Forensic interrogation of diabetic endothelitis in cardiovascular diseases and clinical translation in heart failure

Diabetic heart disease(DHD)can be classified as a primary consequence from several pathophysiological manifestation of diabetes mellitus(DM)on cardiac tissues or secondarily in extracardiac tissues and is encountered as either primary or secondary complications of DM.Endothelitis is inflammation of the vascular endothelium and is likely to be seen in the majority of patients who start to manifest an end organ complication of DM in this case DHD.Diabetes is a leading cause for many cardiovascular syndromes and diseases including congestive heart failure(CHF)however much remains unknown about the transition from diagnosed DM to clinical state and the contribution of the various mechanical and counterregulatory systems in the manifested complaint.Diastolic heart failure or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(DHF/HFpEF),accounts for half of all CHF presentations,has DM as a major contributor,however,there remain large gaps in clinical and pathophysiological understanding.This review aims to explore the microscopic aspects in diabetic endothelitis and provide a clinical link to with context to HFpEF.

Effect of intramuscular electro-acupuncture-mediated VEGF gene transfer on experimental limb ischemia

To investigate the feasibility of intramuscular electro-acupuncture-mediated VEGF gene transfer on experimental limb ischemia, the transcription and expression of VEGF gene have been detected with RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry staining, and the biological effect of VEGF gene inside the nat limb has been observed through vascular angiography. Results from angiography show that the transfer of VEGF gene into the rat with experimental limb ischemia can stimulate the formation of neovessel, establish collateral circulation, augment blood perfusion, and ameliorate distal limb necrosis. These findings reveal that intramuscular electro acupuncture-mediated VEGF gene transfer may present a new therapeutic modality for treating tissue ischemia.

Surface patterning and modification of polyurethane biomaterials using silsesquioxane-gelatin additives for improved endothelial affinity

Polyurethanes(PUs) are well-known for their biocompatibility but their intrinsic inert property hampers cell-matrix interactions. Surface modifications are thus necessary to widen their use for biomedical applications. In this work, surface modifications of PU were achieved first by incorporating polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane(POSS), followed by alteration of the surface topography via the breath figures method. Subsequently, surface chemistry was also modified by immobilization of gelatin molecules through grafting, for the enhancement of the surface cytocompatibility. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) was used to verify the formation of highly ordered microstructures while static contact angle, FTIR and XPS confirmed the successful grafting of gelatin molecules onto the surfaces. In vitro culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) revealed that endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation were significantly enhanced on the gelatin-modified surfaces, as shown by live/dead staining and WST-1 proliferation assay. The results indicated that the combination of the strategies yielded an interface that improves cell attachment and subsequent growth. This enhancement is important for the development of higher quality biomedical implants such as vascular grafts.