ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of our study is to investigate the effects of urotensin-II (U-II) on the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) wall and role of U-II in atherosclerotic processes affecting the long-term patency of LIMA. METHOD: Patients were divided into 2 groups, namely Group I: patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and Group II: DM + CAD. The patients were evaluated by Gencini scoring before coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Routine tissue follow-up, hemotoxylin-eosin staining and immunoreactivity with U-II were observed. Then, vessel damage score, H-Score and LIMA layer thickness were calculated and evaluated statistically. RESULTS: On light microscopic examination, the LIMA total damage score in DM + CAD group was significantly higher compared to the control group. The assessment of H score revealed that U-II was more intense in tunica intima and tunica media in the DM+CAD group as compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, tunica intima and tunica media in the DM + CAD group were thicker than in the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found that U-II is effective in atherosclerotic processes of arterial grafts. The DM + CAD group has high U-II density with high total damage score in intima and media layers of LIMA. U-II may be effective in late survival results after CABG (Tab. 3, Fig. 2, Ref. 19).
