Blood Vessel Area Research Articles

STROMAL-VASCULAR PARAMETERS FOR PROLIFERATIVE LEIOMYOMAS OF THE BODY OF UTERUS IN WOMEN WITH REPRODUCTIVE PERIOD IN THE ASPECT OF AGE

Leiomyoma of the body of uterus is a tumor of unknown etiology, the frequency of which ranges from 5.4% to 77.0% and 80.0% of patients suffer from this problem during their lifetime. Despite the researches conducted up to date, the etiology of leiomyoma is still largely unknown and treatment strategy is limited due to the lack of information on the pathogenesis of this disease. Objectives and methods: 1. Ultrasonographic examination of leiomyoma nodes with color doppler mapping and resistance index detection. 2. Staining of preparations with hematoxylin and eosin to determine histostructure. 3. Staining of preparations with Masson Trichrome for detection of extracellular matrix. The percentage rate of fibrotic changes in the node was evaluated using the ImageJ program by processing the preparations stained with MASSON TRICHROME through a special algorithm. 4. Immunohistochemical evaluation of angiogenesis using CD34 marker. Morphometric analysis of blood vessels was performed with the special algorithm of CellProfiler program. The obtained results were processed by the computer program package of mathematical statistics - SPSS-21. Pearson x2 was used to check the confidence. Conclusions: 1. In the period before the nodes of uterine leiomyoma, a reshaped vascular collector is formed with sharp vascularization, which is a cover; and creates an ideal environment in the process of growth and development of leiomyoma; The growth of nodes up to 1 cm proceeds by diffusion from the adjacent muscle within the collector, as an independent autonomous unit, in conditions of scarcity of internal angiogenesis in the nodes (angiogenesis 45%, RI-0.48). 2. In nodes of proliferative leiomyoma with the size of up to 2 cm, there is an increase in internal (intranodal) vascularization, which confirms the active role of angiogenesis in the process of growth and development of leiomyoma; 3. Along with the growth of leiomyomas up to 3 cm, both in the muscle adjacent to the nodes (RI-0.61) and in the internal tissue of the nodes, there is a decrease in angiogenesis up to 25.6%, (RI-0.63); and in nodules up to 4 cm, a dramatic decrease in angiogenesis in the adjacent muscle (RI-0.53) and intranodal tissue up to 15.8% (RI-0.42). The mentioned fact confirms the complete exhaustion of the resources of remodeled blood vessels formed during the growth and development of leiomyoma within the collector by forming a hypoxic condition in the nodes. 4. In the proliferative, small growing leiomyomas, the proliferative activity of fibroblasts with the formation of extracellular matrix and the reproduction of fibrotic tissue is directly proportional to the age of the patient - with their decrease up to 30 years, and with increasing of age, the volume increases. 5. Immunohistochemically (with the expression of SD 34), a high rate of the number and area of ​​blood vessels detected in nodes at a young age, and a large diameter of blood vessels in patients at the age of 41-49, confirms the activation of angiogenesis at a young age with the formation of predominantly small-caliber arteries (arterioles) and capillaries, which is the basis for the active growth of nodes at a young age, in contrast to patients at the age of 41-49 with a high index of the average diameter of blood vessels; 6. The presence of small-diameter blood vessels indicates the maximum ability of the thinnest capillaries to reproduce and the possibilities to form anastomoses. Capillaries, as the thinnest tubes, represented by only one layer of endothelium, contribute to the activation of oxygen and metabolism in tissues and represent an important link in the molecular mechanisms of leiomyoma growth and development. 7. In line with the increase in the size of proliferative leiomyomas, the increase in the volume of the extracellular matrix with the decrease of angiogenesis and the development of hypoxia leads to create an obstacle for growth and development in the node with the onset of a remission period. 8. The high potential of self-renewal, differentiation, regeneration of blood vessels and constant active changes in the body of the uterus and within the node should be taken into consideration, as a hormone-dependent process in terms of the formation of new remodeled blood vessels, which is an important factor in the development of relapse. In addition, the active involvement of intranodal hypoxia and extracellular matrix in the process of remodeling blood vessels cannot be excluded.

Abstract PO016: Spatial transcriptomic profiling to characterize the tumor-vascular interactome of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract BACKGROUND: The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor microenvironment (TME) is composed of a complex ecosystem dominated by cancer cells and the endothelial cells that line tumor blood vessels. Although many genomic drivers have been identified and at least three transcriptional subsets have been proposed, these efforts have not yet led to novel therapies or otherwise significantly impacted management options. Single cell transcriptional profiling has generated deep insights into the multiple heterogeneous cell types within tissues, but the spatial context of these data is lost during single cell processing. Spatial transcriptomic approaches aim to bridge the gap between dissociative single cell technologies and in situ histopathological characterization.METHODS: To gain insight into potential in situ cancer-endothelial crosstalk interactions, we utilized the Nanostring GeoMx spatial transcriptomics platform with the Cancer Transcriptome Atlas ~1800 gene oligonucleotide probe panel to generate tumor (Arginase+) and blood vessel (CD31+) areas of interest (AOI) gene expression profiles from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue specimens obtained from HCC resection specimens. Oligonucleotides released from each microscopic AOI were then captured, processed by DNA sequencing, and analyzed using custom computational pipelines.RESULTS: Using the 119 ROI containing data from both tumor and vessels that passed quality control filters, we performed unbiased hierarchical clustering of both the tumor and vessel areas of interest (AOI) within each ROI using the most highly variable genes for each AOI set and identified at least 3 clusters within each AOI type (tumor and vessel). Based on gene ontology analysis of the tumor AOIs, the two subsets were distinguished by unique immune and inflammatory-related genes. Analogous ontology-based characterization of the vessel AOIs demonstrated two groups: 1) an interferon-activated, inflamed progenitor, and immune checkpoint-associated cluster; and 2) a TGF-beta and oxidative stress-associated cluster. Notably, both vessel clusters also contained significant numbers of leukocyte genes, concordant with the intimate relationship of the vasculature and immune system. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) utilizing both the most variable genes within each AOI set showed significant correlated gene sets within tumor AOIs and vessel AOIs, implying biologically significant interactions in multiple signaling pathways.CONCLUSIONS: Spatial transcriptomic profiling enables an understanding of cell-cell interactions in situ that can uncover biologically distinct tumor and blood vessel niches within the HCC microenvironment. Subsequent efforts will be focused on functionally assessing the spatially linked cancer and endothelial cell phenotypes with the goals of developing improved prognostic and predictive biomarkers and generating novel drug targets. Citation Format: Joseph W Franses, Michael J Raabe, Amaya Pankaj, Bidish Patel, Avril Coley, Irun Bhan, Martin Aryee, David T Ting. Spatial transcriptomic profiling to characterize the tumor-vascular interactome of hepatocellular carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in the Pathogenesis and Molecular Therapies of Liver Cancer; 2022 May 5-8; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2022;28(17_Suppl):Abstract nr PO016.

Abstract PO024: Combination therapy with PXS-5505 improves chemotherapeutic efficacy and reduces myeloid immune suppression in murine cholangiocarcinoma – a novel therapeutic strategy for clinical translation

Abstract Introduction: Despite growing prevalence, 5-year survival for cholangiocarcinoma remains poor due to an immunosuppressive fibroinflammatory stroma, featuring abundant collagen and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Lysyl oxidases (LOX) consist of 5 secreted enzymes that catalyze collagen cross-linking, resulting in increased tumor stroma density and facilitate immune evasion. Here, we present our findings of pan-LOX inhibition with a novel orally dosed agent (PXS-5505) in a murine model of CCA. Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was performed on a human tissue macro-array of CCA. Mice that develop spontaneous CCA (KPPC) or orthotopically injected with a syngeneic cell line derived from a KPPC tumor were screened for disease onset and progression with ultrasonography (U/S). Groups of KPPC mice or mice bearing orthotopic tumors were enrolled into treatment cohorts of chemotherapy with or without PXS-5505 to evaluate survival and to perform fixed time point studies with treated tumors including assessment of intratumoral interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), IHC analysis of tumor markers, chemotherapy drug perfusion into tumors by mass spectrometry, and flow cytometry analysis of tumor single cell suspensions for stromal and immune cell populations. Results: IHC analysis demonstrated significantly elevated LOX expression in both human and KPPC CCA (p<0.0001 and p=0.0025, respectively) compared to normal liver controls. High LOX expression was associated with worse disease-free (p=0.02) and overall (p=0.03) survival in resected human CCA specimens. KPPC mice treated with the combination of chemotherapy plus PXS-5505 demonstrated delayed tumor growth (p<0.0001) and ascites onset (p=0.005) with improved survival (median 77 vs. 59 days, p=0.001) compared to chemotherapy alone. In addition, combination therapy reduced IFP (p=0.002) and was associated with increased mean blood vessel area (p<0.0001) and increased concentration of intratumoral chemotherapy levels (p=0.02) compared to chemotherapy alone. Subsequent IHC revealed increased cell death through cleaved caspase-3 (p=0.0003) and damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) release through HMGB1 (p=0.0004). Flow cytometry analysis of tumors treated with combination therapy demonstrated reduced prevalence of tumor-infiltrating monocytic and granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cell populations (p=0.002 and p=0.01, respectively) and tumor associated macrophages (TAMs; p=0.02). There were increased CD4+ (p=0.01) T-cells with a reduced proportion of Treg+CD4+ (p<0.0001) T-cells. The ratio of CD8:Treg was significantly elevated in the combination therapy cohort (p=0.001) and depletion of T-cells in orthotopic tumors abrogated the improved survival with combination therapy. Conclusions: LOX is elevated in human CCA and its expression correlates with prognosis following resection. Combination therapy with PXS-5505 delays tumor progression and improves survival in murine CCA models. Thus, chemotherapy combined with PXS-5505 represents a novel therapeutic strategy for treating CCA. Citation Format: Paul R Burchard, Luis I Ruffolo, Nicholas A Ullman, Yatee Dave, Benjamin Dale, Mary Georger, Rachel Jewell, Nabeel Badri, Brian A Belt, David C Linehan, Roberto Hernandez-Alejandro. Combination therapy with PXS-5505 improves chemotherapeutic efficacy and reduces myeloid immune suppression in murine cholangiocarcinoma – a novel therapeutic strategy for clinical translation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in the Pathogenesis and Molecular Therapies of Liver Cancer; 2022 May 5-8; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2022;28(17_Suppl):Abstract nr PO024.

Atrous residual convolutional neural network based on U-Net for retinal vessel segmentation.

Extracting features of retinal vessels from fundus images plays an essential role in computer-aided diagnosis of diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cerebrovascular diseases. Although a number of deep learning-based methods have been used in this field, the accuracy of retinal vessel segmentation remains challenging due to limited densely annotated data, inter-vessel differences, and structured prediction problems, especially in areas of small blood vessels and the optic disk. In this paper, we propose an ARN model with a atrous block to address these issues, which can avoid the loss of data structure, and enlarge the receptive field, so that each convolution output contains a larger range of information. In addition, we also introduce residual convolution network to increase the network depth and improve the network performance.Some key parameters are used to measure the feasibility of the model, such as sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), F1-score (F1), accuracy (Acc), and area under each curve (AUC). Experimental results on two benchmark datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods, which accuracy are 0.9686 on the DRIVE and 0.9746 on the CHASE DB1. The segmentation structure can assist the doctor in diagnosis more effectively.

Effects of in situ cross-linked graphene oxide-containing gelatin methacrylate anhydride hydrogel on wound vascularization of full-thickness skin defect in mice

Effects of in situ cross-linked graphene oxide-containing gelatin methacrylate anhydride hydrogel on wound vascularization of full-thickness skin defect in mice

QS16. The Effects of Variations in the Skin Surface Temperature on Capillary Blood Flow Using Video-capillaroscopy

Purpose: Video-capillaroscopy (VC) can be used to evaluate real-time flow of red blood cells in capillaries at a depth of 1-mm from the skin surface. Therefore, this device could be used in microsurgery to assess the perfusion of flaps, replanted fingers, skin grafts, and keloids. The details of capillary changes during skin cooling under VC observations are not known. By investigating the adaptations of capillaries after cooling using VC, we determined the effects of temperature on skin capillaries with those at room temperature, establishing temperature criteria for future VC applications. Therefore, we observed and compared VC findings on skin areas often used for flap harvest at a normal and lower body temperature. Methods: Twenty healthy Japanese adults were included. Skin capillaries were observed at the lateral thigh, forearm, mid-axillary line, abdomen, and fingertip using VC (GOKO Bscan-Z). Ice packs were used to lower the skin temperature to less than 35°C. The VC findings were recorded for three minutes before and after cooling. By means of the ImageJ software, we measured the total blood vessel area (pixels) as a percentage of the total area of the visual field (pixels). Also, we measured the blood flow velocity (μm/s) using GOKO-VIP software and the results for both temperatures (normal and after cooling) were then compared. Results: The average age and BMI were 37.5±9.72 years and 22.4±2.45 kg/m2 respectively. The mean arterial pressure was 89.4±3.1 mmHg. In accordance with the Fitzpatrick phenotype, eleven patients were type II, five were type III, and four were type IV. The average skin temperature before and after cooling were 36.4±0.2°C and 34.7±0.8°, respectively. The blood vessel areas were significantly different before and after cooling in all anatomical areas (p <.001). The average reduction rate of the vessel area after cooling was 63% for the thigh, 30% for the forearm, 43.3% for the mid-axillary line, 35% for the abdomen, and 65% for fingertips. The mean reduction rate of the vessel area was significantly different among anatomic regions (p <.001). The average blood flow velocities were significantly different before and after cooling in all anatomical areas (p <.001). The average blood flow velocity reduction rate after cooling was 75.7% for the thigh, 55.3% for the forearm, 68.9% for the mid-axillary line, 61.6% for the abdomen, and 79.2% for fingertips. The average blood flow velocity reduction rate after cooling was significantly different among anatomic regions (p <.001). Conclusion: Decrease in skin surface temperature resulted in capillary vasoconstriction and a decrease of capillary blood flow velocity in all areas. When VC is used for flap monitoring, it is important to keep the observation area warm since decreasing the temperature in the monitored area might result in the false diagnosis of arterial occlusion.

Опыт использования возможностей лазерной спекл-флоуграфии при макулярном отеке на фоне окклюзий ретинальных вен (предварительное сообщение)

Purpose. To evaluate the features of blood flow in the optic nerve disc (OND) in patients with macular edema on the background of retinal vein occlusions (RVO). Material and methods. The study included 30 patients (30 eyes) with macular edema on the background of acute respiratory viral infections. Their age ranged from 38 to 84 years (on average 60 ± 10.5 years). There were 11 men and 19 women among them. The control group included 15 somatically healthy patients with no vascular pathology of the eye (30 eyes). In addition to the standard ophthalmological examination, all patients underwent a study of the state of retinal blood flow by laser speckle-fluorography. To assess the blood circulation of the vessels around the optic nerve disc, a circular marker was installed, after which the software allowed to evaluate the following parameters: the average value of the blurriness of the image of the blood vessel area (MV); the average value of the blurriness of the image of the tissue area (MT); the average value of the blurriness of the image of the entire measured area (MA); the average value of the blurriness of the image of the area of blood vessels, reduced by the same indicator related to the area of tissue – this indicator reflects the blood flow in the retinal vessels (MV–MT). Results. In the course of the study, a significant decrease in the velocity parameters of the blood flow of the optic disc region was revealed in patients of the main group relative to the control group. The parameters MV–MT, MV, MT decreased by 20, 22, 26 % in the main group relative to the control group (p &lt; 0.001). The most pronounced decrease was revealed for the MA indicator. This parameter decreased by 32 % in patients with retinal vein occlusions (p &lt; 0.001). Conclusion. In our pilot study, a statistically significant decrease in the average blur speed was revealed in patients with macular edema on the background of ORV, which indicates a violation of blood flow and indicates the prospects of using the method in clinical practice. Keywords: laser speckle-fluorography, average blurring rate, retinal vein occlusion, macular edema, chorioretinal blood flow.

Retinal blood vessel segmentation using multiple line operator-based methods

The morphological alterations of the retinal blood vessels are important indicators that can be utilized to diagnose and track the progression of a number of disorders. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a condition that destroys the retina and is the major cause of visual loss caused by high blood glucose levels. One of the retinal objects impacted by DR is the blood vessel. By regularly monitoring changes in the retinal blood vessels, severe DR or even vision loss can be avoided. The condition of the blood vessel can be examined by segmenting the blood vessel area from a digital fundus image. Segmenting retinal blood vessels manually, on the other hand, is time-consuming and tedious, and especially when dealing with a high number of photographs. As a result, a system for segmenting retinal blood vessels automatically is crucial. Furthermore, methods for automatically segmenting retinal blood vessels are useful for person authentication systems based on the retina. Blood vessel segmentation can be accomplished in a number of ways. Based on the prior line operator method, an improved version of the line operator method is proposed in this paper. The proposed method demonstrates an improvement in accuracy over the previous method, with an accuracy of 94.61%.

Dynamic Changes on Video-capillaroscopy and Potential Microsurgical Application: Temperature and Skin Surface Readings.

Summary:Video-capillaroscopy is being explored as a potential tool for microsurgical flap monitoring. A detailed examination of the effect of temperature on capillary changes using video-capillaroscopy is yet to be investigated. We analyzed the video-capillaroscopy findings on different skin areas often used for flap harvest at normal body temperatures and at lower temperatures. Skin capillaries at the lateral thigh, anterior forearm, mid-axillary line, abdomen, and fingertips were observed using video-capillaroscopy in 20 healthy Japanese individuals. Further, ImageJ software was used to measure the blood vessel area and blood flow velocity, and comparisons were drawn between normal body temperature and lower body temperature states. All measures of blood vessel area and average blood flow velocity for the different anatomical regions were significantly different before and after cooling (P < 0.001). The mean reduction rate of the vessel area was significantly different among anatomic regions (P < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis revealed a significant difference in the vessel area reduction rate between anatomic areas (P < 0.05); except when comparing the thigh versus finger, the forearm versus abdomen, and the mid-axillary line versus abdomen. The mean blood flow velocity was significantly different among anatomic regions (P < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis revealed a significant difference between the thigh and forearm (P = 0.009), the forearm and fingertip (P = 0.001), and the abdomen and fingertip (P = 0.004). Decreasing the skin temperature resulted in a significant vasoconstriction and reduction in capillary flow velocity. It is imperative to keep the monitored area warm during video-capillaroscopy assessment to avoid false diagnosis of vascular occlusion.

Research on detection method of bleeding point in two-dimensional DSA image based on parametric color imaging

Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) has become an essential method in diagnosing and detecting vascular bleeding points. According to the frame number sequence, doctors subjectively analyze gray-black DSA data to diagnose vascular bleeding points. This study carried out parametric color imaging processing on the original two-dimensional DSA image sequence to assist doctors in judging blood vessel bleeding more accurately and quickly on angiography results and obtain quantitative standards. Five parameter values are calculated by enhancing the two-dimensional DSA image, segmenting the blood vessel area of the two-dimensional DSA image, and fitting the time-concentration curve. The parameters include AUC, time to peak, development time, transit time, and flow rate of contrast agent. The parameter value determines the gray value of the image pixel point and generates a color image with corresponding parameters through image pseudo-color processing. The color imaging results of each parameter of 33 groups of simulated hemorrhage data in-vitro and DSA data of 42 cases of vascular bleeding points determine the selection of parameters to assist in diagnosing vascular bleeding points, and the experimental results finally select the development time parameter color imaging result map to assist doctors in diagnosing blood vessel bleeding points.

Effects of Exercise Training on PPARβ/δ Expression in Skeletal Muscle of Rats with Spontaneous Hypertension.

ABSTRACTPurposeThis study aimed to identify the relationship and mechanism between skeletal muscle peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ/δ) and spontaneous hypertension.MethodsRats were divided into four groups (n = 10): spontaneous hypertensive rats exercise group (SHR-E), spontaneous hypertensive rats sedentary group (SHR-S), Wistar-Kyoto control rats exercise group (WKY-E), and Wistar-Kyoto control rats sedentary group (WKY-S). Although the sedentary groups were placed on the treadmill without moving during the training sessions, the exercise groups were forced to run on a treadmill for 8 wk, 1 h·d−1, 5 d·wk−1. After training, the density and area of gastrocnemius microvessels were observed. PPARβ/δ, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD-2), and nitric oxide synthase in gastrocnemius were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot.ResultsExcept the sixth week of age, the systolic blood pressure of SHR-S was significantly higher than that of WKY-S at all time periods. Exercise significantly reduced systolic blood pressure in SHR rats. Compared with the SHR-S group, the WKY-S group had significantly higher PPARβ/δ protein level and density of skeletal muscle microvessels. Eight weeks of exercise increased the PPARβ/δ, SOD-2, VEGFA, and microvessel density and area in the skeletal muscle of SHR.ConclusionsExercise training promoted PPARβ/δ mRNA and protein-level expression of PPARβ/δ, SOD-2 and VEGFA in skeletal muscle, thus increasing the density and area of skeletal muscle blood vessels. These regulations contribute to the reduction of peripheral vascular resistance. This may be a potential mechanism of exercise to reduce blood pressure.

Antiangiogenic Activity of Sweet Almond (Prunus dulcis) Oil Alone and in Combination with Aspirin in both in vivo and in vitro Assays.

Objective:Angiogenesis is new blood vessels formations that are necessary for certain physiological and pathologic conditions. Almond oil represents adjuvant therapies for numerous health benefits; It has ability for prevent the formation angiogenesis in tumour, due to its high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, flavonoids and other ingredients content. Aspirin is non-steroidal ant-inflammatory drug; significantly reduce the angiogenesis of cancer. The aim of the study is to investigate the role of Prunus dulcis oil alone and in combination with aspirin, as an anti-angiogenic. Method:A sequential concentrations ex-vivo rat aorta ring assay, investigate the anti-angiogenic activity of Prunus dulcisoil in vivo. After three days of incubation, small holes were created on the fine pinpoint. Acute toxicity study was evaluated after administration of Prunus dulcis oil via intraperitoneal route. Results:the obtained results displayed that the serial concentration dose-response has a significant inhibition effect of blood vessels growth when compared to the negative control (DMSO 1%), the dose depended percentage of inhibition, sweet almond oil in combination with aspirin synergism effect to inhibition growth blood vessels as anti-angiogenic activity. The zone of inhibition was been measured as the mean of inhibition area of blood vessel on eggs in millimetre (mm) ± standard deviation. Conclusion: Almond oil dose has inhibition effect on cancer and can be used as (anti-angiogenesis), the activity of almond oil with Aspirin synergism can significantly reduce blood vessel’s growth in rate aorta ring and CAM assay.

Daily or Less Frequent Topical 1% Atropine Slows Defocus-Induced Myopia Progression in Contact Lens-Wearing Guinea Pigs

PurposeThis study compared the efficacy of topical 1% atropine applied daily versus every 3 days for controlling myopia progression in guinea pigs.MethodsTo induce myopia, pigmented guinea pigs (New Zealand strain, n = 38) wore monocular −10 D rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses, which were replaced after 3 weeks with −15 diopter (D) contact lenses. Animals were treated with 1% atropine either daily (Atr-QD; n = 12), or every 3 days (Atr-Q3D; n = 11), or with artificial tears (control group; n = 15). Spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) and axial length (AL) data, as well as retinal and choroidal thickness data were collected weekly.ResultsWhereas mean (±SEM) interocular differences (treated - fellow) in both SER and AL at week 0 (baseline) were similar for all groups, significant differences between the atropine-treated and control groups were evident by week 6 (SER and AL, P < 0.001). The treated eyes of the control group showed relatively more axial elongation and myopia progression than both the Atr-QD and Atr-Q3D groups. Choroidal blood vessel area also decreased over time in the treated eyes of the control group, coupled with choroidal thinning overall, with these changes being attenuated by atropine. Retinal thickness showed a developmental decrease over the treatment period but was unaffected by atropine.ConclusionsFor this defocus-induced guinea pig model of myopia, application of 1% topical atropine slows myopia progression, even when applied every 3 days.Translational RelevanceThe results from this study suggest that the frequency of dosing for topical atropine may be reduced from the widely used daily dosing regimen without loss of myopia control efficacy.

Blood Vessel Detection Algorithm for Tissue Engineering and Quantitative Histology

Immunohistochemistry for vascular network analysis plays a fundamental role in basic science, translational research and clinical practice. However, identifying vascularization in histological tissue images is time consuming and markedly depends on the operator’s experience. In this study, we present “blood vessel detection—BVD”, an automatic algorithm for quantitative analysis of blood vessels in immunohistochemical images. BVD is based on extraction and analysis of low-level image features and spatial filtering techniques, which do not require a training phase. BVD algorithm performance was comparatively evaluated on histological sections from three different in vivo experiments. Collectively, 173 independent images were analyzed, and the algorithm's results were compared to those obtained by human operators. The developed BVD algorithm proved to be a robust and versatile tool, being able to quantify number, area, and spatial distribution of blood vessels within all three considered histologic datasets. BVD is provided as an open-source application working on different operating systems. BVD is supported by a user-friendly graphical interface designed to facilitate large-scale analysis.

Can bleeding in trabeculectomy be decreased? Effectiveness of brimonidine pre-treatment

To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative topical brimonidine use to maintain visibility during trabeculectomy and control intraoperative bleeding and postoperative subconjunctival hemorrhage. The first group comprised 35 eyes of 34 patients administered brimonidine tartrate 0.15% (Brimogut, Bilim Ilac, Turkey) eye drops 6 and 3 min before surgery, and 33 eyes of 31 patients who received no medication for vasoconstriction formed the second group. Preoperative and postoperative photographs and operation video images were taken and vision analysis software used. Black-and-white images were obtained to identify the blood vessel and surface hemorrhage areas. The surface area of the hemorrhage was calculated by counting the black pixels with Image J software. There was no significant difference between two groups in terms of baseline (preoperative) eye redness (p > 0.05). In the first group, the eye redness values were 344.7 ± 19.5 pixels preoperatively and 244.1 ± 23.3 pixels at the beginning of the surgery, respectively (p < 0.001). However, no significant change was observed in the second group in eye redness (348.2 ± 17.5 pixels preoperatively and 360.7 ± 26.8 pixels at the beginning of the surgery, p > 0.05). Cautery was used for an average of 11.91 ± 1.96 s in the first group and 25.57 ± 4.66 s in the second to control intraoperative bleeding (P < 0.001). Preoperative topical brimonidine use in trabeculectomy surgery significantly decreased intraoperative bleeding and postoperative subconjunctival hemorrhage and facilitated bleeding control.

Review on Diabetic Retinopathy Detection Using Molecular Segmentation In Convolution Neural Network

Abstract: People who suffer from diabetes are at risk of developing blindness since their pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin. Diabetic retinopathy is a condition in which a patient's vision gradually worsens as the disease advances. To better understand how diabetes affects the eye, retinal images captured with a fundal camera can be helpful. This study aims to detect blood vessels, identify hemorrhages, and classify different phases of diabetic retinopathy into normal, mild, and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). When it comes to classifying the various stages of diabetes-related retinopathy, the retinal picture is used as a starting point. Using the contrast between the blood vessels and the surrounding background, the retinal vascular is segmented.. Density analysis and bounding box approaches were used to identify potential hemorrhage sites. According to blood vessel and hemorrhage area and perimeter, Random Forests technique was used to finally classify various phases of eye disease. Keywords: Retina, blood vessel, hemorrhages, classification, diabetic retinopathy.

Relationship Between Carotid Artery Angle and Plaque Morphology in Acute Cerebral Infarction Patients.

Background:High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) can be used to clearly distinguish the luminal structure of the carotid artery (CA); measure the lumen, vessel wall, and total blood vessel area; and accurately describe the morphologic features of plaques.Methods:This study used HRMRI to investigate the relationship between geometric features and volume and composition of carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Patients (n=81) who had experienced acute cerebral infarction (CI) within 7±3 days before admission to the Neurology Department of Beijing Tiantan Hospital between November 2011 and June 2012 were enrolled in the study. CA HRMRI was performed to analyze the geometry and morphology of plaques in 160 blood vessels.Results:The median left and right internal carotid artery angles (ICAAs) were 32.79 and 31.00 degrees, respectively. Aside from the nonplanar external CA angle, plaque volume and angles did not differ significantly between the left and right sides. Age (B=3.77; P=0.03) and nonplanar ICAA (B=4.70; P=0.01) were predictors of left but not right carotid plaque volume. ICAA and bifurcation angle did not predict plaque volume.Conclusions:In this study, CA morphology in acute stroke patients is not associated with plaque volume or composition, but age and nonplanar ICAA can predict left carotid plaque volume.

Chronic Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Affects the Ileum and Colon of Guinea Pigs Differently. Relaxin (RLX-2, Serelaxin) Prevents Most Local Damage

Cigarette smoking (CS) is the cause of several organ and apparatus diseases. The effects of smoke in the gut are partially known. Accumulating evidence has shown a relationship between smoking and inflammatory bowel disease, prompting us to investigate the mechanisms of action of smoking in animal models. Despite the role played by neuropeptides in gut inflammation, there are no reports on their role in animal models of smoking exposure. The hormone relaxin has shown anti-inflammatory properties in the intestine, and it might represent a putative therapy to prevent gut damage caused by smoking. Presently, we investigate the effects of chronic smoke exposure on inflammation, mucosal secretion, and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and substance P (SP) expressions in the ileum and colon of guinea pigs. We also verify the ability of relaxin to counter the smoke-induced effects. Smoke impacted plasma carbon monoxide (CO). In the ileum, it induced inflammatory infiltrates, fibrosis, and acidic mucin production; reduced the blood vessel area; decreased c-kit-positive mast cells and VIP-positive neurons; and increased the SP-positive nerve fibers. In the colon, it reduced the blood vessel area and the goblet cell area and decreased c-kit-positive mast cells, VIP-positive neurons, and SP-positive nerve fibers. Relaxin prevented most of the smoking-induced changes in the ileum, while it was less effective in the colon. This study shows the diverse sensitivity to CS between the ileum and the colon and demonstrates that both VIP and SP are affected by smoking. The efficacy of relaxin proposes this hormone as a potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic to counteract gut damage in humans affected by inflammatory bowel diseases.

Differences in bovine placentome blood vessel density and transcriptomics in a mid to late-gestating maternal nutrient restriction model.

Prenatal development is reliant on a functioning placenta, which can be influenced by maternal nutrition. Moreover, the variation in cotyledonary capacity within an animal has not been fully examined to date. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of (1) placentome size and (2) maternal nutrient restriction on molecular, microscopic, and macroscopic features of bovine placentomes during late gestation. Pregnant cows (n=6) were placed into one of 2 treatments: CON (100% NRC) vs RES (60% of NRC) from day 140 until slaughter at day 240 of gestation. Placentomes of various sizes were perfused to assess macroscopic blood vessel density of the cotyledon. Microscopic imaging and RNA extraction for sequencing was performed. Macroscopic blood vessel density relative to placentome weight was not different (P=0.42) among small, medium, or large placentomes. Cotyledonary microscopic blood vessel number, area, and perimeter was increased (P<0.005) in high versus low blood perfusion areas. Differential expressed gene (DEG) analysis showed 209 upregulations and 168 downregulations in the RES group (P≤0.0001). Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that downregulated enriched terms were involved in blood vessel and mesenchymal stem cells development, whereas upregulated enriched terms were involved with translation and ribosomal function. This study demonstrates that placentome function is uniform across various placentome sizes within an animal. However, microscopic heterogeneity exists within each placentome. Maternal nutrient constraints alter placental transcriptomics which may yield compensatory mechanisms involved in nutrient transport including increased perimeter.

Heat transfer and hemodynamic analysis of systolic and diastolic hypertension on abdominal aortic thrombosis

Thrombosis is a blood clot formed in the vascular system and obstructs blood flow by reducing the cross-sectional area of blood vessels, posing a great threat to human health. Computational hemodynamics is a well-known method used for numerical simulation of blood flow behaviour. Diastolic and systolic hypertension can be investigated using the FVM and SIMPLE scheme for pressure-velocity coupling. Thanks to the utilization of MRI and DICOM, there is an acceptable 3D geometric accuracy based on which the geometry was constructed. In this study, a numerical study was performed on the behavior of the non-Newtonian blood flow in the abdominal aorta with different shapes of thrombus in three thermal fluxes generated by the body (i.e., running, sleeping, and standing). So, Blood flow behavior in three thrombus shapes of circular, rectangular, and triangular was also explored. This paper reported the influence of dimensionless numbers, including pressure drop, heat transfer coefficient, temperature, and Average Wall Shear Stress (AWSS). Based on clinical data, velocities in the abdominal aorta range from 1 to 1.2 m s−1, and blood temperature is 309.55 K. The results showed that the triangular thrombus was the most effective.