title: Aspirin Inhibits Degenerative Changes of Aneurysmal Wall in a Rat Model.
abstract: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage still has a high mortality and morbidity despite notable advances in surgical approaches to cerebral aneurysm (CA). We examined the role of aspirin in vascular inflammation and degeneration. CA was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by ligating left common carotid artery and bilateral posterior renal arteries with or without aspirin treatment. The right anterior cerebral artery/olfactory artery (ACA/OA) bifurcations were stripped and assessed morphologically after Verhoeff's Van Gieson staining. Blood sample was obtained to examine circulating CD34(+) CD133(+) endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), platelet aggregation and platelet counts. Macrophages infiltration in aneurysmal wall was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 (MMP-2 and 9), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) was examined by RT-PCR. 2 months after CA induction, surgically treated rats manifested aneurysmal degeneration in ACA/OA bifurcations. Aspirin-treated rats exhibited a significant decrease in degradation of internal elastic lamina (IEL), medial layer thinning, CA size and macrophages infiltration with reduced expression of MMP-2 and 9 compared with rats in the CA group. RT-PCR demonstrated that the upregulation of NF-κB, MCP-1 and VCAM-1 after CA induction was reversed by aspirin treatment. Aspirin treatment following CA induction increased circulating EPCs to near control levels and reduced platelet aggregation without changing platelet counts. The evidence suggested that aspirin significantly reduced degeneration of aneurysm walls by inhibiting macrophages-mediated chronic inflammation and mobilizing EPCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-trauma Neuro-repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Injuries, Variations and Regeneration of Nervous System, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shengjie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dehui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Huijie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Ziwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing-Fei
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Rongcai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jianning
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D001241:Aspirin