Impact of Vascular Injury on Neointimal Hyperplasia in Experimental Rabbit Model / 中国循环杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective: To study the impact of vascular injury on neointimal hyperplasia and the expressions of nuclear transcription factor-κb (NF-κb), tissue factor (TF), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) in experimental rabbit model. Methods:A total of 32 male New Zealand big-eared white rabbits were used to establish vascular injury model by femoral artery puncture, balloon was sent to abdominal aorta via the wire followed by balloon dilatation to strain abdominal aorta. Blood sample was taken from femoral artery sheath 1 minute after operation, and the rabbits were killed at 4 weeks after operation, meanwhile blood sample was taken from the heart. Injured arteries were isolated, ifxed and embedded; slices were stained by HE, basic fuchsine and NF-κb immunohistochemical methods for light microscope observation; slices were also stained by lead and uranium for transmission electron microscope observation. Neointimal thickness was measured by computer analysis, vascular injury integral and NF-κb positive cell rate were determined, blood levels of TF, ET-1 and MMP-3 were examined by ELISA. The relationship between vascular injury integral and the contents of TF, ET-1, MMP-3 and NF-κb positive cell rate were analyzed by SPSS statistical software. Results: The optimal iftting curve between vascular injury integral and neointimal thickness was S-shaped cubic curve. NF-κb was mainly expressed in neointima, vascular injury integral was positively related to NF-κb positive cell percentage, Pearson correlation coeffcient was 0.916,P Conclusion: Vascular injury may activate NF-κb pathway, promote ET-1 and MMP-3 expression, therefore accelerating neointimal hyperplasia, leading negative vascular remodeling, TF was an initiating factor for neointimal hyperplasia. Internal elastic lamina was the key structure reflecting vascular injury, it is the only barrier hindering neointimal hyperplasia in experimental rabbit model.