Age-related changes in normal human hearts during the first 10 decades of life. Part II (Maturity): A quantitative anatomic study of 765 specimens from subjects 20 to 99 years old.

Heart weights, ventricular wall thicknesses, and valve circumferences were measured in 765 autopsy specimens from normal hearts from persons 20 to 99 years old. Body weight was a better predictor of normal heart weight than was body surface area or height, and mean heart weights were greater in men than in women at all ages. When heart weights were indexed (divided by body surface area), the mean values per decade increased significantly in women between the 3rd and 10th decades of life (P less than 0.

Age-related changes in normal human hearts during the first 10 decades of life. Part I (Growth): A quantitative anatomic study of 200 specimens from subjects from birth to 19 years old.

Heart weight, ventricular wall thicknesses, and valve circumferences were measured in 200 autopsy specimens of normal hearts from persons who ranged from birth to 19 years old. During this period of body growth, all cardiac measurements increased progressively and correlated with both age and body size (height, weight, and surface area). For most measurements, the mean predicted values were greater in male than in female subjects.

Inhibition of vessel allograft rejection by endothelial removal. Morphologic and ultrastructural changes.

The vascular endothelium plays an important and complex role in vascular allograft rejection. Antigens expressed by the endothelium can act to promote and be the target of rejection reactions, which often lead to thrombosis and ischemic necrosis of the allograft. In this study, segments of femoral artery and femoral vein with or without endothelium were grafted between allogenic or autologous control rats.

Association of polymorphonuclear leukocytes with sites of aortic catheter-induced injury in rabbits.

The kinetics of the association of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) with arterial balloon catheter-induced injury have been examined. An average of 6 X 10(7) PMNs were isolated from 20 ml of blood and labelled with 111In-oxine for reinfusion into the donor rabbit. The cells remained viable as demonstrated by both in vitro and in vivo tests of cell function.

Responsiveness of vein bypass grafts to stimulation with norepinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine.

The in vitro reactivity of vein bypass grafts to norepinephrine (NE) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was studied in 20 rabbits undergoing bypass grafting. In these animals the right external jugular vein was grafted into the right carotid artery. The cumulative dose-response to NE and 5-HT of rings of vein grafts 2, 4, and 6 weeks after insertion was compared with that of rings from the normal contralateral jugular vein by means of an organ bath to measure changes in isometric tension.

Norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction is increased in intimal hyperplastic arteries of the dog.

Norepinephrine-induced arterial contraction in vitro is known to be increased after endothelial denudation and during the subsequent development of intimal hyperplasia. We now report the response to norepinephrine in intimal-thickened iliac vessels in conscious dogs. Seven dogs underwent balloon catheter deendothelialization of the right iliac artery.

Stabilization and partial characterization of endothelium-derived relaxing factor from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells.

The extreme lability of the chemically undefined vasoregulatory mediator, endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), has been overcome. The activity of EDRF, from cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells stimulated with A23187, was stabilized by acidification. An additional action of EDRF, platelet disaggregation was used as a sensitive and convenient bioassay to monitor purification.

The role of aspirin and dipyridamole on vascular DNA synthesis and intimal hyperplasia following deendothelialization.

Platelets are implicated both in acute thrombotic events and, through platelet-derived growth factor, in the development of intimal hyperplasia. We have investigated, in vivo, the influence of aspirin and dipyridamole on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and DNA synthesis following balloon catheter injury. Fifty-eight male, New Zealand white rabbits were divided equally into two groups; the test group was fed aspirin (14 mg/kg/day) and dipyridamole (9 mg/kg/day) from 2 days prior to surgery until sacrifice at 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, or 28 days after injury.

Intermediate filament heterogeneity in normal and hypercholesterolemic rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells.

We have examined the intermediate filament (IF) protein content of vascular smooth muscle (SM) cells from several arteries and veins in rabbits and quantitated the changes which occur in SM cell expression of these proteins in response to cholesterol feeding. Cells from control rabbit arteries expressed 30% of their IF protein as desmin, while veins expressed 50% as desmin. During development of diet-induced atherosclerosis, morphological changes in arterial SM cells in the intima correlate with changes in IF expression.

Increased vascular contraction and sensitivity to norepinephrine after endothelial denudation is inhibited by prazosin.

The vasomotor function of rabbit aorta was examined after deendothelialization with a Fogarty balloon catheter and during the subsequent development of intimal hyperplasia. Helical strips of injured lower abdominal aortic tissue showed an increase in norepinephrine-induced contraction when compared with control strips from normal upper abdominal aorta. This increase was 235% +/- 40% of control immediately after injury and 341% +/- 51% at 28 days after injury.

Phorbol ester effects on alpha 1-adrenoceptor binding and phosphatidylinositol metabolism in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells.

Tumor promoting phorbol esters stimulate Ca++ phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C. It has been suggested that this enzyme regulates the functional properties of different cell membrane receptors. In this study we investigated the effect of phorbol esters on alpha 1-adrenoceptor binding and phosphatidylinositol metabolism in cultured smooth muscle cells derived from rabbit aorta.

Photoaffinity labeling of mammalian alpha 1-adrenergic receptors. Identification of the ligand binding subunit with a high affinity radioiodinated probe.

We have synthesized and characterized a novel high affinity radioiodinated alpha 1-adrenergic receptor photoaffinity probe, 4-amino-6,7-dimethoxy-2-[4-[5-(4-azido - 3 - [125I]iodophenyl) pentanoyl] - 1 - piperazinyl] quinazoline. In the absence of light, this ligand binds with high affinity (KD = 130 pM) in a reversible and saturable manner to sites in rat hepatic plasma membranes. The binding is stereoselective and competitively inhibited by adrenergic agonists and antagonists with an alpha 1-adrenergic specificity.

Incidence and size of patent foramen ovale during the first 10 decades of life: an autopsy study of 965 normal hearts.

The incidence and size of the patent foramen ovale were studied in 965 autopsy specimens of human hearts, which were from subjects who were evenly distributed by sex and age. Neither incidence nor size of the defect was significantly different between male and female subjects. The overall incidence was 27.

Norepinephrine-induced down regulation of alpha 1 adrenergic receptors in cultured rabbit aorta smooth muscle cells.

Drug-induced refractoriness of alpha-adrenergic receptor-mediated vasoconstriction may be a clinically important phenomenon. We have investigated the possible molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells derived from the rabbit aorta. alpha 1-Adrenergic receptors were identified in membranes prepared from these cells by [125I]HEAT binding.

Antiplatelet therapy reduces aortic intimal hyperplasia distal to small diameter vascular prostheses (PTFE) in nonhuman primates.

While the use of prosthetic grafts in small diameter arterial reconstruction is required when suitable autogenous graft material is unavailable, late occlusion of prosthetic grafts caused by proliferative lesions has been described. This study evaluated the suitability of 3-mm (ID) microporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Gore-Tex grafts inserted in the abdominal aorta of eight nonhuman primates (Macaca fascicularis), and the effects of prolonged antiplatelet treatment on both graft patency and the development of intimal hyperplasia in the adjacent vasculature. Four monkeys received antiplatelet medication consisting of aspirin (163 mg twice daily) and dipyridamole (25 mg twice daily).

The strength of microvascular anastomoses--an experimental evaluation in rats.

To determine the longitudinal strength of microvascular anastomoses during early healing, the left femoral arteries of 56 rats were divided and anastomosed with six interrupted sutures of 10-0 nylon. The right femoral arteries served as unoperated controls. The vessels were then harvested immediately, or 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, or 120-150 days after surgery.

Cholesteryl ester synthesis in canine vein and artery.

Accumulation of cholesteryl esters in arterial tissue is a prominent feature of human and experimental atherosclerosis. This accumulation does not occur in undisturbed venous tissue, but has been reported in veins which have been surgically placed into the arterial system as bypass grafts. The formation of cholesteryl esters and some properties of the fatty acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase system have been studied in microsomal preparations from canine arterial and venous tissue.