Apoptosis at the site of rupture has been proposed to play a role in premature rupture of the fetal membranes, a condition associated with increased risk of neonatal sepsis and preterm birth. We ...investigated the ability of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ ligands 15-deoxy-Δ
12,14PGJ
2 (15d-PGJ
2), Δ
12PGJ
2, ciglitizone and rosiglitazone to induce apoptosis in the amnion-like WISH cell line. 15d-PGJ
2 (10 μM) induced morphological characteristics of apoptosis within 2 h, with biochemical indices (caspase activation and substrate cleavage) following shortly after; maximum cell death (approximately 60%) was observed by 16 h, with an EC
50 of approximately 7 μM 15d-PGJ
2. Δ
12-PGJ
2 also induced apoptosis but was less potent and acted at a much slower rate. While ciglitizone also induced apoptosis, rosiglitazone had no effect on cell viability. The mechanism of induction of apoptosis by 15d-PGJ
2 and Δ
12PGJ
2, which may be independent of PPAR-γ activation, requires further elucidation.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study were 1) to improve the attachment of reimplanted endothelial cells (EC) using a fibrin glue, and 2) to assess the impact of endothelial reseeding on restenosis ...eight weeks after balloon angioplasty.
BACKGROUND
A possible mechanism contributing to restenosis after balloon angioplasty is the loss of the EC lining. Previous attempts to reseed EC had little effect due to rapid loss of the seeded cells.
METHODS
Twelve atherosclerotic rabbits were subjected to angioplasty of iliac arteries and reseeding procedure. One iliac artery was subjected to EC/glue reconstruction and a contralateral site to EC seeding without glue. The animals were sacrificed after 4 h. In another series 12 rabbits were treated in the same fashion and were restudied at eight weeks. Additionally, in 10 animals one iliac was subjected to glue treatment, and another served as control.
RESULTS
Histological examination demonstrated the ability of this method to reattach the EC/glue matrix circumferentially to 68.0 ± 6.7% of the arterial wall in comparison with 13.5 ± 3.9% reattachment after EC seeding. Morphometry at eight weeks showed that the lumen area was significantly greater in the EC/glue group (1.23 ± 0.35 mm2) than in the EC seeding alone (0.65 ± 0.02 mm2) and 0.72 ± 0.41 mm2 in the glue group. This was principally accounted for by the statistically significant differences in the intimal area (0.76 ± 0.18 mm2 vs. 1.25 ± 0.26 mm2 and 1.01 ± 0.53 mm2, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
The attachment of EC after angioplasty can be greatly improved with fibrin glue matrix. The near 70% endothelial coverage achieved by this method resulted in a significant reduction of restenosis in atherosclerotic rabbit.
To determine the effects of inflammatory mediators on the production of activin A, inhibin A, and the binding protein follistatin in term amnion and choriodecidual tissues.
The effects of ...interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta; 1 ng/mL), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha; 10 ng/mL), and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 5 microg/mL) on production rates of activin A, inhibin A, and follistatin by term choriodecidual and amnion membranes in explant culture were determined using specific enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assays.
All explants (n = 6 placentas) produced detectable amounts of activin A, inhibin A, and follistatin under basal conditions; choriodecidual production rates were more than tenfold higher than amnion rates. In amnion explants, activin A production was stimulated by IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha to 450 +/- 155.4% and 531 +/- 170.8% of control, respectively (mean +/- standard error of the mean; P <.05 by analysis of variance), whereas production of inhibin and follistatin was stimulated to a much more modest extent. Similar responses were observed in the choriodecidual explants. Lipopolysaccharide had no significant effect on amnion activin A production, but stimulated choriodecidual production to 290 +/- 34% of control. Lipopolysaccharide exerted only limited effects on inhibin A and follistatin production.
Treatment with proinflammatory mediators resulted in a preferential increase in activin A production compared with that of inhibin A or follistatin. These findings suggest that inflammation of the gestational membranes could result in increased local activin A production and bioactivity.
Neointimal hyperplasia after PTCA is an important component of restenosis.
Cultures of rabbit endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were irradiated with different doses of nonablative ...infrared (1064-nm) radiation. Normalized viability index detected with nondestructive Alamar Blue assay and direct cell count were studied. Our experiments demonstrated dose-dependent cytostatic or cytotoxic effects of laser irradiation. We also evaluated the long-term effect of endoluminal nonablative infrared laser irradiation on neointimal hyperplasia in a rabbit balloon injury model. PTCA of both iliac arteries of 23 New Zealand White rabbits was performed. One iliac artery was subjected to intra-arterial subablative infrared irradiation via a diffuse tip fiber. The contralateral vessel served as control. The diet was supplemented with 0.25% cholesterol and 2% peanut oil for 10 days before and 60 days after PTCA. Morphometry after 60 days showed that intimal areas were 0.76+/-0.18 and 1.85+/-0.30 mm(2) in the laser and control arteries, respectively (P=2.2x10(-11)).
We conclude that nonablative infrared laser inhibited neointimal hyperplasia after PTCA in cholesterol-fed rabbits for up to 60 days.
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