Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation - Volume 35, issue 1-2

Authors: Cicha, Iwona | Yilmaz, Atilla | Suzuki, Yoji | Maeda, Nobuji | Daniel, Werner G. | Goppelt-Struebe, Margarete | Garlichs, Christoph D.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is overexpressed in atherosclerotic blood vessels. To further investigate the role of CTGF in atherosclerosis, we examined whether CTGF is released from platelets by high shear stress, and whether the expression of CTGF along the atherosclerotic lesions depends on local hemodynamic conditions. Human platelets were subjected to 10 dyn/cm2 or 120 dyn/cm2 and analysed by Western blotting. Furthermore, longitudinal sections of 25 carotid plaques were immunohistochemically analysed for the endothelial expression of CTGF. A very low CTGF amount was secreted from platelets at low shear stress (11.4±3.9% of total CTGF in platelets). On …the contrary, high shear stress caused a markedly increased CTGF release from platelets (29±13.8%, p=0.07 vs low shear stress, n=4). Immunohistochemical analyses showed that the mean numbers of CTGF-positive endothelial cells were significantly higher up-stream as compared with down-stream regions of the luminal surface of atherosclerotic vessels (21.3±3.6 vs 13.9±2.8 down-stream, p<0.001). Moreover, in plaques undergoing intimal neovascularization, newly formed vessels accumulated particularly in up-stream parts of the lesions. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that CTGF is released from platelets by high shear stress. Furthermore, disturbed flow along atherosclerotic vessels may induce endothelial CTGF expression and contribute to the progress of atherosclerotic lesions. Show more

Keywords: CTGF, platelets, atherosclerosis, hemodynamics

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 203-206, 2006

Authors: Aloulou, Ikram | Varlet-Marie, Emmanuelle | Mercier, Jacques | Brun, Jean-Frédéric

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The metabolic syndrome, which is associated with an high risk for diabetes and atherothrombosis, is associated with hemorheologic abnormalities. These abnormalities seem more and more to be explained by its various symptoms than by insulin resistance which represents theoretically the core of the syndrome. In this study we aimed at defining the specific hemorheologic profile of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia by separating a sample of 90 subjects into 4 subgroups according to the clinical score “NCEP-ATPIII” which is the best recognized standardized definition of the syndrome. Results show no significant changes of blood rheology across classes of NCEP score despite …a borderline rank correlation between RBC aggregability “M1” and the score. Whole blood viscosity was mostly correlated to HDL-cholesterol (r=−0.353, p=0.007) and triglycerides (r=0.574, p=0.0001). Plasma viscosity was correlated with total cholesterol (r=0.3359, p=0.02) and with LDL-cholesterol (r=0.357, p=0.03). Red blood cell rigidity “Tk” was negatively correlated to HDL-cholesterol (r=−0.430, p=0.007). Aggregability “M” was correlated to total cholesterol (r=0.356, p=0.01) and “M1” to HDL-cholesterol (r=−0.406, p=0.006). Thus, despite previously described correlations with glucose disposal parameters, the hyperviscosity syndrome of the metabolic syndrome is not proportional to its clinical scoring and is strongly dependent upon the lipid profile. Show more

Keywords: Insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, minimal model, metabolic syndrome, hemorheology, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregability

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 207-212, 2006

Authors: Yerer, Mükerrem Betül | Aydoğan, Sami | Çomu, Faruk Metin | Arslan, Mustafa | Güneş-Ekinci, Işın | Kurtipek, Omer | Unal, Yusuf

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: General anesthesia, either with inhalation or through nonvolatile anesthetics, is known to affect the overall cardiovascular function as well as the microcirculatory hemodynamics. In this study, the effects of desfluran anesthesia on the red blood cell deformability of young and old rats are investigated. 33 male rats were used in the study and the rats were divided into two groups according to their age (young and old) comprising of two subgroups in each. First group was the young control (n=5), the second was the young group treated with desfluran (n=7), the third group was the old control (n=7) and the …last group was the old group treated with desfluran (n=7). %6 of desfluran was applied to the rats with inhalation in an adjustable cage for one hour. The elongation indexes of the erythrocytes were measured by a laser diffractometer (Myrenne Rheodyne SSD). Deformability indexes of red blood cells were significantly increased with desfluran in young rats (p=0.042) whereas they were significantly decreased in old rats (p=0.004) with desfluran application compared with their controls. When we compared the young and old control groups, the deformability indexes were significantly higher in old ones (p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the old and the young desfluran applied groups. The volatile anesthetic agent desfluran impairs the deformability of erythrocytes in old rats compared to their controls, whereas it has the opposite effects on young ones. This may be due to the alterations in membrane structure with age. These results reveal that the inhalation of anesthetics like desfluran may cause more serious problems in the elder people during the surgery and may influence their hemodynamic parameters. Show more

Keywords: Desflurane, erythrocyte deformability, anesthesia, rat

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 213-216, 2006

Authors: Tatarishvili, J. | Sordia, T. | Mchedlishvili, G.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: The aim of the present study was the analysis of the specific hemorheological disorders during the middle stages of experimental traumatic and hemorrhagic shock. Methods: The following hemorheological properties were investigated: Red Blood Cell (RBC) aggregability, their deformability, and systemic hematocrit. The RBC aggregability was assessed by using the “Georgian technique”. The RBC deformability was determined with the nuclepore membrane filter method of Reid. The hematocrit was measured by blood centrifugation. The results obtained were treated statistically by using the “Two sample T-test”. Results: We found that in the animals with traumatic shock the erythrocyte aggregability index increased by …mean 181%, while in the hemorrhagic group this index on contrary decreased by mean 68% as compared to control group; The RBC deformability underwent a significant decrease during both traumatic and hemorrhagic shock: by a mean of 52% during the first and 62% during the second one. The systemic hematocrit decreased by a mean of 45% during the traumatic shock and by a mean of 50% during the hemorrhagic shock. Conclusion: The data obtained provide evidence that the hemorheological disorders are among the most significant microcirculatory disturbances in the pathogenesis of both the traumatic and the hemorrhagic shock. Show more

Keywords: Traumatic shock, hemorrhage, erythrocyte aggregability

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 217-221, 2006

Authors: Sordia, Tea | Tatarishvili, Jemal | Mchedlishvili, George

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objectives: The aim of the present study was the experimental analysis of blood rheological disorders in the microcirculation during endotoxic shock. Methods: Experiments were carried out on 30 white laboratory rats of both sexes weighing about 200 g. The experimental animals were divided in two groups: the control group and the group undergoing experimental endotoxic shock. The following specific hemorheological properties were investigated in all animals during the experiments: red blood cells (RBC) aggregability, their deformability and the systemic hematocrit. Results: We found that all the investigated hemorheological parameters appreciably changed underconditions of endotoxic shock. The RBC aggregability index was …increased by a mean of 136%. As to the RBC deformability index was found to be decreased by 71%, and the systemic hematocrit lowered by 31%, as compared to the same parameters in the control group. Conclusion: The data obtained provide us with evidence that the hemorheological derangements associated with the development of the heavy microcirculatory disorders during endotoxic shock, are most significant factors. Show more

Keywords: LPS induced endotoxic shock, hemorheological disorders, mesenterial microcirculation in rat experiments

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 223-226, 2006

Authors: Lo Presti, Rosalia | Tozzi Ciancarelli, Maria Giuliana | Hoffmann, Enrico | Incalcaterra, Egle | Canino, Baldassare | Montana, Maria | D'Amico, Teresa | Catania, Anna | Caimi, Gregorio

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with an elevated polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) count and a PMN rheological impairment. In this study we evaluated two major rheological aspects (membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration) in a group of young adults with AMI. We enrolled 41 AMI patients (39 men and 2 women; mean age 41.0±4.0 years), who were examined 5–10 days after AMI (T1) and 12 months later (T2). The membrane fluidity was obtained labelling granulocytes with the fluorescent probe 1-[4-(trimethylamino)phenyl]-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (TMA-DPH) and considering the degree of fluorescence polarization, inversely correlated to the membrane lipid fluidity. The cytosolic Ca2+ …content was obtained marking PMN cells with the fluorescent probe Fura-2AM and considering the ratio between the Fura 2-Ca2+ complex and the unchelated Fura 2 fluorescence intensity. Both parameters were evaluated at baseline and after in vitro activation with 4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) at the concentration of 4.5 μM, prolonged for 5 and 15 minutes. At T1 the PMN membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ content in AMI patients were respectively decreased and increased in comparison with control group. At T2 the membrane fluidity was not any more different from control subjects, but there was also a further increase in cytosolic Ca2+ content. In vitro, PMN activation caused no significant variation of these parameters in the control group, while in AMI patients membrane fluidity significantly decreased and cytosolic Ca2+ content increased not only during the initial stage, but also after 12 months. The long-term functional alteration of PMN cells observed in young adults with AMI confirms the role of these cells in the inflammatory response following AMI. In the light of these data, the use of molecules able to modulate granulocyte activity, such as calcium channel blockers or pentoxifylline, should be reconsidered in myocardial infarction, together with the usual pharmacological treatment. Show more

Keywords: Acute myocardial infarction in young people, polymorphonuclear leukocyte membrane fluidity, polymorphonuclear leukocyte Ca$^{2+}$ content

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 227-230, 2006

Authors: Di Massimo, C. | Lo Presti, R. | Corbacelli, C. | Pompei, A. | Scarpelli, P. | De Amicis, D. | Caimi, G. | Tozzi Ciancarelli, M.G.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: To verify the potential involvement of the age-dependent modifications of EC-SOD activity in the impairment of plasma NO availability with advancing age, 40 healthy men divided into 4 age groups for the purpose of comparison (young: 27.4±1.5 years; middle: 50.8±2.2, years; old: 70.0±1.8 years; very old: 86.1±1.1 years) were enrolled in this study. Plasma samples were used for measurements of the stable end-product nitrite/nitrate (NOx ), as an expression of NO availability, EC-SOD activity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as a marker of lipid peroxidation, low density lipoprotein (LDL) copper-mediated oxidation in vitro and total antioxidant capacity (TEAC). Our results …indicated a significant age-related progressive decrease of plasma NOx content and EC-SOD activity and their values were positively correlated (r=0.713, p<0.001). Increased TBARS amount together with reduced lag time for in vitro oxidation of LDL and decreased content of TEAC were observed with advancing age. Finally, EC-SOD values were negatively correlated with plasma TBARS values (r=−0.855, p<0.001). Findings of the present study suggest that the decrease of antioxidant defence strategies play a primary role by compromising NO availability in normally aged individuals, particularly through a progressive decrease of EC-SOD activity. Show more

Keywords: Elderly, nitric oxide, extracellular superoxide dismutase

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 231-237, 2006

Authors: Manetta, Jérôme | Aloulou, Ikram | Varlet-Marie, Emmanuelle | Mercier, Jacques | Brun, Jean-Frédéric

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Aging impairs blood rheology while various training protocols improve it. The purpose of this study was to delineate the respective role of aging and endurance training on blood rheology. Thirty-two subjects [16 middle-aged men: 8 cyclists (MAcy) and 8 sedentary men (MAsed) and 16 young men: 8 cyclists (Ycy) and 8 sedentary men (Ysed)] were compared in this study. Results showed higher red blood cell (RBC) rigidity and aggregability (AFFIBIO), lower RBC disaggregability (AFFIBIO) at middle age than at 25 yr, regardless of training status. However there was no age-related difference in whole blood viscosity at either native or corrected …hematocrit, plasma viscosity, hematocrit, and Myrenne aggregation indexes M and M1. Training was associated with a reduced hematocrit in middle age subjects but not in 25 yr old ones. We evidenced no effect of training on red cell rigidity (Dintenfass's Tk index), in whole blood viscosity at either native or corrected hematocrit, and plasma viscosity. Thus, regular cycling at middle age maintains a low hematocrit but does not prevent aging-related increase in red cell rigidity and aggregability. Specific effects of cycling among other sports may explain this specific pattern. Show more

Keywords: Exercise training, hemorheology, aging, viscosity, hematocrit, erythrocyte aggregability, cyclism

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 239-244, 2006

Authors: Silva, A.S. | Saldanha, C. | Martins-Silva, J.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Clinical and experimental studies have shown that the use of phytosterol esters as a food ingredient reduces the plasma concentrations of cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, not affecting the HDL cholesterol levels. Based on the use of phytosterols as a food ingredient, we have conducted a 30-day feeding study with Wistar rats, drinking low-fat milk containing phytosterols, in order to evaluate the plasma cholesterol concentrations and the hemorheological parameters. Throughout the study, clinical observations, body weights and food and milk consumption were measured and at the end of the feeding period, blood samples were collected for biochemical and hemorheological determinations. There …were no clinical changes, alterations in growth, food or milk consumption. In the plasma cholesterol and HDL concentrations there were no significant differences, but LDL levels decreased about 70%. In the hemorheological parameters, significant changes were observed in plasma viscosity and in membrane fluidity in all experimental groups. The blood viscosity and the erythrocyte deformability show significant improvements with the ingestion of the phytosterols enriched milk. With these results we conclude that phytosterols maintain their cholesterol lowering properties when incorporated in milk and can be considered a hypolipemic food component. Show more

Keywords: Phytosterols, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, milk, hemorheology

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 245-250, 2006

Authors: Gonçalves, Sonia | Maria, A. Vasco | Silva, A.S. | Martins-Silva, J. | Saldanha, C.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Plant sterols have been reported to decrease plasma concentrations of cholesterol without any side effects. To evaluate the effects on plasma cholesterol concentrations and the hemorheological parameters, we performed a study with hypercholesterolemic patients (n=19) treated with phytosterol-enriched milk (2 g/day). Hypercholesterolemic patients (n=15) of matched age drinking equal type of milk but without phytosterols were used as control group. Concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C and hemorheological parameters were measured in the beginning, after 15 and 30 days of milk intake. After 15 days of beverage intake, hypercholesterolemic subjects treated with phytosterol-enriched milk showed a significant decrease in plasma …concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL-C by 9.62% (p<0.05) and 12.20% (p<0.05), respectively. After 30 days, a little increase in the total cholesterol and LDL-C concentrations were observed. In the hypercholesterolemic control group there were nonsignificant changes between plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C during the study. The evaluation of plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation shows no changes statistically significant during the study for both groups studied. The results obtained during the study show a positive effect with the phytosterol-enriched milk as plasma cholesterol-lowering as combined treatment for hypercholesterolemia. Show more

Keywords: Hypercholesterolemia, phytosterols, LDL-C, HDL-C, functional food, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 35, no. 1-2, pp. 251-255, 2006