Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation - Volume 50, issue 1-2

Authors: Hirschberg, Ruth M. | Plendl, Johanna | Kaessmeyer, Sabine

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: In the ovary with its cyclically developing and regressing functional bodies and the associated intense neovascularisation and remodelling, alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA) immunolocalisation has been frequently used as a marker to establish vessel hierarchy, in angiogenesis studies, or in studies characterising ovarian neoplasms in various species. The present study aims at detection of alpha-SMA-immunolocalisation within all structural components of the cycling bovine ovary in order to complement the hitherto available data. 27 ovaries, mainly of dairy cows ranging from 23 to 118 months of age and displaying all major stages of follicle and corpora lutea development, were collected at the …abattoir and subjected to routine HE and trichrome staining as well as alpha-SMA immunohistochemistry. For this purpose, the specimens were pooled to form groups of the respective stage of corpus luteum development. The ovarian stroma displayed a notable alpha-SMA-reactivity, particularly surrounding the functional bodies. The study revealed specialised vascular modifications such as multi-directionally arranged vascular smooth muscle layers, vascular sphincters and distinct epitheloid modifications of the media in ovarian arteries. Alpha-SMA-reactivity of the microcirculation within corpora lutea of various stages allowed inferences on respective angiogenic properties. The findings were discussed focussing on functional interpretations. Show more

Keywords: Alpha SMA, ovary, bovine, vascular smooth muscle cells, KDR

DOI: 10.3233/CH-2011-1448

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 50, no. 1-2, pp. 113-129, 2012

Authors: Roch, T. | Cui, J. | Kratz, K. | Lendlein, A. | Jung, F.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The need for engineered devices to treat cardiovascular diseases is increasing due to an aging population and a changing lifestyle. Soft poly(n-butyl acrylate) (cPnBA) networks were recently described as polymer networks with adjustable mechanical properties and suggested as soft substrates for cells, which could potentially be used for cardiovascular implants. Vascular prostheses designed to be implanted in arteries should have an elasticity similar to blood vessels (elastic modulus at body temperature between 100 and 1200 kPa). Therefore, cPnBA networks with E-moduli of 250 kPa (cPnBA0250) and 1100 kPa (cPnBA1100) were developed. Recently, it was shown that both materials were non-cytotoxic …for murin fibroblasts, human primary endothelial cells and human monocytes. However, before such newly developed polymers can be used in vivo, it has to be assured that the sterilized materials have a very low endotoxin load to avoid an unspecific activation of the immune system, which otherwise might cause local or systemic inflammatory responses and could lead to severe pathologies. In this study we investigated the immuno-compatibility of sterilized cPnBA0250 and cPnBA1100 with the help of an immuno-competent macrophage cell line as well as with whole human blood. Show more

Keywords: Immuno-compatibility, endotoxins, polymer networks, butylacrylate, biomaterial

DOI: 10.3233/CH-2010-1449

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 50, no. 1-2, pp. 131-142, 2012

Authors: Urschel, Katharina | Cicha, Iwona | Daniel, Werner G. | Garlichs, Christoph D.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Background: Atherosclerotic plaques are initiated by pro-inflammatory endothelial activation at arterial regions subjected to non-uniform shear stress. We applied the in vitro flow-through cell culture slides to investigate whether different patterns of shear stress affect the secreted cytokine and chemokine profile in endothelial cells. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECs) were exposed to 24 h of flow in straight or bifurcating flow-through slides, in some experiments followed by 6 h stimulation with 2.5 ng/mL TNF-α. IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, MIP-1α, MCP-1and sICAM-1 were measured in conditioned medium samples by flow cytometry using antibodies conjugated with fluorescent beads. Results: The …release of IL-1β, IL-12p70 and MIP-1α from endothelial cells exposed to shear stress was below detectable levels. Strongly increased level of sICAM and significantly increased IL-8 concentration were detected in conditioned medium from endothelial cells exposed to flow in bifurcating slides as compared with cells grown under laminar flow in straight channels. The release of IL-6 and MCP-1 was not significantly induced in bifurcating slides. Treatment with TNF-α for 6 h induced 2–3 fold increase in secreted chemokines and cytokines. In particular, significantly increased MCP-1 and increased IL-8 levels were released from endothelial cells grown in bifurcating slides. This release was partly prevented in cells grown in straight channels, i.e. under exposure to laminar flow only. Conclusions: Although the endothelial monolayer areas exposed to non-uniform shear stress are relatively small, the activation of cells in these regions is strong enough to produce a detectable change in cytokine and chemokine profile, which represents the earliest step in atherogenic endothelial dysfunction. Show more

Keywords: Shear stress, endothelium, cytokines, chemokines

DOI: 10.3233/CH-2011-1450

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 50, no. 1-2, pp. 143-152, 2012

Authors: Hiebl, B. | Fuhrmann, R. | Jung, F. | Kratz, K. | Lendlein, A. | Franke, R.P.

Article Type: Correction

DOI: 10.3233/CH-2012-1534

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 50, no. 1-2, pp. 153-153, 2012

Authors: Haacke, N. | Unger, J.K. | Haidenhein, C. | Russ, M. | Hiebl, B. | Niehues, S.M.

Article Type: Correction

DOI: 10.3233/CH-2012-1541

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 50, no. 1-2, pp. 155-155, 2012