Microvascular research最新文献

{"title":"A cost-effective vessel-on-a-chip for high shear stress applications in vascular biology","authors":"Clarissa Becher ,&nbsp;Martin Frauenlob ,&nbsp;Florian Selinger ,&nbsp;Peter Ertl ,&nbsp;Marie-José Goumans ,&nbsp;Gonzalo Sanchez-Duffhues","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104814","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104814","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The vascular endothelium is constantly subjected to hemodynamic forces, including tangential shear stress, which are crucial for maintaining vascular homeostasis. Pathological shear stress levels, such as those observed in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or atherosclerosis, disrupt this balance, driving vascular remodeling and endothelial dysfunction. Current microfluidic platforms for studying these conditions are limited by high costs, excessive reagent requirements, and non-physiological channel geometries. Here we introduce a novel microfluidic chip system, a Nylon Vessel-on-a-Chip (NVoC) which represents a cost-effective and straightforward fabrication platform that eliminates the need for specialized equipment and enables a physiologically relevant round channel geometry. The NVoC was fabricated using Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and nylon threads, with surface activation achieved through polydopamine and collagen-I coating, enabling robust endothelial cell (EC) attachment and long-term culture. Immortalized endothelial colony-forming cells (iECFCs) and human umbilical vein EC (HUVECs) were used to optimize and validate the platform, demonstrating its compatibility with high shear stress conditions (up to 90 dyne/cm²) and various molecular biology techniques, including RT-qPCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescent staining. With fabrication costs six times lower than commercial alternatives and overall experimental costs reduced threefold, the NVoC offers the ability to expose endothelial cells to physiological and pathological shear stress levels in a reproducible, accessible, and scalable manner. Its versatility and affordability make it a valuable tool for investigating shear stress-related mechanisms in microvascular diseases, particularly PAH, with potential applications in drug discovery and translational research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 104814"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937929","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":"MicroRNA regulatory dynamic, emerging diagnostic and therapeutic frontier in atherosclerosis","authors":"Syeda Armana Zaidi,&nbsp;Zhiyu Fan,&nbsp;Talha Chauhdari,&nbsp;Yongsheng Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104818","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104818","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs, are pivotal post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression with profound implications in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS). As a progressive arterial disease driven by vascular cells dysfunction, lipid dysregulation and subsequent chronic inflammation, AS remains a leading cause of global morbidity. Recent studies have demonstrated how important miRNAs are in regulating central biological processes in the vascular wall, such as endothelial function, vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic switching, and macrophage polarization. This review provides comprehensive insight into the role of miRNAs in the development and complexity of atherosclerotic plaques according to their effects on endothelial cells, macrophages, and VSMCs. We also go over the growing prospects of miRNAs as therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers, providing information to be used in the study of vascular diseases. Lastly, we address recent complications and potential applications of miRNA-based approaches in clinical practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"160 ","pages":"Article 104818"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143947300","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":"Feasibility of a method for measurement of retinal pulse-propagated wave velocity in humans","authors":"Zhengxin Tang ,&nbsp;Anthony E. Felder ,&nbsp;Mahnaz Shahidi","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Blood flow regulation has been shown to be compromised in common ocular diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. The capacity of the retinal vessels to regulate blood flow can potentially serve as an oculomics biomarker for evaluating ocular and systemic diseases. Pulse-propagated intravascular pressure waves cause deformations of the vessel walls, thus offering a means to interrogate vascular compliance. The purpose of the current study is to report a method for measuring retinal pulse-propagated wave velocity (rPWV) based on spectral analysis of pulsatile intensity waveforms in human circumpapillary retinal vasculature. Arterial and venous rPWV values, as well as inter-subject variabilities of rPWV in non-diabetic and diabetic subjects, are reported. Preliminary results demonstrated the feasibility of this method for measuring rPWV and its potential for assessment of vascular plasticity in response to blood flow changes due to ocular and systemic diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104792"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143350060","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":"Novel 2D/3D vascular biomarkers reveal association between fundus changes and coronary heart disease","authors":"Xiaoyu Dong ,&nbsp;Yu Zou ,&nbsp;Xiaohui Li ,&nbsp;Na Su ,&nbsp;Yuchen Wen ,&nbsp;Jiale Fang ,&nbsp;Xianqi Li ,&nbsp;Qiang Chen ,&nbsp;Junhong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104793","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104793","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To compare structural and vascular differences in the macular region of the retina using optical coherence tomography (OCT)/OCT angiography (OCTA) between coronary angiography (CAG)-confirmed coronary heart disease (CHD) patients and non-CHD individuals.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study included 340 eyes from 180 CHD patients and 136 eyes from 68 controls. Imaging was conducted using the AngioVue OCT device with a macula-centered 6 mm ∗ 6 mm field of view. Retinal thickness and 2D/3D vascular-related biomarkers were derived using existing retinal layer segmentation software, and our previously proposed 2D/3D vascular and 3D foveal avascular zone segmentation methods. Statistical analyses included <em>t</em>-tests, Mann-Whitney <em>U</em> tests, chi-square tests, and Pearson's correlation.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The CHD group exhibited significantly lower retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness (r = −0.20, P &lt; 0.001) in the inner inferior (I) region, based on macular region layer segmentation. For the 3D OCT images, as defined by the ETDRS grid, both the inner and outer retina layers in the outer superior (out-S) region were significantly thinner in the CHD group. The CHD group showed significantly lower overall 2D fractal dimension (FD) (1.72 ± 0.03 vs. 1.73 ± 0.02, P &lt; 0.001) and vessel skeleton density (VSD) (26.61 ± 4.52 vs. 28.50 ± 3.40, P &lt; 0.001) compared to the control group. The proposed 3D vascular density (VD) feature showed a significant difference between the groups (19.23 ± 5.67 vs. 20.69 ± 5.15, P = 0.048).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Thinning of retinal thickness and reduced vascular density are associated with CHD and may serve as valuable, cost-effective biomarkers for assessing coronary artery disease assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104793"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex and age-related day-to-day variability in the skin microcirculation during post-occlusive reactive hyperemia","authors":"Freya Richter ,&nbsp;Moa Nilsson ,&nbsp;Joakim Henricson ,&nbsp;Carl Johan Östgren ,&nbsp;Marcus Larsson ,&nbsp;Tomas Strömberg ,&nbsp;Ingemar Fredriksson ,&nbsp;Fredrik Iredahl","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104783","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104783","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Little is known about the day-to-day variability of different skin microcirculation parameters, and how this variability is influenced by age and sex. The aim was to examine the day-to-day variability of microcirculatory parameters in relation to age and sex.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The cutaneous microcirculation was measured using a fiber optic probe integrating laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) to measure oxygen saturation, red blood cell (RBC) tissue fraction, speed-resolved and conventional perfusion. Measurements at two separate days were compared during baseline, a 5-min occlusion and during the following post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) period on the volar forearm and dorsal foot in totally 48 men and women aged 20–30 and 50–60 years, respectively. Variability was expressed as the coefficient of variation CV and repeatability as the intraclass correlation coefficient ICC.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Peak oxygen saturation during PORH had the lowest day-to-day variability for the forearm (CV = 2.1 %) and the foot (CV = 3.8 %) as well as an excellent repeatability (ICC = 0.80 and ICC = 0.82, respectively). Older women had a higher day-to-day variability in baseline conventional perfusion compared to younger women on the forearm (<em>p</em> = 0.007). On the foot, older women had a lower day-to-day variability than younger women for baseline oxygen saturation (<em>p</em> = 0.006) and peak RBC tissue concentration (<em>p</em> = 0.008). Older men had a lower day-to-day variability than younger men for baseline oxygen saturation (<em>p</em> = 0.012) but a higher variability for baseline and peak RBC tissue concentration (p = 0.008 and <em>p</em> = 0.002) on the foot.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Peak oxygen saturation had the lowest day-to-day variability of the measured parameters. A lower value of peak oxygen saturation has previously been associated with increasing systematic coronary risk implying that this is a suitable parameter for measuring microcirculatory dysfunction. Sex and age only affected the day-to-day variability of very few parameters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104783"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143008276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Focal adhesion kinase mediates microvascular leakage and endothelial barrier dysfunction in ischemia-reperfusion injury","authors":"Rebecca Patrick ,&nbsp;Briana D. Pando ,&nbsp;Clement Yang,&nbsp;Alexandra Aponte,&nbsp;Fang Wang,&nbsp;Tom Ewing,&nbsp;Yonggang Ma,&nbsp;Sarah Y. Yuan,&nbsp;Mack H. Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104791","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104791","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury occurs under various surgical or disease conditions, where tissue hypoxia followed by reoxygenation results in the production of oxygen radicals and inflammatory mediators. These substances can target the endothelial barrier, leading to microvascular leakage. In this study, we induced intestinal I/R injury in mice by occluding the superior mesenteric artery, followed by removing the clamp to resume blood circulation. We assessed microvascular permeability to plasma proteins in vivo using intravital microscopy, measuring the time-dependent tracer distribution in the intravascular versus extravascular space in the mouse mesentery. Additionally, we examined endothelial cell-cell adhesive barrier resistance and junction morphology in cultured endothelial cell monolayers. At the molecular level, FAK inhibition similarly inhibited endothelial junction opening and barrier dysfunction in response to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress. To further investigate FAK's role with tissue/cell specificity, we developed an endothelial-specific inducible FAK knockout mouse model by crossbreeding FAK-floxed (FAK^fl/fl) mice with Tie-2-CreER^T2 transgenic mice. Compared to their wild-type controls, endothelial-specific FAK-deficient mice showed a blunted microvascular hyperpermeability response following I/R injury in the gut. Overall, our study demonstrates that FAK plays a significant signaling role in mediating endothelial barrier dysfunction and microvascular leakage during ischemia-reperfusion injury.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104791"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143066809","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":"Plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin level as a predictor of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in patients undergoing catheterization","authors":"Fadia Mayyas","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVDs) represent a global health burden contributing to substantial morbidity and mortality. The neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a small glycoprotein, is secreted by inflammatory neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells, playing a role in inflammation. However, its relevance as a predictor of ASCVDs risk across patients from low to very high-risk, and correlation with the need for revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) remains largely unexplored. Our objective was to assess plasma NGAl levels in patients with low to very high risk of ASCVD and their relationship with the severity of CAD and the requirement for revascularization.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Outpatients and patients undergoing catheterization were categorized into low, moderate, high, and very high risk of ASCVD. Plasma levels of NGAL were measured using ELISA and analyzed in relation to CAD status and the need for revascularization by PCI or CABG.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Plasma NGAl levels were elevated in CAD patients, with higher levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome compared to those with stable angina. A gradual increase in plasma NGAl levels was noted with the elevated risk of ASCVD and degree of coronary artery stenosis. Notably, plasma NGAl level was independently correlated with ASCVD risk and the need for revascularization by PCI.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our study indicates that plasma NGAl levels are linked to the risk of ASCVD and may help predict the development and severity of CAD. Further research targeting NGAL could explore its potential to mitigate the risk of ASCVD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104797"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143516123","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":"Alternate local skin cooling and heating ameliorates impaired forearm skin vasodilation function mediated by prolonged sitting","authors":"Yudai Tomita ,&nbsp;Kaname Tagawa ,&nbsp;Takeshi Nishiyasu ,&nbsp;Naoto Fujii","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104795","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104795","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prolonged sitting can impair physiological functions. We hypothesized that prolonged sitting attenuates forearm cutaneous vascular function but alternating local skin cooling and heating mitigates this attenuation. Eleven young adults (five women) sat for 75 min in thermoneutral condition (25 °C) during which skin temperature at four forearm skin sites was modulated: 1) maintained at 33 °C (control), 2) reduced to 15 °C for 4 min, then rised to 40 °C, repeated 5 times, 3) maintained at 33 °C for 4 min, then rised to 40 °C for 4 min, repeated 5 times or 4) elevated to 40 °C. Before and after 75-min prolonged sitting, venoarteriolar reflex (VAR) was assessed by a reduction in cutaneous blood flow (laser Doppler flowmetry) mediated by venous occlusion, whereas post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) was assessed by increases in cutaneous blood flow following arterial occlusion. After prolonged sitting, PORH decreased at the control (mean with 95%CI: 40.2 [34.5, 45.9] %max vs. 26.3 [19.3, 33.3] %max <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), but this response was not seen at the site subjected to alternating 15 °C cooling and 40 °C heating (<em>P</em> = 0.983). VAR remained unchanged before and after prolonged sitting at the control (<em>P</em> = 0.990), but increased with 15 °C cooling and 40 °C heating (−47.8 [−61.6, −34.1] %baseline vs. -68.0 [−75.3, −60.7] %baseline <em>P</em> = 0.029). We show that prolonged sitting decreases forearm cutaneous vasodilation function (PORH), but this response is mitigated by alternating local skin cooling and heating. Additionally, prolonged sitting does not affect forearm cutaneous VAR, but alternating local skin cooling and heating enhances VAR.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104795"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143425477","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":"Imaging the microvasculature using nailfold capillaroscopy in patients with coronavirus disease-2019; A cross-sectional study","authors":"S. Wilkinson ,&nbsp;J. Wilkinson ,&nbsp;A. Grace ,&nbsp;D. Lyon ,&nbsp;M. Mellor ,&nbsp;T. Yunus ,&nbsp;J. Manning ,&nbsp;G. Dinsdale ,&nbsp;M. Berks ,&nbsp;S. Knight ,&nbsp;N. Bakerly ,&nbsp;A. Gebril ,&nbsp;P. Dark ,&nbsp;A. Herrick ,&nbsp;C. Taylor ,&nbsp;M. Dickinson ,&nbsp;A. Murray","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104796","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104796","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>It is understood that microvascular dysfunction plays a key role in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of an automated, quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy system in identifying microvascular changes in those confirmed with or having had COVID-19.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Ninety-seven participants were enrolled into this study and grouped as follows: 52 participants with acute COVID-19 (further grouped by disease severity) and 45 participants with convalescent COVID-19 (further grouped into long COVID i.e. symptoms beyond 12 weeks, and fully recovered). Nailfold capillaroscopy images were obtained from the bilateral ring fingers using a Dino-Lite CapillaryScope 200 Pro, a small USB handheld microscope. Images were assessed quantitatively using bespoke automated measurement software and the number of haemorrhages noted for each participant.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Capillaries were predominantly ‘normal’ in appearance with narrow capillary loops and evenly distributed, but with an increased number of haemorrhages (40 % in the convalescent group and 17 % in the acute group, <em>p</em> <em>=</em> <em>0.007</em>). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean width of capillaries (20.9–21.8 μm) or vessel density (9.6–9.9 caps/mm; acute and convalescent group, respectively).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study has demonstrated the feasibility of nailfold capillaroscopy at the critical care bedside. Capillary structure appeared normal across all groups of individuals affected by COVID-19. Although the small differences in the microvasculature in recovered patients compared to in acutely unwell patients may suggest delayed structural change due to COVID-19, these differences are unlikely to be clinically relevant. Longitudinal studies would be required to explore this in more detail.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104796"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143441369","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":"Transplantation of autologous endothelial progenitor cells promotes the repair of fusiform aneurysms","authors":"Lianfu Zhang ,&nbsp;Shihui Ni ,&nbsp;Weiwen Zhang ,&nbsp;Jian Shi ,&nbsp;Jun Ding ,&nbsp;Xudong Xu ,&nbsp;Shengbang Zhang ,&nbsp;Yongming Zhang ,&nbsp;Tao Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104794","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mvr.2025.104794","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are precursors for endothelial cells, possess the capability of repairing vascular damage and predicting the extent of early vascular injury. However, the role of EPCs in the repair of fusiform aneurysms is not clear. Here, we constructed a fusiform aneurysm model using pancreatic elastase digestion and validated the improvement effect of EPCs through histological staining and immunofluorescence. HE staining and elastic fiber staining showed destruction of the tunica adventitia in the fusiform aneurysm, marked dilatation of the arterial lumen, and thinning of the elastic lamina in the fusiform aneurysm. In the fusiform aneurysm group, the concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was notably decreased compared to both the control and the saline group. The level of EPCs in the peripheral blood was decreased in the model group. Transplantation of EPCs into fusiform aneurysms promoted vascular repair, indicated by the decrease of myeloperoxidase (MPO), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), platelet factor 4 (PF4), and Fe²⁺. The level of VEGF was also elevated after EPCs transplantation. Finally, we noted a marked rise in lactate level in the peripheral blood of fusiform aneurysms. Lactate treatment led to an elevation of H3K18la levels in EPCs and inhibited cell proliferation. In conclusion, this study discovered that in mice with fusiform aneurysms, elevated lactate levels in the peripheral blood trigger histone lactylation, such impeding the proliferation of EPCs. Transplantation of EPCs into fusiform aneurysms facilitated aneurysm repair. These findings lay the groundwork for EPCs in the treatment of fusiform aneurysms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18534,"journal":{"name":"Microvascular research","volume":"159 ","pages":"Article 104794"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143382872","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}