz). A more accurate result was obtained when the antenna frequency was 1000 MHz, with the average distance error of root system positioning being 3.17 cm, and the slope and of the linear fitting result between the estimated root diameter and the actual one being 1.029 and 0.987, respectively. Verified by the pre-buried root test and wilderness field test, both root localization and root diameter estimation in our research were proved to gain good results and conform to the rules found in simulation experiments. Therefore, we believe that this method can quickly and accurately detect the root system, locate and estimate the root diameter, and provide a new perspective for the non-destructive detection of the root system and the three-dimensional reconstruction of the root system.