Efficacy Analysis of Endovascular Therapy for Nonthrombotic Iliac Vein Compression Syndrome Combined with Chronic Venous Insufficiency.

Purpose: This research is aimed at elucidating the clinical efficacy of balloon dilatation (BD) plus stent implantation for nonthrombotic iliac vein compression syndrome (NIVCS) combined with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) in different compression positions. Methods: Sixty-five NIVCS patients comorbid with CVI admitted between December 2015 and April 2020 were selected and assigned to two groups according to different iliac vein compression positions. Both groups of patients received iliac vein BD + stent implantation, with the difference lying in that the tip of the stent was inserted 0.5-1 cm into the inferior vena cava (IVC) in the experimental group versus 2-3 cm in the control group. The technical success rate, the postoperative venous clinical severity score (VCSS), and the incidence of complications were compared. Results: The technical success rate of both groups was 100%. Patients were followed up for 12-36 months (average: 25.5 ± 6.2). Decreases in VCSS were observed in both cohorts at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months postoperatively compared with the preoperative scores, but with no statistical difference. There was no death, nor related complications such as restenosis and lower limb deep vein thrombosis during the follow-up period, with no statistical difference in the incidence of complications between groups. Conclusions: BD + stent implantation is a safe and effective treatment for NIVCS with few complications and remarkable short-term and medium-term effects.

Rapamycin and 3-methyladenine regulate apoptosis and autophagy in bone-derived endothelial progenitor cells.

BACKGROUND: Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is involved in a caspase independent form of programmed cell death called autophagy. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of rapamycin and 3-methyladenine (3-MA) on autophagy, proliferation, apoptosis, and cell-cycle parameters of rat bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). METHODS: Mononuclear cells isolated from rat bone marrow were treated with rapamycin (0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 µg/L) or 3-MA (1.25, 2.5, 5, or 10 mmol/L) for 24 hours. Expression of the autophagy marker protein LC3-II was analyzed by Western blotting. Apoptosis and cell-cycle progression were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell proliferation was measured using the MTT assay. RESULTS: Rapamycin treatment of EPCs induced apoptosis and autophagy and inhibited proliferation and cell-cycle progression in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with 5 mmol/L 3-MA promoted cell proliferation; in contrast, treatment with 10 mmol/L 3-MA promoted apoptosis and induced S-phase arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Rapamycin treatment of EPCs induced apoptosis and autophagy. Low concentrations of 3-MA had no significant effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of EPCs; The 5 mmol/L group promoted cell proliferation, but had no effect on the apoptosis; the 10 mmol/L group inhibited the proliferation and promoted apoptosis through the cell cycle.