Microvascular research最新文献

{"title":"RAS-RH up-regulates the level of miR-126 and inhibits the opening of mPTP in a rat model of coronary microvascular disease.","authors":"Hugang Jiang, Rui Wang, Ai Liu, Jiakun Liu, Xiaying Wang, Wenyan Lin, Chunzhen Ren, Kai Liu, Xinke Zhao, Yingdong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104856","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104856","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMVD) significantly impairs cardiac function and worsens prognosis in patients with cardiovascular diseases, yet no definitively effective pharmacological treatment currently exists. Endothelial cell injury stands as the core pathogenic mechanism of CMVD, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying X-ray radiation-induced endothelial damage remain poorly understood. Although our research group has previously demonstrated that RAS-RH possesses pro-angiogenic properties, its therapeutic potential and mechanistic basis in treating CMVD remain unexplored. Aim This study aims to investigate the potential mechanism by which RAS-RH mitigates radiation-induced coronary microcirculation dysfunction through the inhibition of mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening in endothelial cells.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We employed a comprehensive set of techniques, including transthoracic echocardiography, coronary microvessel casting technique, carstairs and heidenhain staining, immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, fluorescence in situ hybridization, transmission electron microscopy, TUNEL assay, and flow cytometry, to systematically evaluate cardiac function, coronary vascular structure, myocardial pathological changes, ultrastructural damage, apoptosis, and protein marker expression in an animal model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the CMVD rat model, X-ray radiation induced cardiac dysfunction, accompanied by elevated levels of vasoactive substances (TXA₂, ET-1, and vWF) and reduced nitric oxide (NO) production. Coronary vascular injury worsened, evidenced by decreased vascular volume, narrowed lumen diameter, and shortened vessel length. Additionally, capillary density was reduced, myocardial ischemia was exacerbated, and intravascular thrombosis was aggravated. At the molecular level, mPTP-related proteins (CypD, VDAC, F₁F₀-ATPase and ANT) exhibited abnormal expression, while apoptosis-related proteins (Cytc, AIF, caspase-9, and caspase-3) were upregulated, leading to increased apoptotic severity. Ultrastructural damage in cardiomyocytes and telocytes was aggravated, and miR-126 expression was downregulated. These findings suggest that X-ray radiation induces CMVD by triggering excessive mPTP opening in endothelial cells. Notably, interventions with RAS-RH, miR-126 agomir and RAS-RH + miR-126 agomir significantly ameliorated these pathological changes to varying degrees. This demonstrates that RAS-RH mitigates X-ray radiation-induced CMVD by upregulating miR-126 to suppress mPTP overactivation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>RAS-RH effectively ameliorates X-ray radiation-induced CMVD by modulating miR-126 expression to inhibit pathological opening of the mPTP in endothelial cells. This finding provides novel mechanistic evidence supporting RAS-RH as a therapeutic strategy for CMVD.</p>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":" ","pages":"104856"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144799536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association between cutaneous microvascular dysfunction and pulmonary artery hemodynamics in heart transplant candidates","authors":"Antonio Feliciano Fatorelli ,&nbsp;Eduardo Tibirica ,&nbsp;Daniel Arthur Barata Kasal","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104877","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104877","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 104877"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between posterior vitreous detachment stage and quantitative neovascularization morphology in proliferative diabetic retinopathy using wide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography","authors":"Zikang Xu ,&nbsp;Ruoyu Chen ,&nbsp;Jing Li ,&nbsp;Danling Huang ,&nbsp;Taozheng Li ,&nbsp;Huilin Liang ,&nbsp;Zhicong Xu ,&nbsp;Jiayi Huang ,&nbsp;Mi Gui ,&nbsp;I.M. Hojas ,&nbsp;Xuenan Zhuang ,&nbsp;Liang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To investigate the association between posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and the progression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) by analyzing the morphological evolution of neovascularization (NV) across PVD stages using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This retrospective study assessed PVD stages via SS-OCT. Quantitative analysis of SS-OCTA images was performed with ImageJ and AngioTool to extract NV morphological features including perimeter, MaxFeret, MiniFeret, Feret ratio (FR), maximum vessel caliber, vessel dispersion, fractal dimension index (FDI), vessel area (VA), vessel density, total vessel length (TVL), average vessel length (AVL), total number of junctions (TNJ), junction density (JD), total number of endpoints, endpoint density (ED), and mean lacunarity (MEL) to assess NV size, activity, and complexity. Analysis of NV morphology and PVD association via Generalized Linear Mixed Model.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Significant differences (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) in multiple NV parameters were observed across PVD stages in the 74 included eyes. At stage 4, most parameters reached their minima, except for JD and ED, which peaked. Trend analysis revealed inverted U-shaped trajectories for size (perimeter, MaxFeret, MiniFeret, VA), activity (TNJ, TVL, AVL), and complexity (FDI) parameters with PVD progression. In contrast, JD and ED followed U-shaped trends. All inflection points clustered between stages 1 and 2.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>NV morphology in PDR evolves systematically from a highly intricate and extensive structure in early PVD (Stage 1 or 2) to a simplified and localized architecture in stage 4. Concomitant alterations in NV activity and complexity likely occur, providing morphological insights into PVD's role in PDR.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 104875"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145102727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Involvement of monocarboxylate transporter 7 in taurine efflux transport from rat retinal pericytes and capillary endothelial cells","authors":"Yuma Tega ,&nbsp;Fuki Kusakabe ,&nbsp;Shin-ichi Akanuma ,&nbsp;Ken-ichi Hosoya","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104876","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104876","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Taurine exists abundantly in the retina and plays a vital role in retinal function. Monocarboxylate transporter 7 (MCT7) is found as a facilitative taurine transporter; however, its involvement in taurine dynamics in the retina is not yet fully understood. The purpose of the present study is to clarify the protein expression and function of MCT7 in retinal cells.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Guinea pig antibodies were raised against the amino acid residues of rat MCT7, and immunostaining was performed to clarify protein expression in the rat retina. To characterize taurine influx into retinal pericytes, a [³H]taurine transport assay was conducted using TR-rPCT1 cells, immortalized rat retinal pericytes. A knockdown assay using MCT7 small interfering RNA (siRNA) was performed to examine the involvement of MCT7 in taurine efflux in TR-rPCT1 and immortalized rat retinal capillary endothelial (TR-iBRB2) cells.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The MCT7 protein expression was observed throughout the retinal layer. Immunostaining of isolated retinal capillaries revealed MCT7 expression in retinal pericytes and capillary endothelial cells. [³H]Taurine influx transport in TR-rPCT1 cells depends on temperature, concentration (<em>K</em>_m = 11.2 μM), and extracellular Na⁺ and Cl⁻, and was inhibited by substrates for taurine transporter (TauT), suggesting the involvement of TauT in taurine influx in retinal pericytes. Moreover, MCT7 siRNA decreased MCT7 expression and [³H]taurine efflux in TR-rPCT1 and TR-iBRB2 cells, suggesting that the taurine efflux transport involves MCT7 at least partly.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The present study revealed that MCT7 functions as a taurine efflux transporter in both retinal pericytes and capillary endothelial cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 104876"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145102683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nailfold video capillaroscopy predicts severe progression at three years in systemic sclerosis: Results from SCLEROCAP study","authors":"Carine Boulon ,&nbsp;Iban Larrouture ,&nbsp;Sophie Blaise ,&nbsp;Marion Mangin ,&nbsp;Joëlle Decamps-Le Chevoir ,&nbsp;Patricia Senet ,&nbsp;Isabelle Lazareth ,&nbsp;Nathalie Baudot ,&nbsp;Laurent Tribout ,&nbsp;Bernard Imbert ,&nbsp;François-Xavier Lapébie ,&nbsp;Philippe Lacroix ,&nbsp;Marie-Elise Truchetet ,&nbsp;Julien Seneschal ,&nbsp;Anna Solanilla ,&nbsp;Estibaliz Lazaro ,&nbsp;Isabelle Quéré ,&nbsp;Marc-Antoine Pistorius ,&nbsp;Claire Le Hello ,&nbsp;Edouard Lhomme ,&nbsp;Joël Constans","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104874","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104874","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Systemic sclerosis (SSc) has a variable evolution but may be life-threatening owing to pulmonary, cardiac or renal involvement. Nailfold video capillaroscopy (NVC) is abnormal early in the disease and is crucial for diagnosis. An association between subtypes of scleroderma pattern and disease progression has been suggested. Therefore, we conducted a prospective study to assess whether capillaroscopy can identify SSc patients at risk of progression.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>SCLEROCAP was a prospective multicentre observational study that included patients with a diagnosis of SSc followed up for three years. Each patient had yearly standard evaluation and NVC. Images were read by two observers blinded from each other and were classified into subtypes (2 for Maricq's and 3 for Cutolo's classification). Severe progression was defined as cardiac, pulmonary or renal involvement or progression and was assessed by a validation committee.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Three hundred and eighty-seven patients were included of whom 369 were followed-up and 53 (14 %) had severe progression. A simple model using Cutolo's capillaroscopic late stage, short duration of disease and age was as powerful in predicting severe progression as a model using all the parameters known to be predictive (AUC[95 %CI] 0.74[0.67–0.82] vs 0.73[0.64–0.77] respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>NVC is a predictor of severe progression and might be helpful for early therapeutic decisions in patients with SSc.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 104874"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145086385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retinal neurodegeneration and choroidal changes of early diabetes in peripapillary region detected by swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography","authors":"Zhaoxia Zheng ,&nbsp;Nianen Liu ,&nbsp;Jianing Wang ,&nbsp;Yue Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoya Gu ,&nbsp;Shuang Song ,&nbsp;Xiaobing Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104867","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104867","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This study was designed to evaluate peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and choroidal alterations in diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy (NDR), and further explore their association utilizing ultrawide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (UWF-SS-OCTA).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This cross-sectional study included 169 eyes of 169 NDR subjects and 54 eyes of 54 healthy controls. pRNFL, choroidal thickness and volume were compared and measured with UWF-SS-OCTA. The association between pRNFL and choroidal parameters was assessed with Spearman correlation analysis. Further multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate their relationship after adjusting for confounding factors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared with healthy controls, NDR patients showed reduced choroidal thickness and volume in the full range and several peripapillary subfields, while a statistical decrease of pRNFL was only detected in the inferior quadrant (<em>P</em> = 0.04). Regarding the distribution profiles in the peripapillary region, the choroid was thickest in the temporal region and thinnest in the inferior region, and a more prominent decrease compared with controls was found in the inferior region. Average pRNFL thickness was independently associated with full-range mean choroidal volume in multiple regression analysis (β = 0.16, <em>P</em> = 0.04).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>As two early signs of DR, choroidal thinning could precede retinal neurodegeneration. Decreased choroidal thickness may account for the susceptibility of RNFL thinning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 104867"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145048523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex differences in near-infrared spectroscopy reactive hyperemia: Influence of adipose tissue and desaturation rate","authors":"Matthew A. Chatlaong ,&nbsp;Hannah C. Dowell ,&nbsp;Orlandria J. Smith ,&nbsp;Matthew B. Jessee","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104865","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sex differences in near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) reactive hyperemia outcomes have been previously reported, with females generally having a lower reperfusion slope. Sex differences have also been reported for adipose tissue thickness (ATT), which affects the NIRS signal, and desaturation during occlusion, which may act on reperfusion slopes. We aimed to compare statistically adjusted and unadjusted sex differences in reperfusion slope during reactive hyperemia.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>23 female and 22 male participants completed forearm and thigh vascular occlusion tests. ATT was measured via ultrasound. Reperfusion slopes (StO₂%/s) were compared between sexes using linear models with and without desaturation slope (StO₂%/s) and ATT as covariates. Results are mean or mean difference [95 % CI].</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In both limbs, females had greater ATT (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). Desaturation rate was lower in females for the leg (−0.02 [−0.03, −0.01]), but not the arm (0.00 [−0.01, 0.02]). Unadjusted, males had greater reperfusion slope in the leg (females = 0.91 [0.70, 1.11], males = 1.59 [1.33, 1.85], <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) but not the arm (females = 1.60 [1.36, 1.84], males = 1.57 [1.29, 1.86], <em>p</em> = 0.874). Sex differences were not observed in adjusted models (both <em>p</em> ≥ 0.631). ATT and desaturation slope explained unique variance in the leg (both <em>p</em> ≤ 0.001), but only desaturation slope did in the arm (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Sex differences may have been related to differing ATT and desaturation rates. Researchers may consider adjusting for ATT and/or desaturation rate when estimating sex differences with NIRS reactive hyperemia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 104865"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145030165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Histamine induces vascular endothelial cell proliferation via the histamine H1 receptor–extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2–cyclin D1/cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 axis","authors":"Hidenori Wake ,&nbsp;Omer Faruk Hatipoglu ,&nbsp;Takashi Nishinaka ,&nbsp;Masahiro Watanabe ,&nbsp;Takao Toyomura ,&nbsp;Shuji Mori ,&nbsp;Masahiro Nishibori ,&nbsp;Hideo Takahashi","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104866","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104866","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Histamine is a biogenic amine that plays important roles in the inflammatory phase of physiological wound healing and proliferation of normal and tumor cells. Stimulation of the histamine H1 receptor induces vascular endothelial cell proliferation, possibly contributing to angiogenesis during wound healing and cancer development. However, the specific signaling pathways involved in angiogenesis remain unclear. Based on our previous report that histamine induces endothelial cell tube formation by increasing the vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase levels via the H1 receptor, we aimed to further examine histamine-induced cell proliferation using EA.hy926 vascular endothelial cells in this study. Histamine phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase-1/2 through the protein kinase C pathway via the H1 receptor and increased c-Fos expression via phosphorylation of Elk-1 and CRE-binding protein. Moreover, c-Fos formed activator protein-1, which further upregulated cyclin D1 expression. Cyclin D1 formed a complex with cyclin-dependent kinase-4/6 and phosphorylated Rb, causing the transcription factor E2F, which is bound to Rb, to dissociate from Rb and induce the factors important for S phase initiation that advance the cell cycle. Overall, our findings in this study to identify H1 receptor-mediated cell proliferation signals in endothelial cells using histamine can aid in the development of new strategies for wound healing and cancer treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"163 ","pages":"Article 104866"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145006320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shear stress-activated MMP-2 promotes BMSCs migration via the LIMK1/Cofilin axis during vascular remodeling","authors":"Yuan Liang ,&nbsp;Jianjin Wu ,&nbsp;Xingjian Fang ,&nbsp;Yan Chang ,&nbsp;Yumei Tang ,&nbsp;Guangliang Diao ,&nbsp;Cunping Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104863","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104863","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Shear stress enhances matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression, which plays a critical role in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) migration and vascular remodeling via microenvironmental interactions with mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs). MAECs were exposed to disturbed flow using a custom flow device for 1, 3, or 5 h, and conditioned media (MAEC-CM) were collected. BMSCs migration in response to different MAEC-CM conditions was assessed by flow cytometry, transwell, and wound-healing assays. MMP-2 levels in MAEC-CM were modulated with recombinant protein or neutralizing antibody. LIMK1/Cofilin pathway activation was evaluated by western blot, and the LIMK1 inhibitor BMS-3 was used to confirm pathway function. Disturbed flow altered MAECs density, morphology, and intercellular gaps, with apoptosis increasing over time. ELISA showed MMP-2 secretion peaked at 3 h, coinciding with maximal BMSCs migration. Recombinant MMP-2 (400 ng/mL) further enhanced, while MMP-2 neutralizing antibody (100 ng/mL) suppressed, migration induced by MAEC-CM-3 h. Western blot revealed significant phosphorylation of LIMK1 and Cofilin after MAEC-CM-3 h treatment, with higher levels in recombinant MMP-2–treated groups compared to neutralization. BMS-3 significantly reduced MMP-2–induced BMSCs migration and phosphorylation of LIMK1/Cofilin without affecting total protein levels. These results indicate that shear stress–induced MMP-2 promotes BMSCs motility through LIMK1-dependent Cofilin activation. This study not only clarifies the molecular mechanism by which disturbed flow regulates BMSCs migration but also provides a theoretical basis for BMSC-mediated vascular repair, offering potential targets for future clinical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104863"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pilot study on near-infrared spectroscopy in peripheral artery disease: Differentiating upper and lower limbs and its correlation with the ankle-brachial index","authors":"Jéssica Braga Amorim ,&nbsp;Marina Dias Neto ,&nbsp;Sandra Magalhães ,&nbsp;António S. Barros","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104864","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104864","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a global health challenge, with current diagnostic methods, including the ankle-brachial index (ABI), having limitations, particularly in patients with arterial calcification. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) offers potential advantages as a non-invasive assessment tool, yet its clinical utility in PAD remains underexplored. This pilot study evaluated NIRS for differentiating between non-ischemic upper limbs and ischemic lower limbs, and assessed NIRS correlation with ABI. To do that, we performed an observational, cross-sectional study employing a convenience sample of 51 patients with PAD attending the vascular surgery outpatient clinic. A portable spectrometer recorded NIRS measurements from the right thumb and both halluces at rest. Random Forest classification was implemented to differentiate upper and lower limbs, revealing distinct NIRS patterns between upper and lower limbs, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.91 (95 % CI 0.88–0.94). Interval Partial Least Squares regression (iPLS) identified wavelength regions correlating with ABI, with the 1429–1463 nm interval being the most informative for ABI prediction, with a modest correlation (R² = 0.167, RMSECV = 0.186).</div><div>NIRS demonstrated strong discriminative capability between non-ischemic upper and ischemic lower limbs in PAD. While the correlation between NIRS and ABI was modest, it suggests potential clinical relevance. These findings indicate that NIRS could be a rapid, portable, non-invasive complementary tool for PAD assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 104864"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144887252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}