Perivascular paclitaxel wraps block arteriovenous graft stenosis in a pig model

BACKGROUND

Haemodialysis vascular access dysfunction is currently a huge clinical problem. In an attempt to reduce the morbidity associated with haemodialysis vascular access dysfunction, we have previously developed and validated a local perivascular paclitaxel release system that has been shown to release paclitaxel for at least 3 weeks. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the in vivo use of these perivascular wraps (for both safety and efficacy) at different time points in our pig model of arteriovenous graft stenosis.

METHODS

Paclitaxel-loaded ethylene vinyl acetate wraps were placed around the graft-vein anastomosis on one side, with control polymers being placed on the contralateral side in our pig model of arteriovenous graft stenosis. Animals were sacrificed at early (10-11 days), middle (23-24 days) and late (32-38 days) time points. The entire graft-vein anastomosis was removed at the time of sacrifice and assessed for the extent of luminal stenosis using histomorphometric techniques.

RESULT

Graft-vein anastomoses treated with the paclitaxel-loaded polymers had an almost complete absence of luminal stenosis at the middle (23-24 days) and late (32-38 days) time points (when one would expect the development of neointimal hyperplasia) as compared with the contralateral control graft-vein anastomoses (37.90% luminal stenosis in the controls vs 0.10% in the paclitaxel group). There were minimal local side effects from this procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate the safety and efficacy of paclitaxel-loaded perivascular wraps in the setting of a pig model of arteriovenous graft stenosis. We believe that such a local approach which could be easily applied at the time of surgery is ideally suited for use in the clinical setting of haemodialysis vascular access dysfunction. It is likely that this novel approach could result in a significant reduction in the huge economic and health morbidity costs currently associated with this recalcitrant clinical problem.

Local administration of ramiprilat is less effective than oral ramipril in preventing restenosis after balloon angioplasty in an animal model

PURPOSE

To test the hypothesis that local administration of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor via a microporous balloon catheter would be more effective than oral administration of ACE inhibitor in preventing neointima formation after balloon angioplasty.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Neointima formation was induced by balloon denudation followed by 0.5% cholesterol diet in 29 New Zealand White rabbits. Directly after denudation, local administration of 1.8 mg of ramiprilat (n = 7) or saline (n = 7) with a microporous balloon catheter at a pressure of 3 atm was performed. Both groups additionally received ramipril orally (1 mg/d). Seven animals were treated exclusively with oral ramipril. The control group was fed a 0.5% cholesterol diet and given no medication (n = 8). Six weeks after intervention, the animals were killed and morphometric and immunohistologic analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Oral administration of ramipril resulted in a significant reduction of placque area (-66%, P < .05). Oral and local administration of the ACE inhibitor was followed by a nonsignificant reduction of the neointimal area (-17%). Local administration of saline combined with oral ramipril failed to prevent neointimal formation (reduction of 6%, NS).

CONCLUSION

Oral administration of ramipril resulted in a significant reduction of neointimal proliferation in New Zealand White rabbits. The possible benefit of an additional administration of local ramiprilat was diminished by an excessive neointimal hyperplasia, which was most likely caused by the inherent vessel trauma with use of the microporous balloon catheter.

H-series protein kinase inhibitors and potential clinical applications

During the course of generating derivatives of N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalene-sulfonamide, a synthetic calmodulin inhibitor, we came across several analogues with shorter alkyl chains that exhibited inhibition of serine/threonine protein kinase activities in an ATP-competitive manner. Certain derivatives proved to be selective inhibitors of protein kinases useful for elucidation of relevant functions of the enzymes. One of them turned out to be a unique vasodilator that preferentially suppresses delayed cerebral vasospasm, a critical complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage, without significant changes in systemic blood pressure. The compound in question, 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-homopiperazine, was identified from sequential development of protein kinase inhibitors with isoquinolinesulfonyl structures, which occupy the adenine pocket of the ATP-binding site of the enzyme. It recently has been proposed that the target kinase responsible for vasodilation by 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-homopiperazine may be Rho-kinase, which regulates phosphorylation of myosin light chains and vasocontraction. Because protein phosphorylation plays important roles in regulation of various cellular functions, the foregoing is a good example of current progress in the development of protein kinase inhibitors with potential clinical applications.

The role of the adventitia in the arterial response to angioplasty: the effect of intravascular radiation

PURPOSE

In the current series of experiments we have characterized cell proliferation leading to vascular lesion formation in a porcine model for post-angioplasty restenosis and examined the mechanism of action of intravascular beta irradiation in the prevention of lesion formation in this model.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Juvenile male pigs were subjected to balloon overstretch injury of the left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries using clinical angioplasty catheters. Proliferating cells were labelled by injections of 50 mg/kg of bromo-deoxyuridine (BrDU) 24, 16 and 8 hrs prior to sacrifice and were detected by immunohistochemistry using a specific antibody to BrDU. In some cases, BrDU was given as a pulse 3 days after angioplasty and the animals sacrificed on day 14 to follow the migration of the cells which had proliferated earlier. Characterization of the proliferating cells was performed by immunohistochemistry using antibodies to specific cytoskeletal proteins specific for smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts. Some vessels were treated at the time of angioplasty with 14 or 28 Gy (to a depth of 2 mm) intravascular irradiation using a flexible catheter with a pure beta emitter 90 SR/Y and the effect on cell proliferation and terminal transferase-mediated UTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) examined 3 or 7 days later.

RESULTS

The first major site of cell proliferation between 2-3 days after angioplasty is the adventitia and not the medial wall. Seven days after angioplasty cell proliferation is predominant in the neointima and is reduced in the media and adventitia. Differential staining with antibodies directed against smooth muscle alpha actin and other cytoskeletal proteins indicates that the proliferating adventitial cells are myofibroblasts. Pulse label studies with BrDU indicates that the proliferating adventitial myofibroblasts migrate into the neointima and contribute to the mass of the restenosis lesion. Fourteen days after angioplasty the myofibroblasts in the neointima and the adventitia express alpha smooth muscle actin and form a fibrotic scar in the adventitia surrounding the injury site. Endovascular irradiation appears to inhibit development of the restenosis lesion by significantly reducing cell proliferation in the media and adventitia at early time points after injury. There were no significant differences in the percent of TUNEL labelled cells in the irradiated vessels compared to controls. Alpha actin staining of myofibroblasts in the adventitia was reduced in the irradiated vessels suggesting a positive effect of intravascular irradiation on vascular remodeling.

CONCLUSIONS

These studies have shown that adventitial myofibroblasts contribute to the problem of post-angioplasty restenosis by proliferating, forming a fibrotic scar surrounding the injury site, and migrating into the neointima. We hypothesize that the adventitial fibrosis which develops at the injury site contributes to negative vascular remodeling associated with clinical restenosis. Experiments in which vessels were exposed to intravascular irradiation at the time of angioplasty indicate that this treatment reduces post-angioplasty restenosis by inhibiting early cell proliferation in the media and adventitia and by preventing the fibrotic changes in the adventitia without a corresponding increase in cellular death or apoptosis in these tissues.

Periadventitial delivery of heparin in the prevention of microvenous thrombosis

PURPOSE

In spite of advances in technique and instrumentation, microvascular free tissue transfer remains associated with a persistent risk of flap failure. The use of systemic anticoagulants to overcome the formation of vasoocclusive thrombi at reactive anastomotic sites is associated with a high rate of flap hematoma and is ill advised in the operative setting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of a biodegradable, nontoxic polymer gel (polyvinyl alcohol, PVA) to effect a sustained localized release of perivascular heparin around thrombogenic venous anastomoses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A modified adventitial inclusion model was created in the femoral vein of 64 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were divided into four experimental groups: 1) no treatment (controls), 2) periadventitial PVA gel contained in a vicryl chamber, 3) periadventitial PVA gel mixed with heparin, and 4) systemic heparin (intravenous pump). Patency rates in the femoral vein were checked at 10 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, and 4 days after surgery. Systemic coagulation parameters and histology (scanning electron microscopy, SEM) were assessed in representative animals from all groups.

RESULTS

Patency rates for experimental groups showed a significant improvement in animals treated with PVA/heparin and systemic heparin over controls. Wound hematomas occurred in 7 of 16 animals in group 3, and in 4 of 16 animals in group 4. Activated partial thromboplastin times were elevated in group 4 only (> 150 seconds).

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous release of periadventitial heparin using a polymeric delivery system may represent an efficient means of attenuating the reactivity of microvenous anastomoses without affecting systemic coagulation parameters. In this model, however, its use was associated with a high rate of local wound hematoma.

Potential role of the adventitia in arteritis and atherosclerosis

The role of the adventitia in vascular lesion formation has been largely ignored despite numerous studies which have suggested its potential importance. Adventitial reactions are common in atherosclerosis as well as arteritis. Experimental hypercholesterolemia in pigs and non-human primates stimulates the accumulation of inflammatory cells in the arterial adventitia. The extent of adventitial inflammation associated with human atherosclerotic plaques is correlated with the severity of intimal disease. Adventitial reactions also occur after balloon angioplasty. Our studies indicate that the major site of cell proliferation after angioplasty of porcine coronary arteries is the adventitia and not the medial wall. These cells have been identified as myofibroblasts on the basis of differential staining with smooth muscle specific antibodies and a role for these cells in arterial remodeling associated with angioplasty and late lumen loss is postulated. Evidence from pulse studies with bromodeoxyuridine suggests that adventitial myofibroblasts have the capacity to migrate into the forming intimal lesion after angioplasty and may be a major component of the neointima. Additional work will have to be directed at a more detailed examination of the response of adventitial cells to balloon injury and in the setting of atherosclerosis and arteritis to determine what role these cells might play vascular lesion development.

Effect of verapamil on intimal thickening and vascular reactivity in the collared carotid artery of the rabbit

1. Intimal thickening is a common site for atherosclerosis. Therefore, we investigated whether the calcium entry blocker verapamil (10 mg kg-1 body weight day-1, s.c.) can retard intimal thickening and changes in vascular reactivity induced by a non-occlusive, silicone collar positioned around the left carotid artery of rabbits. The contralateral carotid artery was sham-operated and served as a control. 2. Verapamil and placebo (saline 0.1 ml kg-1, day-1, s.c.) treatments were initiated 7 days before placing the collar and lasted 3 weeks. Thereafter, segments were cut from collared and sham-treated arteries for histology and isometric tension recording. 3. The intima/media (I/M ratio increased after 14 days of collar treatment, but intimal thickening was not inhibited by verapamil (I/M ratio placebo 0.31 +/- 0.07, verapamil 0.32 +/- 0.09). 4. The collar decreased the capacity to develop force, as indicated by the response to a supramaximal concentration of KCl, decreased the sensitivity (pD2) to acetylcholine (ACh) and phenylephrine (Phe), but increased the sensitivity to 5-hydroxytryamine (5-HT). 5. Although verapamil did not affect intimal thickening, it normalized the hypersensitivity to 5-HT in collared arteries. 6. The contraction to the supramaximal concentration of KCl was not affected by verapamil. Verapamil decreased the Emax of ACh, but this was only seen in collar-treated arteries. Verapamil also decreased the sensitivity to ACh and Phe, in both sham- and collar-treated arteries. 7. We conclude that verapamil, without preventing thickening of the intima, can modify collar-induced changes in vascular reactivity.

Simvastatin releases Ca2+ from a thapsigargin-sensitive pool and inhibits InsP3-dependent Ca2+ mobilization in vascular smooth muscle cells

Simvastatin (SV), an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity inhibits migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). To investigate whether these effects of SV are related to inhibition of cell calcium mobilization, cultured SMC obtained from rat aorta were loaded with Fura-2 to determine the basal cytosolic free calcium levels ([Ca2+]i) and the agonist-stimulated Ca2+ mobilization. SV (20 mu M) transiently increased cytosolic free calcium, an effect that depends mainly on intracellular calcium release (68%). This effect of SV was markedly reduced (75%) by thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the Ca2+ ATPase of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (InsP3)-sensitive calcium pools. Incubation of cells with SV (15 min) inhibited the mobilization of Ca2+ by angiotensin II, platelet-derived growth factor, and vasopressin (IC50 = 5 mu M). SV did not affect inositol trisphosphate (InsP3) levels or modify its generation by angiotensin II (Ang II) and vasopressin. Furthermore, in saponin-permeabilized cells, SV abolished the release of calcium by 2,3-dideoxy-InsP3. SV reduced the effect of thapsigargin on InsP3-sensitive stores by 67%, suggesting that SV depletes these calcium pools. The inhibitory effect of SV on calcium mobilization was prevented by coincubation of cultured cells (24 h) with 1 mM mevalonic acid, the product of HMG-CoA reductase activity. These results support the notion that SV inhibits [corrected] the migration and proliferation of SMC by directly affecting cell Ca2+.