PurposeTo investigate the effect of tanshinone IIA (TIIA) on ventricular remodeling in rats with pressure overload-induced heart failure.MethodsPressure overload-induced heart failure model (abdominal aortic coarctation) was established in 40 rats, which were divided into model and 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg TIIA groups. Ten rats receiving laparotomy excepting abdominal aortic coarctation were enrolled in sham-operated group. The 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg TIIA groups were treated with 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg TIIA, respectively, for 8 weeks.ResultsCompared with model group, in 20 mg/kg TIIA group the left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular fractional shortening, left ventricular systolic pressure, ±maximum left ventricular pressure rising and dropping rate, and myocardial B-cell lymphoma-2 and cleaved cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3 protein levels were increased, respectively (P<0.05), and the left ventricular end diastolic diameter, left ventricular end systolic diameter, left ventricular end diastolic pressure, heart weight index, left ventricular weight index, serum B-type brain natriuretic peptide, interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein levels and myocardial B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein level were decreased, respectively (P<0.05).ConclusionTIIA may alleviate ventricular remodeling in rats with pressure overload-induced heart failure heart by reducing inflammatory response and cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the changes and significance of microRNA-204 (miR-204) in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) complicated with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Material/Methods: Fifty-two CHD patients with left-to-right shunt were divided into 3 groups according to preoperative pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) detected by color Doppler echocardiography: a control group (PASP <30 mmHg), a mild PH group (PASP 30-49 mmHg), and a severe PH group (PASP >50 mmHg). Peripheral venous blood and supernatant were collected on an empty stomach at 1 h before surgery and 7 days after surgery. The expression of miR-204 in plasma was detected by RT-qPCR. Results: One hour before surgery and 7 days after surgery, plasma miR-204 expression was at a higher level than that in the mild PH group and higher than in the severe PH group. miR-204 expression in children in each group showed a decreasing trend after surgery. The mild PH and severe PH groups had lower plasma miR-204 expression and PASP after surgery than before surgery. In the mild PH and severe PH groups, plasma miR-204 expression was negatively correlated with PASP. In all 52 cases, plasma miR-204 expression was negatively correlated with PASP. Conclusions: The plasma miR-204 expression in CHD children with PH was negatively correlated with the degree of PH, suggesting miR-204 may be involved in PH development, and miR-204 expression may be an indicator of PH severity.

Abstract:Background: The objective of this paper was to identify dysregulated myocardial pathways with offpump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) based on pathway interaction network (PIN). Methodology: To achieve this goal, firstly, gene expression profiles, protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and pathway data were collected. Secondly, we constructed a PIN by integrating these data and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) algorithm. Next, for every pathway in the PIN, its activity was counted dependent on the principal component analysis (PCA) method to select the seed pathway. Ultimately, a minimum pathway set (MPS) was extracted from the PIN on the basis of the seed pathway and the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) index, and pathways in the MPS were denoted as dysregulated pathways. Results: The PIN had 1,189 nodes and 22,756 interactions, of which mitochondrial translation termination was the seed pathway. Starting with mitochondrial translation termination, a MPS (AUROC = 0.983) with 7 nodes and 26 edges was obtained. The 7 pathways were regarded as dysregulated myocardial pathways with OPCABG. Conclusion: The findings might provide potential biomarkers to diagnose early, serve as the evidence to perform the OPCABG and predict inflammatory response and myocardial reperfusion injury after OPCABG in the future.