PPARa activation improves endothelial dysfunction and reduces fibrosis and portal pressure in cirrhotic rats

Background & Aims: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor a (PPARa) is a transcription factor activated by ligands that regulates genes related to vascular tone, oxidative stress, and fibrogenesis, pathways implicated in the development of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. This study aims at evaluating the effects of PPARa activation with fenofibrate on hepatic and systemic hemodynamics, hepatic endothelial dysfunction, and hepatic fibrosis in CCl4-cirrhotic rats. Methods: Mean arterial pressure (MAP), portal pressure (PP), and portal blood flow (PBF) were measured in cirrhotic rats treated with oral fenofibrate (25 mg/kg/day, n = 10) or its vehicle (n = 12) for 7 days. The liver was then perfused and dose-relaxation curves to acetylcholine (Ach) were performed. We also evaluated Sirius Red staining of liver sections, collagen-I mRNA expression, and smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) protein expression, cyclo-oxygenase-1 (COX-1) protein expression, and cGMP levels in liver homogenates, and TXB2 production in perfusates. Nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and eNOS activation were measured in hepatic endothelial cells (HEC) isolated from cirrhotic rat livers. Results: CCl4 cirrhotic rats treated with fenofibrate had a significantly lower PP (29%) and higher MAP than those treated with vehicle. These effects were associated with a significant reduction in hepatic fibrosis and improved vasodilatory response to acetylcholine. Moreover, a reduction in COX-1 expression and TXB2 production in rats receiving fenofibrate and a significant increase in NO bioavailability in HEC with fenofibrate were observed. Conclusions: PPARa activation markedly reduced PP and liver fibrosis and improved hepatic endothelial dysfunction in cirrhotic rats, suggesting it may represent a new therapeutic strategy for portal hypertension in cirrhosis

A Practical Guide to the Automated Analysis of Vascular Growth, Maturation and Injury in the Brain

The distinct organization of the brain’s vasculature ensures the adequate delivery of oxygen and nutrients during development and adulthood. Acute and chronic pathological changes of the vascular system have been implicated in many neurological disorders including stroke and dementia. Here, we describe a fast, automated method that allows the highly reproducible, quantitative assessment of distinct vascular parameters and their changes based on the open source software Fiji (ImageJ). In particular, we developed a practical guide to reliably measure aspects of growth, repair and maturation of the brain’s vasculature during development and neurovascular disease in mice and humans. The script can be used to assess the effects of different external factors including pharmacological treatments or disease states. Moreover, the procedure is expandable to blood vessels of other organs and vascular in vitro models. © Copyright © 2020 Rust, Kirabali, Grönnert, Dogancay, Limasale, Meinhardt, Werner, Laviña, Kulic, Nitsch, Tackenberg and Schwab

A molecular atlas of cell types and zonation in the brain vasculature

Cerebrovascular disease is the third most common cause of death in developed countries, but our understanding of the cells that compose the cerebral vasculature is limited. Here, using vascular single-cell transcriptomics, we provide molecular definitions for the principal types of blood vascular and vessel-associated cells in the adult mouse brain. We uncover the transcriptional basis of the gradual phenotypic change (zonation) along the arteriovenous axis and reveal unexpected cell type differences: a seamless continuum for endothelial cells versus a punctuated continuum for mural cells. We also provide insight into pericyte organotypicity and define a population of perivascular fibroblast-like cells that are present on all vessel types except capillaries. Our work illustrates the power of single-cell transcriptomics to decode the higher organizational principles of a tissue and may provide the initial chapter in a molecular encyclopaedia of the mammalian vasculature.Peer reviewe

Brain Vascular Imaging Techniques

Recent major improvements in a number of imaging techniques now allow for the study of the brain in ways that could not be considered previously. Researchers today have well-developed tools to specifically examine the dynamic nature of the blood vessels in the brain during development and adulthood; as well as to observe the vascular responses in disease situations in vivo. This review offers a concise summary and brief historical reference of different imaging techniques and how these tools can be applied to study the brain vasculature and the blood-brain barrier integrity in both healthy and disease states. Moreover, it offers an overview on available transgenic animal models to study vascular biology and a description of useful online brain atlases

Mecanismes involucrats en la regulació del to vascular hepàtic en la cirrosi: Paper de l'estrès oxidatiu i biodisponibilitat d'òxid nítric

[cat] La hipertensió portal és una síndrome clínica que representa la principal complicació de la cirrosi hepàtica i es caracteritza per un increment patològic de la pressió hidrostàtica del sistema venós portal. Bona part de les complicacions derivades de la cirrosi hepàtica, estan directament relacionades amb la presència d'hipertensió portal clínicament significativa. A causa de la gravetat d'aquestes complicacions, la hipertensió portal representa la primera causa de morbimortalitat en malalts cirròtics.La pressió portal ve determinada per la interrelació entre el flux sanguini portal i la resistència que s'oposa a aquest flux. L'augment de la resistencia vascular intrahepàtica (RVI) constitueix el fenomen fisiopatològic primari de la hipertensió portal.Amb l'objectiu de caracteritzar el component dinàmic de la RVI, s'han estudiat quins són els elements contràctils intrahepàtics i si en la cirrosi existeixen anormalitats en la regulació dels mecanismes de contracció cel·lular. Fins a l'actualitat s'han descrit diversos tipus de cèl·lules hepàtiques amb capacitat contràctil com els miofibroblasts portals i septals i les vènules portals, però majoritàriament s'ha postulat que les principals cèl·lules involucrades en la regulació del to vascular hepàtic són les cèl·lules hepàtiques estrellades.S'han descrit un ampli ventall de molècules amb capacitat vasomotora com a moduladores de la RVI en la cirrosi. Aquestes substàncies poden procedir de la circulació sistèmica (com l'angiotensina II o la vasopressina), poden originar-se a l'endoteli i actuar de forma paracrina (com l'òxid nítric (ON), la prostaciclina (PGI2) o l'endotelina) o tenir un origen neuronal (norepinefrina).El to vascular en condicions normals és el resultat d'un delicat balanç entre diversos mediadors vasoactius. En la circulació hepàtica en la cirrosi existeix un marcat desequilibri en la producció i concentració d'aquests mediadors vasoactius: els nivells de vasoconstrictors es troben elevats (com l'endotelina o el prostanoid derivat de la ciclooxigenasa 1 (COX-1): tromboxà A2) i els nivells de vasodilatadors estan reduïts (principalment l'ON). A més, s'ha demostrat que els fetges cirròtics presenten una hiperresposta als estímuls vasoconstrictors i una hiporesposta als vasodilatadors.S'ha demostrat que en el fetge cirròtic, la biodisponibilitat d'ON es troba disminuïda, la qual cosa es considera un factor fonamental per a promoure l'augment de RVI.Diversos estudis, a través d'estratègies experimentals ben diferents, han aconseguit incrementar la producció hepàtica d'ON reduint així la RVI i la pressió portal de rates amb cirrosi sense modificar la pressió arterial.En els últims anys s'ha posat de manifest el paper de l'estrès oxidatiu i de les ROS en el control del to vascular i en el desenvolupament de disfunció endotelial de diverses malalties vasculars com la hipertensió, l'arteriosclerosi o la diabetes. L'estrès oxidatiu també juga un paper fisiopatològic en la progressió de malalties hepàtiques. Una altra qüestió important de les ROS, concretament de l'anió O2-, és la seva capacitat per a reaccionar amb l'ON, donant lloc a la producció de ONOO-, contribuint així a disminuir la biodisponibilitat d'ON. El paper de l'estrès oxidatiu i la seva capacitat per modular la biodisponibilitat d'ON, així com l'ús terapèutic d'antioxidants en diverses malalties vasculars, ha estat àmpliament avaluat per nombrosos estudis en pacients i en models experimentals. En canvi, en la hipertensió portal en la cirrosi, aquests elements ho han estat avaluats. Els treballs de recerca de la present tesi estan globalment orientats a ampliar el coneixement dels mecanismes moleculars responsables de l'augment del component dinàmic de la RVI en la cirrosi, concretament el paper de l'estrès oxidatiu i la seva implicació en la modulació de la biodisponibilitat d'ON. Articles tesi:1. Increased oxidative stress in cirrhotic rat livers: A potential mechanism contributing to reduce nitric oxide bioavailability.Gracia-Sancho J*, Laviña B*, Rodríguez-Vilarrupla A, García-Calderó H, Fernández M, Bosch J, García-Pagán JC.Hepatology 2008 Apr;47(4):1248-56. 2. Superoxide dismutase gene transfer reduces portal pressure in CCl4 cirrhotic rats with portal hypertensionLaviña B, Gracia-Sancho J, Rodríguez-Vilarrupla A, Chu Y, Hesitad DD, Bosch J, García-Pagán JC. Gut 2009; 58: 118-125.[eng] Increased resistance to portal blood flow is the primary factor in the pathophysiology of portal hypertension, the main complication of cirrhosis. Architectural alterations of the liver parenchyma, but also a dynamic increase in the hepatic vascular tone contribute to the increased resistance to portal blood flow of cirrhotic livers. The increase in hepatic vascular tone is partly due to increased release of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1)-derived vasoconstrictive prostanoids and to a reduced bioavailability within the liver of the potent vasodilator nitric oxide (NO). Both mechanisms favouring the contraction of different elements within the cirrhotic liver. Indeed, activated hepatic stellate cells have been shown to contract or relax in response to vasoconstrictive prostanoids or NO respectively.Reduced NO bioavailability has been attributed to decreased endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity secondary to several disturbances in the posttranslational regulation of the enzyme.In several vascular disorders the potential of ROS to bind proteins, break DNA and promote cell damage by reacting with several cellular components has been involved in development of necrosis, inflammation, and apoptosis. In addition, an increase in the reactive oxygen specie superoxide (O2-), by rapidly reacting with NO, promotes a marked reduction in NO bioavailability followed by an increase in vascular tone.An increase in O2- levels due to increased production by xanthine oxidase (XO), NADPH oxidase or COX, among other enzymatic systems, and a reduced O2- scavenging by superoxide dismutase has been suggested to play a pathophysiological role in different liver disorders such as in alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver disease.Gene transfer of SOD has been shown to protect against oxidative stress and to improve endothelium-dependent relaxation in several situations, including myocardial infarction, liver transplantation, hypertension, diabetes , and aging. We hypothesize that in cirrhotic livers increased O2-, by reacting with NO, would contribute to reduce NO bioavailability. As a consequence, removing O2- from the cirrhotic livers could be a new therapeutic strategy to improve intrahepatic NO bioavailability, improve hepatic endothelial dysfunction and reduce portal pressure in rats with cirrhosis and portal hypertension

Characterization of multi-cellular dynamics of angiogenesis and vascular remodelling by intravital imaging of the wounded mouse cornea

Establishment of the functional blood vasculature involves extensive cellular rearrangement controlled by growth factors, chemokines and flow-mediated shear forces. To record these highly dynamic processes in mammalians has been technically demanding. Here we apply confocal and wide field time-lapse in vivo microscopy to characterize the remodelling vasculature of the wounded mouse cornea. Using mouse lines with constitutive or inducible endogenous fluorescent reporters, in combination with tracer injections and mosaic genetic recombination, we follow processes of sprouting angiogenesis, sprout fusion, vessel expansion and pruning in vivo, at subcellular resolution. We describe the migratory behaviour of endothelial cells of perfused vessels, in relation to blood flow directionality and vessel identity. Live-imaging following intravascular injection of fluorescent tracers, allowed for recording of VEGFA-induced permeability. Altogether, live-imaging of the remodelling vasculature of inflamed corneas of mice carrying endogenous fluorescent reporters and conditional alleles, constitutes a powerful platform for investigation of cellular behaviour and vessel function

Superoxide dismutase gene transfer reduces portal pressure in ccl4 cirrhotic rats with portal hypertension

Background: Increased intrahepatic vascular tone in cirrhosis has been attributed to a decrease of hepatic nitric oxide (NO) secondary to disturbances in the post-translational regulation of the enzyme eNOS. NO scavenging by superoxide (O2−) further contributes to a reduction of NO bioavailability in cirrhotic livers. Aim: To investigate whether removing increased O2− levels could be a new therapeutic strategy to increase intrahepatic NO, improve endothelial dysfunction and reduce portal pressure in cirrhotic rats with portal hypertension. Methods: Adenoviral vectors expressing extracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD) (AdECSOD) or β-galactosidase (Adβgal) were injected intravenously in control and CCl4-induced cirrhotic rats. After 3 days, liver O2− levels were determined by dihydroethidium staining, NO bioavailability by hepatic cGMP levels, nitrotyrosinated proteins by immunohistochemistry and western blot, and endothelial function by responses to acetylcholine in perfused rat livers. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and portal pressure were evaluated in vivo. Results: Transfection of cirrhotic livers with AdECSOD produced a significant reduction in O2− levels, a significant increase in hepatic cGMP, and a decrease in liver nitrotyrosinated proteins which were associated with a significant improvement in the endothelium-dependent vasodilatation to acetylcholine. In addition, in cirrhotic livers AdECSOD transfection produced a significant reduction in portal pressure (17.3 (SD 2) mm Hg vs 15 (SD 1.6) mm Hg; p<0.05) without significant changes in MAP. In control rats, AdECSOD transfection prevents the increase in portal perfusion pressure promoted by an ROS-generating system. Conclusions: In cirrhotic rats, reduction of O2− by AdECSOD increases NO bioavailability, improves intrahepatic endothelial function and reduces portal pressure. These findings suggest that scavenging of O2− might be a new therapeutic strategy in the management of portal hypertension

Intravital imaging-based analysis tools for vessel identification and assessment of concurrent dynamic vascular events

The vasculature undergoes changes in diameter, permeability and blood flow in response to specific stimuli. The dynamics and interdependence of these responses in different vessels are largely unknown. Here we report a non-invasive technique to study dynamic events in different vessel categories by multi-photon microscopy and an image analysis tool, RVDM (relative velocity, direction, and morphology) allowing the identification of vessel categories by their red blood cell (RBC) parameters. Moreover, Claudin5 promoter-driven green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression is used to distinguish capillary subtypes. Intradermal injection of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) is shown to induce leakage of circulating dextran, with vessel-type-dependent kinetics, from capillaries and venules devoid of GFP expression. VEGFA-induced leakage in capillaries coincides with vessel dilation and reduced flow velocity. Thus, intravital imaging of non-invasive stimulation combined with RVDM analysis allows for recording and quantification of very rapid events in the vasculature

Adgrf5 contributes to patterning of the endothelial deep layer in retina

Neovascularization of the inner retinal space is a major cause of vision loss. In retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) syndrome, newly formed vessels originate from the retinal plexus and invade the inner retinal space. However, the molecular pathways preventing subretinal vascularization remain largely unknown. In most murine models of RAP, pathological neo-vascularization occurs concomitantly with the development of the retinal vasculature. Here, we demonstrate that disturbing the sequence of morphogenetic events that shape the three-layered retinal vascular network leads to subretinal vascularization. Sprouts emerging from the perivenous region after the first postnatal week extended toward the retinal space where they merged into the deep layer. The small GTPase Rac1 was required for the formation of these vascular extensions and the vascular inner plexus is formed coaxially to the overarching veins. The adhesion receptor Adgrf5 was highly expressed in the endothelium of the central nervous system, where it regulates blood-brain barrier formation. The vascular superficial plexus of Adgrf5 mutant mouse retinae exhibited an increased vascular density in the perivenous areas with increased projections toward the inner plexus where they subsequently created hyper-dense endothelial cells (EC) clusters. Disturbing the perivenous pool of EC thus significantly altered the inner plexus formation. These abnormalities culminated in transient vascular protrusions in the inner retinal space. Taken together, these results reveal a previously unobserved vascular morphogenetic defect in Adgrf5 knockout mice, implicating a role for ADGRF5 in the initiation of subretinal vascularization. Our findings also illustrate how vein-derived EC shape the inner retinal layer formation and could control the appearance of angiomatous malformations

Extracellular retention of PDGF-B directs vascular remodeling in mouse hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a lethal condition, and current vasodilator therapy has limited effect. Antiproliferative strategies targeting platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors, such as imatinib, have generated promising results in animal studies. Imatinib is, however, a nonspecific tyrosine kinase inhibitor and has in clinical studies caused unacceptable adverse events. Further studies are needed on the role of PDGF signaling in PH. Here, mice expressing a variant of PDGF-B with no retention motif (Pdgfbret/ret), resulting in defective binding to extracellular matrix, were studied. Following 4 wk of hypoxia, right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and vascular remodeling were examined. Pdgfbret/ret mice did not develop PH, as assessed by hemodynamic parameters. Hypoxia did, however, induce vascular remodeling in Pdgfbret/ret mice; but unlike the situation in controls where the remodeling led to an increased concentric muscularization of arteries, the vascular remodeling in Pdgfbret/ret mice was characterized by a diffuse muscularization, in which cells expressing smooth muscle cell markers were found in the interalveolar septa detached from the normally muscularized intra-acinar vessels. Additionally, fewer NG2-positive perivascular cells were found in Pdgfbret/ret lungs, and mRNA analyses showed significantly increased levels of Il6 following hypoxia, a known promigratory factor for pericytes. No differences in proliferation were detected at 4 wk. This study emphasizes the importance of extracellular matrix-growth factor interactions and adds to previous knowledge of PDGF-B in PH pathobiology. In summary, Pdgfbret/ret mice have unaltered hemodynamic parameters following chronic hypoxia, possibly secondary to a disorganized vascular muscularization