Long term follow-up of the endovascular trans-vessel wall technique for parenchymal access in rabbit with full clinical integration

The creation of an endovascular exit through the vessel wall using a minimally invasive working channel in order to reach all human organs

Since the establishment of the Seldinger technique for secure entry to the vascular system, there has been a rapid evolution in imaging and catheters that has made the arteries and veins internal routes to any place in the body for interventions. It is curious that a general exit from the vasculature in a similar manner has not been proposed earlier. Possibly, the simplest reason is that accidental perforation of the vasculature by guide wire or catheter is a feared adverse event in endovascular intervention. Most places in the body can be reached by ultrasonography or computed tomography-guided intervention. Some organs such as the central nervous system, the heart and pancreas are harder to access and, in some organs, like the kidney, repeated percutaneous punctions to cover large areas is not suitable. We present a new general purpose micro-endovascular device creating a working channel to these 'hard to reach' organs by an inverted Seldinger technique. This review details this trans-vessel wall technique, which has been studied in pancreas for transplantation of insulin-producing cells, for injection of contrast agent to the heart and to the brain, bowels and kidney in rat, rabbit, swine and macaque monkeys with up to one year of follow-up without adverse events. Furthermore, the payloads that can be given through such a system are briefly discussed. Drugs, cells, gene vectors and other therapeutic substances may be injected directly to the tissue to increase efficacy and decrease risk of off-site adverse effects.

Access to the brain parenchyma using endovascular techniques and a micro-working channel

OBJECTIVE Several older studies report a low risk for parenchymal access to the CNS by surgical techniques. In more recent studies, including those with post-puncture CT scans, there are indications that the risk of bleeding might approach 8%. New therapies, such as those that use viral vectors, modified mRNA, or cell transplantation, will probably warrant more parenchymal access to the CNS. Other minimally invasive routes might then be tempting to explore. This study was designed in 2 parts to address the possibility of using the endovascular route. The first aim was to test the ability to create a parenchymal micro-working channel to the CNS in macaque monkeys through the vessel wall. Second, the biocompatibility of a device-associated, detached, distal securing plug that was made of nitinol was investigated in swine for 1 year. METHODS Trans-vessel wall intervention in the middle cerebral artery and associated cerebral parenchyma was performed in 4 rhesus macaque monkeys using a full clinical angiography suite. A contrast agent and methylene blue were injected to test the working channel and then detached at the distal end to act as a securing plug through the vessel wall. One-year follow-ups were also performed using angiography and histological analysis in 10 swine with 24 implants that were distributed in the external carotid artery tree. RESULTS The cerebral interventions were performed without acute bleeding. Both the contrast agent and methylene blue were infused into the brain parenchyma and subarachnoidal space via the endovascular micro-working channel (7 injections in 4 animals). In the 1-year follow-up period, the implant that was left in the external carotid vessel wall in the swine was covered by the endothelium, which was followed by dislodgement just outside the blood vessel with thin capsule formation. No stenosis in the artery was detected on 1-year angiography. The animals showed normal behavior and blood sample results during the follow-up period. This is the first histological demonstration of nitinol biocompatibility when the implant is positioned through an arterial wall and indicates that the trans-vessel wall technique is not comparable with stent placement and its ability to induce intimal hyperplasia and restenosis. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that the trans-vessel wall technique is applicable to brain intervention in macaque monkeys, providing a micro-working channel for delivery or sampling. The long-term follow-up study of the detached device in swine showed no clinical or biochemical complications and a normal angiography appearance.

Liver parenchyma access and lesion marker via the endovascular route

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic regimens for metastatic colorectal cancer are now so effective that they can cause "vanishing" lesions. With new advances such as local ablation, intra-arterial treatments in bolus with pumps or with beads, and isolation of hepatic perfusion, the need for a working channel to the liver may be warranted, ideally reducing the risk of spreading neoplastic cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The endovascular trans-vessel wall Extroducer device makes it possible to gain direct access to the liver parenchyma. The distal tip is then detached, to act as both a marker and a securing plug in the vessel defect. We used ex vivo and in vivo tests to evaluate the device as a working channel for local administration of substances to the parenchyma and as a marker for detection with both transabdominal and intraoperative ultrasonography.

RESULTS

We could deploy the Extroducer device without any hemorrhagic or thromboembolic complications in vivo, and we were able to detect all markers ex vivo and in vivo using both transabdominal and intraoperative ultrasonography. Furthermore, we found that it is possible to administer substances to the liver parenchyma using the catheter.

CONCLUSIONS

The trans-vessel wall technique can be used to establish a working channel to the liver parenchyma for administration of any substance, such as chemotherapeutic agents or cells. The detached device can also be used as a marker for ultrasound-guided partial liver resection in "vanishing lesions." The technique should have a low risk of seeding of neoplastic cells. This study in large animals forms a strong basis for translation to clinical studies.

Acute dietary nitrate supplementation does not augment submaximal forearm exercise hyperemia in healthy young men

Despite the popularity of dietary nitrate supplementation and the growing evidence base of its potential ergogenic and vascular health benefits, there is no direct information about its effects on exercising limb blood flow in humans. We hypothesized that acute dietary nitrate supplementation from beetroot juice would augment the increases in forearm blood flow, as well as the progressive dilation of the brachial artery, during graded handgrip exercise in healthy young men. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, 12 young (22 ± 2 years) healthy men consumed a beetroot juice (140 mL Beet-It Sport, James White Juice Company) that provided 12.9 mmol (0.8 g) of nitrate or placebo (nitrate-depleted Beet-It Sport) on 2 study visits. At 3 h postconsumption, brachial artery diameter, flow, and blood velocity were measured (Doppler ultrasound) at rest and during 6 exercise intensities. Nitrate supplementation raised plasma nitrate (19.5-fold) and nitrite (1.6-fold) concentrations, and lowered resting arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) versus placebo (all p < 0.05), indicating absorption, conversion, and a biological effect of this supplement. The supplement-associated lowering of PWV was also negatively correlated with plasma nitrite (r = -0.72, p = 0.0127). Despite these systemic effects, nitrate supplementation had no effect on brachial artery diameter, flow, or shear rates at rest (all p ≥ 0.28) or during any exercise workload (all p ≥ 0.18). These findings suggest that acute dietary nitrate supplementation favorably modifies arterial PWV, but does not augment blood flow or brachial artery vasodilation during nonfatiguing forearm exercise in healthy young men.

Endovascular method for transplantation of insulin-producing cells to the pancreas parenchyma in swine

Insulin-producing cells are transplanted by portal vein injection as an alternative to pancreas transplantation in both clinical and preclinical trials. Two of the main limitations of portal vein transplantation are the prompt activation of the innate immunity and concomitant loss of islets and a small but significant risk of portal vein thrombosis. Furthermore, to mimic physiological release, the insulin-producing cells should instead be located in the pancreas. The trans-vessel wall approach is an endovascular method for penetrating the vessel wall from the inside. In essence, a working channel is established to the parenchyma of organs that are difficult to access by percutaneous technique. In this experiment, we accessed the extra-vascular pancreatic parenchyma in swine by microendovascular technique and injected methylene blue, contrast fluids and insulin-producing cells without acute adverse events. Further, we evaluated the procedure itself by a 1-year angiographical follow-up, without adverse events. This study shows that the novel approach utilizing endovascular minimal invasiveness coupled to accurate trans-vessel wall placement of an injection in the pancreatic parenchyma with insulin-producing cells is possible. In clinical practice, the potential benefits compared to portal vein cell transplantation should significantly improve endocrine function of the graft and potentially reduce adverse events.