6 research outputs found

    Effects of direct infusion of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells and indirect mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells on atherosclerotic plaque and inflammatory process in atherosclerosis

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    Background: We sought to investigate the effects of lin-/sca+ cells, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration on atherosclerotic plaque progression. Methods: Apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice were splenectomized and treatedwith high-cholesterol diet for 6 weeks in order to induce atherosclerotic plaque development. Bone marrow-derived Lin-/sca-1+ cells were isolated and further cultured to early growth endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Mice were divided in four groups (n = 10/group) and received two intravenous injections of 5 x 105 cells (lin-/sca-1+ or EPCs), or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF 100 mu g/kg/day) for 7 days or normal saline. The same interventions were administered to animals, which had undergone unilateral hind-limb ischemia. Effects on inflammatory parameters, lesion severity, and atherosclerotic plaque area size were assessed. Results: The administration of both G-CSF and progenitor cells significantly decreased the levels of IL-6, 6 weeks after the initiation of treatment. Atherosclerotic lesion area was reduced by G-CSF (atherosclerotic plaque area percentage 22.94% +/- 3.68, p = 0.001), by lin-/sca-1+ (23.27% +/- 5.98, p = 0.002) and cultured EPCs (23.16 +/- 4.86%, p = 0.002) compared to control (32.75% +/- 7.05). In the atherosclerotic mice that underwent limb ischemia, the atherosclerotic plaque area, was not significantly different between the treatment groups cultured EPCs-treated mice and the control group (p = NS, for all). Conclusions: Direct infusion of progenitor cells and indirect mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells decreased plaque progression and levels of inflammatory molecules in a murine model of atherosclerosis. Treatment with G-CSF, lin-/sca-1+, or EPCsmay exert beneficial effects on vascular inflammation and atherosclerotic plaque progression. However, the effects are diminished in an ischemic setting. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

    Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Interventions: A Triumph for Transcatheter Procedures?

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    Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common valvular pathology, estimated to affect 1.6 million people in the United States alone. Even though guidelines recommend either medical therapy or surgical treatment for TR, the misconception of TR as a benign disease along with the high mortality rates of surgical intervention led to undertreating this disease and commonly describing it as a “forgotten” valve. Recently, the development of transcatheter interventions for TR show promising potential for use in the clinical setting. There are currently few approved and numerous tested percutaneously delivered devices, which can be categorized, based on their mechanism of action, to either valve repair or valve replacement procedures. Both procedures were tested in clinical trials and show an echocardiographic reduction in TR sustained for at least 1 year after the procedure, as well as symptom relief and functional improvement of the patients. Device selection should be personalized, taking into consideration the anatomy of each valve and the available options at each heart center. Moreover, appropriate patient selection and timing of the procedure are also crucial for the success of the procedure. In this review, we analyze the clinical trials available for all devices currently approved or tested, aiming to provide a comprehensive summary of the most recent evidence in the field of transcatheter TR interventions
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