Association between alcohol consumption and subclinical femoral atherosclerosis in smoking and non-smoking men: the AWHS study

Blood Flow in the Meniscus Can Be Visualized Arthroscopically Using an Intravenous Indocyanine Green Solution Diluted 10× in a Pig Model

Purpose

To determine the optimal indocyanine green (ICG) dose required for assessing vascularity in the meniscus using ICG fluorescence-guided knee arthroscopy in a pig model.

Methods

A 3-month-old Japanese esculent female pig was used in this study. Intravenous injections of ICG (25 mg) were administered with 2.0 mL of 5×, 10×, 100×, and 1,000× diluted solutions. An additional experiment was conducted to assess the microvasculature within the meniscus considering the results of the optimal dilution setting. A radial tear was purposely induced in the middle-to-posterior section of the medial meniscus to observe vascularity in the cross-sectioned meniscus; the optimal ICG dilution was administered.

Results

No fluorescence was detected in the meniscus with solutions diluted by 1,000× and 100×. Fluorescence was visualized at the anterior portion of the synovium and the anterior cruciate ligament using ICG diluted by 10×. Diluting ICG by 5×, contrast enhancement was too intense for observation. Therefore, the 10× diluted solution was considered the optimal setting for knee arthroscopy and observation of the radial tear. No fluorescence was observed in the cross section of the medial meniscus. Arterial hemorrhage was observed by stimulating the fluorescence-dyed synovium adjacent to the tear site. Through the additional waiting time after stimulating the tear site, the hemorrhage inside the meniscus became more intense.

Conclusions

The optimal dilution and dose setting of ICG for knee arthroscopy was 10× in a 2.0-mL intravenous injection. The meniscus showed no active blood flow, even in the red-red zone. This finding might support the notion that blood flow cannot be initiated, without synovial stimulation, even in vascular areas.

Clinical Relevance

This study could determine an ICG solution suitable for ICG fluorescence-guided knee arthroscopy. This finding could be valuable in future research focusing on case-specific meniscal vascularization under arthroscopy, particularly applying these findings to human meniscal treatment.

The intake of flavonoids, stilbenes, and tyrosols, mainly consumed through red wine and virgin olive oil, is associated with lower carotid and femoral subclinical atherosclerosis and coronary calcium

Purpose

It is suggested that polyphenols back the cardiovascular protection offered by the Mediterranean diet. This study evaluates the association of specific types of dietary polyphenols with prevalent subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged subjects.

Methods

Ultrasonography and TC were performed on 2318 men from the Aragon Workers Health Study, recruited between 2011 and 2014, to assess the presence of plaques in carotid and femoral arteries and coronary calcium. Polyphenol intake was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative 136-item food frequency questionnaire. The Phenol Explorer database was used to derive polyphenol class intake. Logistic and linear regressions were used to estimate the cross-sectional association of polyphenols intake with femoral and carotid subclinical atherosclerosis and coronary calcium.

Results

A higher intake of flavonoids (third vs. first tertile) was associated with a lower risk of both carotid (OR 0.80: CI 95% 0.62–1.02; P trend 0.094) and femoral (0.62: 0.48–0.80, P trend < 0.001) subclinical atherosclerosis. A higher intake of stilbenes was associated with a lower risk of femoral subclinical atherosclerosis (0.62: 0.46–0.83; P trend 0.009) and positive coronary calcium (0.75: 0.55–1.03; P trend 0.131). A higher intake of tyrosols was also associated with a lower risk of positive coronary calcium (0.80: 0.62–1.03; P trend 0.111). The associations remained similar when adjusted for blood lipids and blood pressure.

Conclusion

Dietary flavonoids, stilbenes, and tyrosols, whose main sources are red wine and virgin olive oil, are associated with lower prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged subjects.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00394-022-02823-0.

Ultrasmall Fe(III)-Tannic Acid Nanoparticles To Prevent Progression of Atherosclerotic Plaques

Macrophage accumulation is central to the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques. Reducing macrophages in plaques is an appealing approach to attenuate the development of atherosclerosis. Chemodynamic therapy, specifically inhibiting hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-rich cells in slightly acidic microenvironment, has emerged as a new method in tumor treatment. Herein, we manufactured ultrasmall dopamine-modified hyaluronic acid (HD)-stabilized Fe(III)-tannic acid nanoparticles (HFTNPs). HFTNPs can specifically accumulate in inflammatory macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques, provide brighter magnetic resonance images, promote reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and induce the death of inflammatory macrophages without damaging normal cells and tissues. In conclusion, HFTNPs have a tremendous potential as safe and effective diagnostic and therapeutic reagents for atherosclerosis.