Endothelial cell seeding fails to prevent intimal hyperplasia following arterial injury in the rat carotid model.
OBJECTIVE
Aim of the study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of endothelial cell seeding to inhibit the neointimal response after balloon injury of the rat carotid artery.


RESULTS
Endothelial cells were isolated from peripheral blood after cytokine-stimulation (PB-EC), the bone marrow compartment (BM-EC), and the thoracic aorta (AO-EC) of male rats. The EC-populations were characterized by microscopy, cytofluorometry, and PCR-analysis, and displayed distinct patterns of RNA-expression of the EC-markers VEGF-receptor 1 and 2, and TIE2. 5 x 10(5) ECs were incubated in the freshly balloon-denuded arterial bed for 30 min achieving about 70% coverage with all 3 EC-populations. However, the neointimal response 2 weeks after the procedure was significantly aggravated in the EC-seeded carotids (I/M-ratio: non-seeded Control 1.00 +/- 0.10, PB-EC 1.53 +/- 0.07, BM-EC 1.64 +/- 0.12, and AO-EC 1.55 +/- 0.14; P < 0.05 vs. Control for all). We found evidence for an accelerated cell-turnover (TUNEL-assay, total cell-density, infiltration with CD45(pos) haematopoietic cells) especially in the adventitia of the treated vessels.


CONCLUSIONS
Endothelial cell seeding fails to prevent intimal hyperplasia following arterial injury in the rat carotid model.
Jobst
Bertram J
BJ
Department of Internal Medicine II, Regensburg University Medical Center, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, Regensburg, 93053, Germany.
Riegger
Guenter A J
GA
Griese
Daniel P
DP
D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D002404:Catheterization; D002452:Cell Count; D019070:Cell Lineage; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D012313:RNA; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate