Assessment of tissue perfusion and vascular function in mice by scanning laser Doppler perfusion imaging.

Post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) is a key feature of physiological vasomotion to appropriately match the supply/demand ratio of tissues. This adaptive mechanism is severely disturbed in endothelial dysfunction with a reduced flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Reduced PORH and FMD are powerful prognostic risk factors in cardiovascular diseases.

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in Nrf2 knock out mice is associated with cardiac hypertrophy, decreased expression of SERCA2a, and preserved endothelial function.

Increased production of reactive oxygen species and failure of the antioxidant defense system are considered to play a central role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. The transcription factor nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is a key master switch controlling the expression of antioxidant and protective enzymes, and was proposed to participate in protection of vascular and cardiac function. This study was undertaken to analyze cardiac and vascular phenotype of mice lacking Nrf2.

Human red blood cells at work: identification and visualization of erythrocytic eNOS activity in health and disease.

A nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-like activity has been demonstrated in human red blood cells (RBCs), but doubts about its functional significance, isoform identity and disease relevance remain. Using flow cytometry in combination with the nitric oxide (NO)-imaging probe DAF-FM we find that all blood cells form NO intracellularly, with a rank order of monocytes > neutrophils > lymphocytes > RBCs > platelets. The observation of a NO-related fluorescence within RBCs was unexpected given the abundance of the NO-scavenger oxyhemoglobin.

DLK-1 as a marker to distinguish unrestricted somatic stem cells and mesenchymal stromal cells in cord blood.

In addition to hematopoietic stem cells, cord blood (CB) also contains different nonhematopoietic CD45-, CD34- adherent cell populations: cord blood mesenchymal stromal cells (CB MSC) that behave almost like MSC from bone marrow (BM MSC) and unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSC) that differentiate into cells of all 3 germ layers. Distinguishing between these populations is difficult due to overlapping features such as the immunophenotype or the osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation pathway. Functional differences in the differentiation potential suggest different developmental stages or different cell populations.