Objective To extract and identify primary culture rat pulmonary arterial smooth cells ( PASMCs) , and investigate the effects of hypoxia on the proliferation of PASMCs. Methods Rat PASMCs were separated by the method of tissue block anchorage, and the cellular morphology was observed under light microscope. The cells were identified by projection electron microscopy, and α-smooth muscle actin ( α-SMactin)in the cells was identified by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The primary cultured PASMCs were exposed to normoxic and/ or hypoxia condition for 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours respectively, thenMTT assay and PCNA ( proliferating cell nuclear antigen) immunohistochemistry were used to detect the proliferation of PASMCs. Results The cells tended to be long spindle and grew in the “peak-valley”mode under light microscope. Immunology results showed that endochylema was stained in brownish yellow, and the positive rate was beyond 96% . There were dense patch, dense body and many filaments in endochylema under projection electron microscopy. MTT assay demonstrated that the A values of PASMCs expose to hypoxia were higher than that of nomoxia. Comparing with normoxia, the A values of PASMCs exposed to hypoxia increased after 12 hours ( P lt;0. 05) , significantly increased after 24 hours ( P lt;0. 01) . Compared with 2 hours’exposure to hypoxia, the A values increased after 12 hours( P lt; 0. 05) , markedly increased after 24 hours ( P lt; 0. 01 ) , which after 48 hours was similar with 24 hours. The result of PCNA immunohistochemistry was consistent with that of MTT. Conclusions The tissue explants adherent method is simple and convenient, and can easily obtain rat PASMCs with high purity and stability. Hypoxia canpromote the proliferation of PASMCs.
Objective To investigate the relation of spinal ventricular septal angle (SVSA) measured by computer tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) measured by right heart catheterization in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) .Methods Eighty-nine patients with CTEPH (male 57, female 32; 53.08 ±12.43 years) were recruited as a CTEPH group, and 89 patients without pulmonary artery hypertension and pulmonary embolismwere recruited as a control group. The CTEPH patients received CTPA before right-heart catheterization and pulmonary angiography. SVSA and pulmonary artery obstruction indexes including Qanadli Index and Mastora index were evaluated by two radiologists.Results SVSA was 65.13°±12.26°and 39.69°±5.84°in the CTEPH group and the control group respectively, with significant difference between two groups ( t =14.479, P = 0.000) . Qanadli index of the CTEPH patients was( 42.50 ±17.67) % , which had no correlation with SVSA ( r= 0.094, P = 0.552) . Mastora index was ( 30.02 ±15.53) % , which also had no correlation with SVSA ( r=0.025, P =0.873) . SVSA had a moderate positive correlation with PVR ( r =0.529, P =0.000) and a weak positive correlation with right atriumpressure ( r =0.270, P =0.010) . Area under ROC was 0.764 and sensitivity, specificity for PVR≥1000 dyne· s· cm- 5 was 0.714 and 0.778 respectively when SVSA≥67.55°. Conclusion SVSA measured by CTPA can be used as a better predictor for evaluating PVR in CTEPH patients.
Objective To explore the effect of pulmonary arterial hypertension on the children with functional single ventricle in the early period after Fontan operation. Methods Forty-three children with pulmonary arterial hypertension after Fontan operation were enrolled in our department between January 2015 and December 2016. There were 24 males and 19 females at a median age of 4.3 years ranging from 2.5 to 4.8 years. The pulmonary arterial pressure was evaluated by cardiac catheterization. There were 23 children diagnosed without pulmonary hypertension (a non-PAH group) including 16 males and 7 females, while 20 patients were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (a PAH group) including 8 males and 12 females. Postoperative parameters related to outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results There was no death in the non-PAH group, but the mortality of children in the PAH group was 20.0% (4/20, χ2=5.34, P=0.02). The central venous pressure (t=–2.50, P=0.02), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP, Z=–3.50, P<0.01), peritoneal dialysis rate (χ2=5.40, P=0.02), incidence of arrhythmia (χ2=4.40, P=0.03) in the PAH group were significantly higher than those of the non-PAH group. The early postoperative utilization rate of pulmonary vascular targeting agents in the PAH group was significantly higher than that in the non-PAH group (χ2=6.30, P=0.04). Conclusion Pulmonary arterial hypertension is one of the most important factors which influence the early postoperative prognosis of children with functional single ventricle after Fontan operation.
ObjectiveTo determine the ability of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to distinguish chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) from chronic thromboembolic disease (CTED). MethodsFifty patients diagnosed with CTED and fifty-eight patients with CTEPH in the the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from April 2019 to February 2022 were retrospectively included. The basic characteristics including age, gender, body mass index, symptom duration, and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NTpro-BNP), parameters of arterial blood gas analysis, right heart catheterization, echocardiography, pulmonary function, and CPET were all compared between patients with CTED and those with CTEPH. ResultsPatients with CTEPH displayed longer symptom duration, increased NTpro-BNP, decreased arterial partial pressure of oxygen, larger right atrial and ventricular diameters, and impaired worse resting pulmonary diffusing function compared with those with CTED (P<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the resting pulmonary ventilation function between the two groups (P>0.05). Among the CPET parameters of the CTEPH group, peak exercise oxygen uptake per kilogram, oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold, oxygen pulse, oxygen uptake efficiency slope and oxygen saturation were all decreased, while the minute ventilation-carbon dioxide production at anaerobic threshold (VE/VCO2@AT) and VE/VCO2 slope were increased (P<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in heart rate reserve and breathing reserve (P>0.05). Furthermore, VE/VCO2@AT showed high accuracy for distinguishing CTEPH from CTED (sensitivity, 0.825; specificity, 0.860; and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.897). ConclusionsPatients with CTEPH showed more significant decreased exercise endurance, diffusion dysfunction, and hypoxemia during exercise and insufficient increase in cardiac output compared with CTED patients. Therefore, it is feasible to apply CPET as a new objective examination to distinguish CTED from CTEPH.
Objective To investigative the effects of combination treatment with simvastatin and aspirin in a rat model of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension. Methods Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, a simvastatin group, an aspirin group, and a combination treatment group. The control group received monocrotaline injection subcutaneously to induce pulmonary hypertension. Simvastatin ( 2 mg/kg) , aspirin ( 1 mg/kg) , or simvastatin ( 2 mg/kg) + aspirin ( 1 mg/kg) was administered once daily to the rats of treatment groups respectively for 28 days after monocrotaline injection. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure ( mPAP) was detected by right heart catheter.Right ventricular hypertrophy index ( RVHI) was calculated as the right ventricle to the left ventricle plus septum weight. Histopathology changes of small intrapulmonary arteries were evaluated via image analysissystem. Interleukin-6 ( IL-6) level in lung tissue was determined by ELISA.Results Compared with the control group, simvastatin or aspirin decreased mPAP [ ( 34. 1 ±8. 4) mm Hg, ( 38. 3 ±7. 1) mmHg vs.( 48. 4 ±7. 8) mmHg] and increased arterial wall diameter significantly ( P lt; 0. 05) . The combination treatment group showed more significant improvement in mPAP, RVHI and pulmonary arterial remodeling compared with each monotherapy ( P lt;0. 05) . Moreover, the combination therapy had additive effects on the increases in lung IL-6 levels and the perivascular inflammation score. Conclusions Combination therapy with simvastatin and aspirin is superior in preventing the development of pulmonary hypertension. The additive effect of combination therapy is suggested to be ascribed to anti-inflammation effects.