Microglial cell proliferation is regulated, in part, by reactive astrocyte ETB signaling after ischemic stroke.

Reciprocal communication between reactive astrocytes and microglial cells provides local, coordinated control over critical processes such as neuroinflammation, neuroprotection, and scar formation after CNS injury, but is poorly understood. The vasoactive peptide hormone endothelin (ET) is released and/or secreted by endothelial cells, microglial cells and astrocytes early after ischemic stroke and other forms of brain injury. To better understand glial cell communication after stroke, we sought to identify paracrine effectors produced and secreted downstream of astroglial endothelin receptor B (ETB) signaling.

Increased Expression of Lamin A/C Correlate with Regions of High Wall Stress in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

Background: Since aortic diameter is the most -significant risk factor for rupture, we sought to identify stress-dependent changes in gene expression to illuminate novel molecular processes in aneurysm rupture.

Materials And Methods: We constructed finite element maps of abdominal computerized tomography scans (CTs) of seven abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients to map wall stress. Paired biopsies from high- and low-stress areas were collected at surgery using vascular landmarks as coordinates.

Investigating the Effect of a Single Infusion of Reconstituted High-Density Lipoprotein in Patients with Symptomatic Carotid Plaques.

Background: Elevation of plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration reduces cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. HDLs have been shown to possess acute anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antithrombotic properties. We hypothesize that HDL therapy can acutely alter local and systemic manifestations of plaque instability.

Pioglitazone Identifies a New Target for Aneurysm Treatment: Role of Egr1 in an Experimental Murine Model of Aortic Aneurysm.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor x03B3; agonists have been shown to inhibit angiotensin II (AngII)-induced experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms. Macrophage infiltration to the vascular wall is an early event in this pathology, and therefore we explored the effects of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor x03B3; agonist pioglitazone on AngII-treated macrophages. Using microarray-based expression profiling of phorbol ester-stimulated THP-1 cells, we found that a number of aneurysm-related gene changes effected by AngII were modulated following the addition of pioglitazone.

Elevation of plasma high-density lipoproteins inhibits development of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Objective: Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms have lower concentrations of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), leading us to investigate whether increasing plasma HDLs could influence aneurysm formation.

Methods And Results: Using the angiotensin II-induced hypercholesterolemic and the CaCl(2)-induced normocholesterolemic mouse model of AAA, we investigated the hypothesis that elevation of HDLs inhibits AAA. HDLs elevated before or at the time of AAA induction reduced AAA formation in both models but had no effect on early ruptures.