Endothelial glycocalyx thickness and platelet-vessel wall interactions during atherogenesis.

The endothelial glycocalyx (EG), the luminal cover of endothelial cells, is considered to be atheroprotective. During atherogenesis, platelets adhere to the vessel wall, possibly triggered by simultaneous EG modulation. It was the objective of this study to investigate both EG thickness and platelet-vessel wall interactions during atherogenesis in the same experimental model.

Endothelial glycocalyx structure in the intact carotid artery: a two-photon laser scanning microscopy study.

Background: The endothelial glycocalyx (EG) is the carbohydrate-rich luminal lining of endothelial cells that mediates permeability and blood cell-vessel wall interactions. To establish an atheroprotective role of the EG, adequate imaging and quantification of its properties in intact, viable, atherogenesis-prone arteries is needed.

Methods: Carotid arteries of C57Bl6/J mice (n=22) were isolated including the bifurcation, mounted in a perfusion chamber, and perfused with fluorescent lectin wheat germ agglutinin-fluorescein isothiocyanate.

Evaluation of magnetic resonance vessel size imaging by two-photon laser scanning microscopy.

MR vessel size imaging (MR-VSI) is increasingly applied to noninvasively assess microvascular properties of tumors and to evaluate tumor response to antiangiogenic treatment. MR-VSI provides measures for the microvessel radius and fractional blood volume of tumor tissue. However, data have not yet been evaluated with three-dimensional microscopy techniques.

In vivo high-resolution structural imaging of large arteries in small rodents using two-photon laser scanning microscopy.

In vivo (molecular) imaging of the vessel wall of large arteries at subcellular resolution is crucial for unraveling vascular pathophysiology. We previously showed the applicability of two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) in mounted arteries ex vivo. However, in vivo TPLSM has thus far suffered from in-frame and between-frame motion artifacts due to arterial movement with cardiac and respiratory activity.

The fully integrated biomedical engineering programme at Eindhoven University of Technology.

The development of a fully integrated biomedical engineering programme (life sciences included from the start) is described. Details are provided about background, implementation, and didactic concept: design centred learning combined with courses. The curriculum has developed into a bachelor-master's programme with two different master's degrees: Master's Degree in Biomedical Engineering and Master's Degree in Medical Engineering.