Efficacy of a polyphosphazene nanocoat in reducing thrombogenicity, in-stent stenosis, and inflammatory response in porcine renal and iliac artery stents.

PURPOSE: It is hypothesized that the inorganic polymer poly[bis(trifluoroethoxy)phosphazene] (PTFEP) reduces stent-associated thrombosis, in-stent stenosis, and inflammatory response and stimulates reendothelialization in a porcine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PTFEP-nanocoated and bare stainless-steel stents (316 L) were implanted bilaterally in renal and iliac arteries of 16 minipigs (1, 4, and 12 weeks follow-up durations). Primary study endpoints were thrombogenicity determined by filling defects on angiography and in-stent stenosis assessed by lumen loss on quantitative angiography (ie, percentage stenosis) and light microscopy (ie, neointimal thickness, neointimal area, area stenosis). Secondary endpoints were inflammatory response and reendothelialization evaluated by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. RESULTS: Stent placement was successful in 32 renal and 26 iliac arteries. At follow-up, there were no thrombus depositions on PTFEP-coated renal and iliac stents. Thrombus depositions were found on two of six bare metal iliac stents after 4 weeks (P = .0651). PTFEP-coated stents showed a trend toward reduced in-stent stenosis in all renal and iliac arteries at all intervals: in iliac stents, neointimal area was significantly smaller in coated stents than in bare metal stents after 1 week and 4 weeks (P = .03 and P = .001, respectively). In renal arteries, inflammation scores indicated lower inflammatory response in PTFEP-coated stents than in bare metal stents after 1 week (P = .01). After 1 week, coated and bare metal stents exhibited complete reendothelialization on SEM. CONCLUSIONS: PTFEP-coated stents exhibited reduced thrombus deposition and a trend toward less in-stent stenosis and inflammatory response than bare metal stents.

Calcineurin inhibition or mutation enhances cell wall inhibitors against Aspergillus fumigatus.

Calcineurin mutation or inhibition enhanced the antifungal morphological effect of cell wall inhibitors caspofungin or nikkomycin Z against Aspergillus fumigatus. Quantification of 1,3-beta-d-glucan revealed decreased amounts in the calcineurin A (DeltacnaA) mutant. Calcineurin can be an excellent adjunct therapeutic target in combination with other cell wall inhibitors against A. fumigatus.

The efficacy of nanoscale poly[bis(trifluoroethoxy) phosphazene] (PTFEP) coatings in reducing thrombogenicity and late in-stent stenosis in a porcine coronary artery model.

OBJECTIVES: Previous experimental studies have demonstrated that poly[bis(trifluoroethoxy)phosphazene] (PTFEP) nanocoated stents have antithrombotic characteristics, reduce in-stent stenosis, prevent wall inflammation, and do not hamper endothelialization. This study was designed to validate these findings in a porcine coronary artery model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PTFEP-coated (n = 15) and bare stents (n= 13) were implanted in coronary arteries of 18 mini-pigs (4- and 12-week follow-up). Primary study endpoints were thrombogenicity and in-stent stenosis, secondary study endpoints were inflammatory response and re-endothelialization evaluated by quantitative angiography and light microscopy. RESULTS: No thrombus deposition occurred on any stent. At 4 weeks follow-up, the bare stents (n = 4) had a significantly smaller neointimal area (1.93 vs. 3.20 mm(2), P = 0.009). At 12 weeks, PTFEP-coated stents (n = 11) had significantly superior results in almost all parameters: neointimal area (2.25 vs. 2.65 mm(2), P = 0.034), neointimal height (204.46 vs. 299.41 microm, P = 0.048), percentage stenosis (38.25 vs. 50.42%, P = 0.019), and inflammation score (0.12 vs. 0.30, P = 0.029). Complete re-endothelialization was seen in both stent types at both intervals. CONCLUSION: At long-term follow-up, the superior results of PTFEP-coated stents were characterized by a noteworthy reduction of neointimal growth and inflammatory response.