Cordyceps sinensis can considerably relieve the liver fibrosis, and the mechanism may be related to promoting the degradation of the collagens.

Coronary artery anomalies (CAAs) are present at birth, but are usually asymptomatic and are found during coronary angiography or multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) detection. The most common coronary anomaly is the separating origin of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and left circumflex artery (LCX) from the left sinus of Valsalva, and this variant is benign. Herein, we present three extremely rare cases of anomalous right coronary artery (RCA) detected incidentally during routine coronary angiography and confirmed by multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) technique. All the anomalous right coronary artery coursed between the pulmonary artery and aorta. We discuss how to make an accurate diagnosis for appropriate management.

BackgroundUse of intensive anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) potentially increases the risk of bleeding complications during percutaneous coronary intervention via the transfemoral route. Recently, the transradial access has been intensively employed as an alternative means for diagnostic and interventional procedures. A low incidence of vascular access site bleeding complications suggests that the transradial access is a safe alternative to the transfemoral technique in patients with AMI. The safety and efficacy of transradial access for emergent percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with AMI has not been investigated in the People’s Republic of China.MethodsWe analyzed data from our single-center registry on 596 consecutive patients between October 2003 and October 2010. The patients were retrospectively divided into a transradial group (n = 296) and a transfemoral group (n = 300). A dedicated doctor was appointed to collect the following data: puncture time, coronary angiography time, percutaneous coronary intervention time, X-ray exposure time, duration of hospitalization, and complication rates associated with puncture, such as puncture site bleeding, hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, and major adverse cardiac events.ResultsThere were no significant differences in baseline characteristics and angiographic findings between the two groups. There were also no significant differences in coronary angiography time (8.2 ± 2.4 versus 7.6 ± 2.0 minutes), percutaneous coronary intervention time (30 ± 6.8 versus 29.6 ± 8.1 minutes), or X-ray exposure time (4.6 ± 1.4 versus 4.4 ± 1.3 minutes) between the groups. There were significant differences in puncture time (4.4 ± 1.6 versus 2.4 ± 0.8 minutes) and duration of hospitalization (3.2 ± 1.6 versus 5.4 ± 1.8 days) between the groups (P < 0.001). The complication rate using transradial access was 2.03% (6/296) versus 6.0% (18/300) using transfemoral access (P < 0.0001).ConclusionTransradial access for emergent percutaneous coronary intervention is safe and effective in patients with AMI, and it is suggested that this route could be used more widely in these patients.

Methods 37consecutive patients with CTO lesion in LAD coronary artery who underwent PCI as well as SPECT/CTA fusion imaging were divided into the following three groups based on the myocardial perfusion index before PCI: (A) no severe cardiac perfusion defects (n¼4); (B) reversible cardiac perfusion defects (n¼18); (C) irreversible cardiac perfusion defects (n¼15). Results Overall successful rate of recanalisation for CTO was 75.7% (28/37). No statistical difference of perfusion abnormality was observed 6 months after PCI in group A. In group B, SPECT/CTA fusion imaging demonstrated that cardiac perfusion abnormality was significantly decreased 6 months after PCI (2167.9% vs 2869.8%, p<0.05). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) significantly enhanced as evaluated by echocardiography (5168.3 % vs 4366.2 %, p <0.05) as well as SPECT (5067.7% vs 4568.5%, p<0.05) compared with baseline. Quality of life improved as evidenced by 6-min walk distance (6MWD) (426.4633.8 m vs 347.3624.6 m, p<0.05) and angina pectoris score index (60.8613.5 vs 53.7611.2, p<0.05). Moreover, patients in group C also benefited from PCI therapy: a decrease in cardiac perfusion abnormality, an increase in LVEF and an improvement in quality of life. Conclusion PCI exerts long-term functional and clinical benefits in patients with CTO lesion in LAD coronary artery, particularly in patients with reversible cardiac perfusion defects. SPECT/CTA fusion imaging may serve as a gatekeeper to evaluate the outcomes of patients with CTO lesion in LAD coronary artery.

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