Experimental multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging characterization of iliocaval venous thrombosis pathological changes.

Objective: Iliocaval thrombotic obstruction is a challenging condition, especially because thrombus age and corresponding pathological remodeling at presentation are unknown, which directly impacts management. Our aim was to assess the ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in determining age thresholds of experimentally created inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis in pigs.

Methods: We used a previously described swine model of IVC thrombosis.

Congenital Heart Disease: An Immunological Perspective.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) poses a significant global health and economic burden-despite advances in treating CHD reducing the mortality risk, globally CHD accounts for approximately 300,000 deaths yearly. Children with CHD experience both acute and chronic cardiac complications, and though treatment options have improved, some remain extremely invasive. A challenge in addressing these morbidity and mortality risks is that little is known regarding the cause of many CHDs and current evidence suggests a multifactorial etiology.

Extracellular vesicles influence the pulmonary arterial extracellular matrix in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Objective: Abnormal pulmonary vasculature directly affects the development and progression of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)-associated pulmonary hypertension (PH). Though overarching structural and cellular changes in CDH-affected pulmonary arteries have been documented, the precise role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the pulmonary artery (PA) pathophysiology remains undefined. Here, we quantify the structural, compositional, and mechanical CDH-induced changes in the main and distal PA ECM and investigate the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) as a therapy to ameliorate pathological vascular ECM changes.

Interfacial Coating Method for Amine-Rich Surfaces using Poly(ethylene glycol) Diacrylate Applied to Bioprosthetic Valve Tissue Models.

Bioprosthetic heart valve implants are beset by calcification and failure due to the interactions between the body and the transplant. Hydrogels can be used as biological blank slates that may help to shield implants from these interactions; however, traditional light-based hydrogel polymerization is impeded by tissue opacity and topography. Therefore, new methods must be created to bind hydrogel to implant tissues.

Differential proteoglycan and hyaluronan distribution in calcified aortic valves.

Background: While the prevalence of calcified aortic valve disease continues to rise and no pharmacological treatments exist, little is known regarding the pathogenesis of the disease. Proteoglycans and the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan are involved in calcification in arteriosclerosis and their characterization in calcified aortic valves may lend insight into the pathogenesis of the disease.

Methods: Fourteen calcified aortic valves removed during valve replacement surgery were immunohistochemically stained for the proteoglycans decorin, biglycan, and versican, as well as the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan.

Abundance and location of proteoglycans and hyaluronan within normal and myxomatous mitral valves.

Introduction: Extracellular matrix changes occur in many heart valve pathologies. For example, myxomatous mitral valves are reported to contain excess proteoglycans and hyaluronan. However, it is unknown which specific proteoglycans are altered in myxomatous valves.

Endogenous overexpression of hyaluronan synthases within dynamically cultured collagen gels: Implications for vascular and valvular disease.

Hyaluronan is a ubiquitous component of the extracellular matrix with important roles in cell and tissue functions. Hyaluronan content is often elevated in cardiovascular diseases, such as mitral valve disease and atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of endogenously produced hyaluronan dynamically cultured three-dimensional model of collagenous tissues.

Influence of cyclic strain and decorin deficiency on 3D cellularized collagen matrices.

Cyclic strain evokes the expression of the small leucine-rich proteoglycans decorin and biglycan in 2D cultures and native tissues. However, strain-dependent expression of these proteoglycans has not been demonstrated in engineered tissues. We hypothesized that the absence of decorin may compromise the effect of cyclic strain on the development of engineered tissues.

Decorin-transforming growth factor- interaction regulates matrix organization and mechanical characteristics of three-dimensional collagen matrices.

The small leucine-rich proteoglycan decorin has been demonstrated to be a key regulator of collagen fibrillogenesis; decorin deficiencies lead to irregularly shaped collagen fibrils and weakened material behavior in postnatal murine connective tissues. In an in vitro investigation of the contributions of decorin to tissue organization and material behavior, model tissues were engineered by seeding embryonic fibroblasts, harvested from 12.5-13.