Endothelial TGF-β Signaling Regulates Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition During Arteriovenous Fistula Remodeling in Mice With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) are the preferred vascular access for hemodialysis in patients with end-stage kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with endothelial injury, impaired AVF maturation, and reduced patency, as well as utilization. Because CKD is characterized by multiple pathophysiological processes that induce endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), we hypothesized that CKD promotes EndMT during venous remodeling and that disruption of endothelial TGF (transforming growth factor)-β signaling inhibits EndMT to prevent AVF failure even in the end-stage kidney disease environment.

Early thrombus formation is required for eccentric and heterogeneous neointimal hyperplasia under disturbed flow.

Background: Anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy effectively inhibit neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) in both arterial and venous systems but not in arteriovenous fistulae (AVF). The main site of AVF failure is the juxta-anastomotic area that is characterized by disturbed flow compared with laminar flow in the arterial inflow and the venous outflow.

Objectives: We hypothesized that early thrombus formation is required for eccentric and heterogeneous NIH in the presence of disturbed flow.

The predictive role of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio for the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cirrhosis: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Background: The associations between platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cirrhosis are unclear, and there are still no effective means for diagnosing or monitoring disease progression.

Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were collected for analysis. Logistic regression and restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate the associations between PLR and NAFLD and cirrhosis in different populations.

Heterogeneous gene expression during early arteriovenous fistula remodeling suggests that downregulation of metabolism predicts adaptive venous remodeling.

Clinical outcomes of arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) for hemodialysis remain inadequate since biological mechanisms of AVF maturation and failure are still poorly understood. Aortocaval fistula creation (AVF group) or a sham operation (sham group) was performed in C57BL/6 mice. Venous limbs were collected on postoperative day 7 and total RNA was extracted for high throughput RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis.

Capsaicin reduces blood glucose and prevents prostate growth by regulating androgen, RAGE/IGF-1/Akt, TGF-β/Smad signalling pathway and reversing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disease. Diabetes increases the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Capsaicin is extracted from chili peppers and possesses many pharmacological properties, including anti-diabetic, pain-relieving, and anti-cancer properties.

Disturbed flow in the juxta-anastomotic area of an arteriovenous fistula correlates with endothelial loss, acute thrombus formation, and neointimal hyperplasia.

Clinical failure of arteriovenous neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) fistulae (AVF) is frequently due to juxta-anastomotic NIH (JANIH). Although the mouse AVF model recapitulates human AVF maturation, previous studies focused on the outflow vein distal to the anastomosis. We hypothesized that the juxta-anastomotic area (JAA) has increased NIH compared with the outflow vein.

A central arteriovenous fistula reduces systemic hypertension in a mouse model.

Objective: A central arteriovenous fistula (AVF) has been proposed as a potential novel solution to treat patients with refractory hypertension. We hypothesized that venous remodeling after AVF creation in the hypertensive environment reduces systemic blood pressure but results in increased AVF wall thickness compared with remodeling in the normotensive environment.

Methods: A central AVF was performed in C57BL6/J mice previously made hypertensive with angiotensin II (Ang II); mice were sacrificed on postoperative day 7 or 21.

Circulating Tumor Cells are an Independent Risk Factor for Poor Prognosis in Patients with Gallbladder Adenocarcinoma.

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with gallbladder adenocarcinoma after resection.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2018 and January 2021, 101 consecutive patients with gallbladder adenocarcinoma were included. CTCs were detected and enumerated using the CanPatrol technique.

EphB4 monomer inhibits chronic graft vasculopathy in an aortic transplant model.

T cells and macrophages play an important role in the formation of allograft vasculopathy, which is the predominant form of chronic rejection in cardiac transplants. Arteries express Ephrin-B2 as a marker of arterial identity, whereas circulating monocytes express the cognate receptor EphB4, which facilitates monocyte adhesion to the endothelial surface. Adherent monocytes transmigrate and differentiate into macrophages that activate T cells and are a main source of tissue damage during rejection.

Empagliflozin inhibits neointimal hyperplasia through attenuating endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition via TAK-1/NF-κB pathway.

Objective: To investigate whether empagliflozin could prevent injury-induced vascular neointimal hyperplasia and to further explore its mechanism.

Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into two groups with or without the empagliflozin treatment, and carotid ligation injury was performed to induce neointimal hyperplasia. The injured carotid arteries were collected for Western blotting (WB), histology and immunofluorescence analysis after four weeks.

Sulfasalazine induces autophagy inhibiting neointimal hyperplasia following carotid artery injuries in mice.

Neointimal hyperplasia (NH) is a crucial pathophysiological feature in vascular transplant and in-stent restenosis. Excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play important roles in neointimal hyperplasia. This study aims to explore the potentialities and mechanism of sulfasalazine (SSZ) in the prevention of restenosis.

Sex hormones impact early maturation and immune response in the arteriovenous fistula mouse model.

Arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) fail to mature more frequently in female patients compared with male patients, leading to inferior outcomes and decreased utilization. Since our mouse AVF model recapitulates sex differences in human AVF maturation, we hypothesized that sex hormones mediate these differences during AVF maturation. C57BL/6 mice (9-11 wk) were treated with aortocaval AVF surgery and/or gonadectomy.

First-in-Human Implantation of Gutter-Free Design Stent-Graft in Fenestration TEVAR for Aortic Arch Pathology.

Purpose: To report the technology and preliminary result of gutter-free design stent-grafted in fenestration thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).

Description: The gutter-free stent-graft has a nickel-titanium self-expanding skeleton, double polytetrafluoroethylene coating, and an outer-skirt fabric structure (named C-skirt endograft). The outer skirt fabric prevents endoleak from the gutter around the stent graft fenestration.

Simultaneous Endovascular Repair Is Not Associated With Increased Risk for Thoracic and Abdominal Aortic Pathologies: Early and Midterm Outcomes.

Coexisting multilevel aortic pathologies were caused by atherosclerosis and hypertension and presented in a small subgroup of patients. Endovascular repair is a safe and effective treatment for a variety of aortic pathologies. However, fewer small series and cases were reported using simultaneous thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for both aortic segments.

PAQR3 depletion accelerates diabetic wound healing by promoting angiogenesis through inhibiting STUB1-mediated PPARγ degradation.

The pathogenesis of diabetic wounds is closely associated with the dysregulation of macrophage polarization. However, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential effects of PAQR3 (progestin and adipoQ receptor 3) silencing in accelerating diabetic wound healing.

Endothelial Cell TGF-β (Transforming Growth Factor-Beta) Signaling Regulates Venous Adaptive Remodeling to Improve Arteriovenous Fistula Patency.

Background: Arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) are the gold standard for vascular access for hemodialysis. Although the vein must thicken and dilate for successful hemodialysis, excessive wall thickness leads to stenosis causing AVF failure. Since TGF-β (transforming growth factor-beta) regulates ECM (extracellular matrix) deposition and smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation-critical components of wall thickness-we hypothesized that disruption of TGF-β signaling prevents excessive wall thickening during venous remodeling.

Long-term outcome of spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection in different angiographic types.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the follow-up and outcomes of spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection (SISMAD) in different angiographic types and to determine the optimal therapeutic options for SISMAD patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 61 SISMAD patients between December 2010 and January 2019 in a single center. Data analysis consisted of demographics, clinical data, radiology review, treatment, follow-up, and outcomes.

Radiotherapy inhibits neointimal hyperplasia after artificial vascular replacement through Skp2/P27kip1.

We aimed to establish an animal model of abdominal aortic vascular replacement in mongrel dogs to investigate the effect of extracorporeal radiotherapy on the intima. Twenty healthy mongrel dogs were randomly divided into four groups: 5-week control group, 5-week radiotherapy group, 10-week control group and 10-week radiotherapy group. We first performed an artificial vascular replacement of the abdominal aortic segment.

Exosomes from linc00511-overexpressing ADSCs accelerates angiogenesis in diabetic foot ulcers healing by suppressing PAQR3-induced Twist1 degradation.

Aims: We aim to investigate the role of ADSCs (Adipose-derived stem cells)-derived exosomes on regulating angiogenesis in diabetic foot ulcers healing.

Methods: EPCs (endothelial progenitor cells) from human peripheral blood were applied as in vitro model of angiogenesis. Exosomes isolated from ADSCs culture medium were characterized by electron microscopy, size distribution and biomarker expression.

Roles of MicroRNAs in Peripheral Artery In-Stent Restenosis after Endovascular Treatment.

Endovascular repair including percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stent implantation has become the standard approach for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease; however, restenosis is still the main limited complication for the long-term success of the endovascular repair. Endothelial denudation and regeneration, inflammatory response, and neointimal hyperplasia are major pathological processes occurring during in-stent restenosis (ISR). MicroRNAs exhibit great potential in regulating several vascular biological events in different cell types and have been identified as novel therapeutic targets as well as biomarkers for ISR prevention.

Expression and inhibitory effects of p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis in gallbladder carcinoma.

The p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) has been reported to be involved in various types of cancer. However, its potential biological role in gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) has not been fully elucidated. The present study aimed to determine the expression levels of PUMA and its biological effects on GBC.

Diagnosis and outcomes of surgical treatment of carotid bifurcation tumors.

Objective: To retrospectively review our experience with the diagnosis and treatment of carotid bifurcation tumors (CBFT).

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 60 patients with CBFT who underwent surgical and conservative treatment. The patients' clinicopathological features, imaging examination findings, treatment strategy, and prognosis were analyzed.

Short-term results in canines of novel stent-graft design for chimney technique in TEVAR.

Introduction: Parallel stent-stent grafting is a major endovascular technique used to preserve the supra-aortic branches during thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) of aortic pathologies involving the aortic arch. The short- and mid-term results of this technique are satisfactory; however, endoleak remains a major concern. Thus, here we designed a new chimney stent-graft to decrease the endoleak rate.

Contrast-Induced Kidney Nephropathy in Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair: A 2-Year Retrospective Study in 470 Patients.

We identified changes in renal function in patients who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and the factors that may influence renal function. Information on 470 consecutive patients was collected. Kidney function and contrast volume were recorded.