Evaluation of Visceral Adipose Tissue Oxygenation by Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent MRI in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI) to evaluate visceral adipose tissue (VAT) oxygenation in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats and its associations with systemic metaflammation.

Methods: Five-week-old ZDF rats and Zucker lean (ZL) rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 18 weeks. A baseline BOLD-MRI scan of perirenal adipose tissue was performed after 8 weeks of HFD feeding, and then the rats were randomized to receive pioglitazone or a vehicle for the following 10 weeks.

Prevention of in-stent restenosis with endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) capture stent placement combined with regional EPC transplantation: An atherosclerotic rabbit model.

Background: Even with drug-eluting stents, the risk of in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains high. The goal of this study was to investigate the use of an endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) capture stent plus regional EPC transplantation to reduce the ISR rate.

Methods: Endothelial progenitor cell capture stents were fabricated using fibrin gel and anti-CD34 plus anti-VEGFR-2 dual antibodies.

Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy for acute massive lower extremity deep venous thrombosis.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical safety and effectiveness of percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute massive lower extremity deep venous thrombosis.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five consecutive patients with acute massive lower extremity deep venous thrombosis were included in this retrospective study. An inferior vena cava filter was placed prophylactically to protect against pulmonary embolism in each patient.

Seeding endothelial progenitor cells on a self-expanding metal stent: an in vitro study.

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of seeding a self-expanding metal stent with endothelial progenitor cells to enhance rapid reendothelialization, which is postulated to prevent local thrombus formation and restenosis after vascular intervention.

Materials And Methods: Endothelial progenitor cells and fibrinogen were isolated from the peripheral blood of a domestic swine and then cultured and identified. Ten self-expanding nitinol stents were incubated in the culture medium with a cell concentration of 1 x 10(6)/mL with (n = 5, study group) or without (n = 5, control group) fibrin gel (5 mg/mL fibrinogen and 0.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt with an autologous endothelial progenitor cell seeded stent: a porcine model.

Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a self-expanding metal stent seeded with autologous endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) for preventing in-stent stenoses in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in a swine model.

Materials And Methods: TIPS was performed in 18 young adult pigs, using a self-expanding nitinol stent (control, n = 8) and an autologous EPC-seeded stent (treatment, n = 10). All pigs were sacrificed at 2 weeks post-TIPS procedure.

In vivo tracking of dual-labeled mesenchymal stem cells homing into the injured common carotid artery.

The aim of this study is to conduct in vivo, noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging of labeled rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) as they home into the site of injured common carotid artery following allograft transplantation. Our study was approved by the Institutional Committee on Animal Research. Purified rat BMSCs were dual labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) particle and fluorescent DiI dye, and subsequently transplanted into recipient rats injured in the left common carotid arteries.

[In vitro MR imaging of Fe2O3-arginine labeled heNOS gene modified endothelial progenitor cells].

Objective: To explore the feasibility of in vitro magnetic resonance imaging on Fe2O3-arginine labeled heNOS gene modified endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

Methods: Fe2O3 was incubated with arginine to form Fe2O3-arginine complex. Rabbit peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated and EPCs were isolated by adherence method, expanded and modified with heNOS gene using Lipofectamine 2000.

Percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy combined with catheter-directed thrombolysis in the treatment of symptomatic lower extremity deep venous thrombosis.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) combined with catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) in the treatment of massive symptomatic lower limb deep venous thrombosis (DVT).

Materials And Methods: One hundred and three clinically confirmed DVT patients were discharged from our institution. Sixteen patients with massive lower limb DVT were included in this retrospective study.