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The evolution of experimental endarteritis in the rabbit abdominal aorta. Light and transmission electron microscopy.

Experimental aortic intimal thickening has been induced in rabbits by sheathing the vessel with a polyethylene cuff. The alterations have been examined by light and transmission electron microscopy, during 12 months. An irregular intimal thickening develops as soon as the 15th day and includes numerous myofibroblasts with some other cells of monocytic or endothelial type. Microfibrils, elastic aggregates and collagen fibers are found in the intercellular space. Simultaneously, the media undergoes a fragmentation of the elastic laminae and the adventitia shows a capillary angiectasis and a granuloma. After 3 months there is, between the intimal smooth muscle cells, a progressive increase of elastic and collagenous material. In the media, elastic break up becomes more frequent after the 4th month and myocytes appear increasingly atrophic, which facilitates the extension of fibrosis. This is accompanied at times by a thinning of the arterial wall with or without localized disappearance of the media. All these modifications are discussed and compared to what we had previously found in the femoral artery [12].

Aging

The evolution of experimental Trypanosoma cruzi cardiomyopathy in rabbits: further parasitological, morphological and functional studies.

Young rabbits (1-2 months of age) inoculated with trypomastigote forms of the Colombia strain of Trypanosoma cruzi have been shown to develop cardiac pathological changes (together with parasitological and immunological alterations) which are very similar to those observed in the acute and chronic phases of Chagas' disease in man. The cardiac alterations in the acute phase are characterized grossly by slight cardiomegaly with dilatation of the right-sided chambers. Microscopically they are characterized by mild focal myocarditis. The chronic phase is characterized by moderate to marked cardiomegaly with hypertrophy and dilatation of both ventricular chambers. There is thinning of the apical region (apical aneurysm), particularly of the left ventricle. Focal myocarditis is seen microscopically with areas of myocytolytic necrosis, atrophic and hypertrophic myofibers, an inflammatory response predominantly composed of mononuclear cells and interstitial fibrosis. Cineventriculography in the left ventricle of rabbits during the chronic phase disclosed regional myocardial dysfunction, with typical apical systolic bulging. The pathogenesis of Chagasic cardiomyopathy is briefly discussed in the light of these findings. Our investigation has further shown that this animal model is particularly suitable for studies on on the mechanisms, pathology and treatment of Chagas' heart disease.

Actin Cytoskeleton

Cellular events in the evolution of experimental diabetic nephropathy.

In several models of progressive glomerular disease, mesangial cell proliferation, phenotypic change and increased growth factor expression precede up-regulation of genes for extracellular matrix components (ECM) and mesangial expansion. To examine these events in diabetic nephropathy (DN) we conducted sequential studies of glomeruli in rats with streptozotocin induced DN. We found prominent mesangial cell proliferation at three days (4.34 +/- 2.24 PCNA + cells/glom vs. 1.6 +/- 0.74 in controls, P < 0.001) associated with increased alpha-actin expression. PDGF B-chain mRNA was slightly increased at day one, and PDGF B-chain immunostaining was slightly increased at days one and six. Staining for bFGF was significantly increased at three days (2.2 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.1 in controls, P < 0.01). There was also an early increase in platelets in glomeruli of diabetic animals, and platelet depletion significantly inhibited the early phase of proliferation. In addition to mesangial cell proliferation, a prominent glomerular macrophage infiltration began at day three and peaked at day 30 (3.94 +/- 1.47 vs. 2.08 +/- 1.13 in controls, P < 0.01). TGF-beta mRNA increased at days 14 and 30. Insulin treatment prevented mesangial cell proliferation, actin expression, and macrophage infiltration, and normalized TGF-beta expression at 14 and 30 days. These multiple cellular events preceded any detectable increases in glomerular gene expression or deposition of collagen I, IV or laminin.

Animals

Effect of reticuloendothelial stimulators on the tissue changes and evolution of experimental atheroma in rabbits.

Administration of histamine phosphate or glycerol trioleate (RE stimulators) to cholesterol-fed rabbits induced identical pattern of changes in cholesterol, phospholipid and triglyceride levels of the blood. However, the incidence of atheroma index in aorta and coronary arteries were significantly higher in histamine-treated and glycerol-trioleate-treated animals compared to cholesterol-fed controls. The rise in these indices appeared to be only partly related to increase in serum beta-lipoproteins but mostly due to increased permeability of the endothelium and internal elastic lamina probably caused by histamine phosphate and glycerol trioleate resulted in greater degree of atheromatous lesions in those groups.

Animals

Radionuclide uptake during the evolution of experimental acute osteomyelitis.

The findings of technetium 99m MDP and gallium 67 citrate scintigraphy are described in the first four days following experimental acute osteomyelitis of the tibia of rabbits. On the day of inoculation, defects in activity are observed in both the perfusion, and bone phases of technetium scintigraphy. Similar defects are achieved by saline injection. On subsequent days technetium scintigraphy reveals an increased activity in the perfusion stage but a persisting defect of activity in the bone phase. Gallium activity is increased throughout the period of the study in inoculated animals but not in those injected with saline. It is concluded that 99Tcm MDP, in its perfusion phase, and 67Ga citrate are highly sensitive indicators of bone inflammation and that early osteomyelitis is characterized by increased activity with these agents together with a technetium bone scan defect.

Acute Disease

Lipid profile in the evolution of experimental atherosclerotic plaques from thrombus.

Nonocclusive white mural thrombosis was induced in the abdominal aortae of normolipidemic rabbits by insertion of a polyethylene catheter into the abdominal aortae. The thrombus subsequently organized into intimal thickenings which resembled fibrofatty type atherosclerosis seen in man, showing large numbers of foam cells containing stainable lipid, fatty necrotic centers, cholesterol clefts, calcification, and fibrous caps. The lipid composition of the thrombus and lesions was followed at serial time intervals from 4 hours to 60 weeks. Lipid analysis showed significant concentrations of lipid in the early lesions and with time these lipid concentrations increased and later decreased. These studies demonstrate that the fibrofatty lesions derived from a white thrombus have significant amounts of the same lipids that characterize the atherosclerotic lesions of man, however, there is a lower proportion of cholesterol to the other constituents and a higher proportion of phospholipids. The free cholesterol and cholesteryl ester of the 4-day lesions were much greater than that of platelets alone indicating that significant amounts of plasma are trapped in a thrombus when it forms.

Animals

Phenotypic features of smooth muscle cells during the evolution of experimental carotid artery intimal thickening. Biochemical and morphologic studies.

Balloon catheter denudation of rat carotid artery that results in significant medial damage is followed by marked intimal smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation associated with limited endothelial regrowth. In this report we demonstrate that: (a) SMC of the carotid media, preceding their intimal proliferation, develop a cytoskeletal profile and morphology consistent with a de-differentiated SMC phenotype; and (b) both medial and intimal SMC subsequently revert to a cytoskeletal profile and morphology reflecting incomplete but significant re-differentiation toward normal SMC phenotype. Specifically, early after balloon injury, SMC of the media and those that have migrated into the intima contain decreased amounts of actin, desmin, and tropomyosin and increased amounts of vimentin; moreover, beta-actin becomes the dominant actin isoform, whereas alpha-actin decreases as compared with that found in normal medial SMC. Late after balloon injury, actin is still less abundant, however, desmin, tropomyosin, and vimentin return toward normal values and both medial and intimal SMC again show a predominance of alpha-actin, although the endothelium does not regenerate over the central surface of intimal thickening in this model. The SMC surface to volume ratio significantly decreases early after balloon injury, whereas it is not significantly different late after balloon injury as compared with that of SMC of the normal carotid media. We demonstrate, furthermore that: (c) adjacent luminal SMC are interconnected by gap junctions and develop focal tight junctions, a feature not reported previously to occur in smooth muscle; these cells however do not form any well defined membrane specialization with the leading edge of endothelium, supporting the view that presence of modified SMC on the luminal surface of chronically denuded vessels is not responsible for the cessation of endothelial regrowth.

Actins