Electrospun bioresorbable polymer membranes for coronary artery stents.

Percutaneous coronary intervention, a common treatment for atherosclerotic coronary artery lesions, occasionally results in perforations associated with increased mortality rates. Stents coated with a bioresorbable polymer membrane may offer an effective solution for sealing coronary artery perforations. Additionally, such coatings could be effective in mitigating neointimal hyperplasia within the vascular lumen and correcting symptomatic aneurysms.

Comparison of the Patency and Regenerative Potential of Biodegradable Vascular Prostheses of Different Polymer Compositions in an Ovine Model.

The lack of suitable autologous grafts and the impossibility of using synthetic prostheses for small artery reconstruction make it necessary to develop alternative efficient vascular grafts. In this study, we fabricated an electrospun biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) prosthesis and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PHBV/PCL) prosthesis loaded with iloprost (a prostacyclin analog) as an antithrombotic drug and cationic amphiphile with antibacterial activity. The prostheses were characterized in terms of their drug release, mechanical properties, and hemocompatibility.

Calciprotein Particles Induce Endothelial Dysfunction by Impairing Endothelial Nitric Oxide Metabolism.

Background: Calciprotein particles (CPPs) are associated with the development of vascular calcifications in chronic kidney disease. The role of endothelial cells (ECs) in this process is unknown. Here, we investigated the interaction of CPPs and ECs, thereby focusing on endothelial nitric oxide metabolism and oxidative stress.

Proteolytic Degradation Is a Major Contributor to Bioprosthetic Heart Valve Failure.

Background Whereas the risk factors for structural valve degeneration (SVD) of glutaraldehyde-treated bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs) are well studied, those responsible for the failure of BHVs fixed with alternative next-generation chemicals remain largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the reasons behind the development of SVD in ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether-treated BHVs. Methods and Results Ten ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether-treated BHVs excised because of SVD, and 5 calcified aortic valves (AVs) replaced with BHVs because of calcific AV disease were collected and their proteomic profile was deciphered.

Calciprotein Particles Link Disturbed Mineral Homeostasis with Cardiovascular Disease by Causing Endothelial Dysfunction and Vascular Inflammation.

An association between high serum calcium/phosphate and cardiovascular events or death is well-established. However, a mechanistic explanation of this correlation is lacking. Here, we examined the role of calciprotein particles (CPPs), nanoscale bodies forming in the human blood upon its supersaturation with calcium and phosphate, in cardiovascular disease.

EMbedding and Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy: A Detailed Protocol for the Whole-Specimen, High-Resolution Analysis of Cardiovascular Tissues.

Currently, an ultrastructural analysis of cardiovascular tissues is significantly complicated. Routine histopathological examinations and immunohistochemical staining suffer from a relatively low resolution of light microscopy, whereas the fluorescence imaging of plaques and bioprosthetic heart valves yields considerable background noise from the convoluted extracellular matrix that often results in a low signal-to-noise ratio. Besides, the sectioning of calcified or stent-expanded blood vessels or mineralised heart valves leads to a critical loss of their integrity, demanding other methods to be developed.

Mitomycin C induced genotoxic stress in endothelial cells is associated with differential expression of proinflammatory cytokines.

Mitomycin C (MMC) is an alkylating chemotherapy drug that causes DNA crosslinking resulting in transcription arrest and apoptosis. DNA crosslinking is a critical damage to DNA that can be caused not only by MMC and other antitumor drugs, but also by various environmental and anthropogenic endo- and exogenous agents. Mammalian cells exposed to alkylating mutagens are characterized by severe genotoxic stress.

Human Peripheral Blood-Derived Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells Are Highly Similar to Mature Vascular Endothelial Cells yet Demonstrate a Transitional Transcriptomic Signature.

Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFC) are currently considered as a promising cell population for the pre-endothelialization or pre-vascularization of tissue-engineered constructs, including small-diameter biodegradable vascular grafts. However, the extent of heterogeneity between ECFC and mature vascular endothelial cells (EC) is unclear. Here, we performed a transcriptome-wide study to compare gene expression profiles of ECFC, human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC), and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).

Two-stage approach for surgical treatment of tetralogy of Fallot in underweight children: Clinical and morphological outcomes.

Background: Two-stage surgery including right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) stenting with subsequent total surgical repair (TSG) has been suggested as a promising curative option in infants with tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) having comorbidities such as low body weight. However, data on clinical outcomes of such approach and tissue response to RVOT stenting in underweight infants are scarce.

Methods: We recruited 16 underweight (<3 kg; average weight, 2.

Apoptosis-mediated endothelial toxicity but not direct calcification or functional changes in anti-calcification proteins defines pathogenic effects of calcium phosphate bions.

Calcium phosphate bions (CPB) are biomimetic mineralo-organic nanoparticles which represent a physiological mechanism regulating the function, transport and disposal of calcium and phosphorus in the human body. We hypothesised that CPB may be pathogenic entities and even a cause of cardiovascular calcification. Here we revealed that CPB isolated from calcified atherosclerotic plaques and artificially synthesised CPB are morphologically and chemically indistinguishable entities.

Grinding and polishing instead of sectioning for the tissue samples with a graft: Implications for light and electron microscopy.

A broad use of the graft replacement requires a detailed investigation of the host-graft interaction, including both histological examination and electron microscopy. A high quality sectioning of the host tissue with a graft seems to be complicated; in addition, it is difficult to examine the same tissue area by both of the mentioned microscopy techniques. To solve these problems, we developed a new technique of epoxy resin embedding with the further grinding, polishing, and staining.