Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Article Title: Plasma Extracellular Vesicles in Children with OSA Disrupt Blood–Brain Barrier Integrity and Endothelial Cell Wound Healing In Vitro

doi: 10.3390/ijms20246233

Figure Lengend Snippet: Effects of plasma exosomes derived from healthy (CO), OSA-NC(−), and OSA-NC(+) children on wound healing recovery (%) using endothelial cells originating from multiple diverse vascular beds.

Article Snippet: Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC), human iliac artery endothelial cells (HIAEC, Lonza, Walkersville, MD, USA), human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (hMVEC-d), human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-C), and human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-L) were purchased from Lonza (Walkersville, MD, USA), and cells were maintained following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Techniques: Clinical Proteomics, Derivative Assay

Journal: PLoS ONE

Article Title: Hypoperfusion of the Adventitial Vasa Vasorum Develops an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134386

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Schematic of the four rat experimental groups. (n = 10 per each group). (B) Steps of the operation performed to induce abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a rat (group IV). The operation included the following steps: (1) the infra-renal aorta was exfoliated from the surrounding tissue; (2) a polyurethane catheter was inserted through a small incision in the aorta, and cut short to a 5 mm length; (3) the incision was repaired with a 10–0 monofilament suture and blood flow was restarted; (4) the aorta was ligated with a 4–0 silk suture over the inserted catheter. Scale bar = 5 mm. (C) Maximum aortic diameters measured with transabdominal ultrasonography. The aortic diameter steadily increased only in group IV rats. Aortic diameters are given as means ± standard deviation. **P < 0.01 by analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s post-test. (D) Incidence of AAA in rats. An aneurysm was defined as a more than 50% increase in the aortic diameter over baseline level. **P < 0.01 by Kaplan–Meier analysis. (E) Macroscopic view of a group IV rat’s aorta and the illustration on postoperative day 28, showing development of a fusiform AAA above the aortic bifurcation. Prox. A means proximal aorta between the renal artery and the ligation. Scale bar = 10mm.

Article Snippet: We enrolled 37 patients who underwent elective open surgery for repair of infra-renal AAA or bilateral common iliac artery aneurysm at the Division of Vascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, between April 2008 and March 2012 ( ).

Techniques: Standard Deviation, Ligation

Journal: PLoS ONE

Article Title: Hypoperfusion of the Adventitial Vasa Vasorum Develops an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134386

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Preoperative contrast-enhanced 3D-multiple-detector computed tomographic images of a patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Scale bar = 20 mm. AAAs 30–49 mm in diameter were classified as small, and those more than 50 mm in diameter were classified as large. (B) Upper: representative images of cross-sections of small and large AAAs, (Elastica van Gieson staining). In the small AAAs, medial elastic fibers are relatively well preserved in comparison with the large AAAs. In these large AAAs, the medial elastic lamina is extensively disrupted, with a thick intraluminal thrombus. Ad;,adventitia; Me, media; In, intima. Scale bar = 500 μm. Lower part: representative images from the immunohistochemical assay for hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in a small and a large AAA. Nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of HIF-1α was observed in the media/adventitia in both AAAs. Scale bar = 500 μm. (C) Representative images of immunofluorescence staining for smooth muscle cells (SMCs; alpha-smooth muscle cell actin, ASMA) (green) and HIF-1α (red). Merged images showed that HIF-1α was positive in SMCs. Scale bar = 20 μm. (D) Representative images of immunofluorescence staining for fibroblasts (S-100; green) and HIF-1α (red). Merged images showed that HIF-1α was positive in fibroblasts. Scale bar = 20 μm. (E) Patency of the adventitial vasa vasorum (VV) in human tissues (Elastica van Gieson staining). The VVs are patent in the normal aorta but stenotic in the small and larger AAA sacs. Scale bar = 50μm. (F) Lumen patency of the VV was measured as the ratio of the lumen area to the total area, which was bounded by the external elastic lamina (EEL) in each VV. The figure compares lumen patency of adventitial VV among a normal aorta, a small AAA sac, and a large AAA sac adventitial VV. Data were obtained from six cadavers with normal aortae, seven patients with small AAAs, and 30 patients with large AAAs). **P < 0.01.

Article Snippet: We enrolled 37 patients who underwent elective open surgery for repair of infra-renal AAA or bilateral common iliac artery aneurysm at the Division of Vascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, between April 2008 and March 2012 ( ).

Techniques: Staining, Comparison, Immunohistochemical staining, Expressing, Immunofluorescence