Original article: cardiovascularMulti-photon microscopic evaluation of saphenous vein endothelium and its preservation with a new solution, GALA
Section snippets
Saphenous veins
Saphenous vein segments (inner diameter 0.05 to 0.2 mm, outer diameter 0.2 to 1.0 mm) were obtained before distension or any other manipulation from male patients of age 67.13 ± 9.78 (mean ± SD) years undergoing CABG surgery at the VA Boston Healthcare System, according to an approved Human Studies Subcommittee protocol. The vein segments were placed in the preservation solutions described below at 21°C and processed within 30 minutes. Excess adipose and adventitia were gently excised. Five
Effects of preservation solutions on endothelial cell viability in explanted saphenous vein
Vein segments stored in heparinized lidocaine saline (HLS), autologous heparinized blood (AHB) or tissue culture medium (TCM) exhibited a red fluorescence pattern in the lumenal region within 1 hour of storage indicative of extensive cell membrane damage and compromised viability of endothelial cells (Fig 1, Table 1). In contrast, the endothelial cells were structurally intact (green fluorescence) after 1 hour of storage in Hank’s balanced salt solution (HBSS; Fig 1), but lost cellular
Comment
The preservation of saphenous vein endothelial cells during the course of CABG surgery is essential for the long-term patency of the grafts. Endothelial cells are important mediators in regulating platelet function and in determining the coagulant and fibrinolytic pathways in the vessel wall. Endothelial injury can lead to acute alterations in these essential pathways, leading to thrombosis and stenosis 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Histochemical analyses have suggested that structural derangements in the
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the expert technical assistance of Jin-Hwa Rhee, Thomas McGarry and Sofija Zagarins. We would like to thank Nancy Healey for editorial assistance and Aditi Thatte for her encouragement. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants (TM), a Veteran’s Affairs Merit Review Grant (SFK), and the Richard Warren Surgical Research and Educational Fund (HST, SFK).
References (25)
- et al.
Pathophysiology of vein graft failurea review
Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg
(1995) - et al.
Endothelial cell injury in cardiovascular surgerythe pathophysiology of vasomotor dysfunction
Ann Thorac Surg
(1996) - et al.
Altered endothelial and smooth muscle cell reactivity caused by University of Wisconsin preservation solution in human saphenous vein
J Vasc Surg
(1997) - et al.
Multi-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy of in vivo human skin
Biophys J
(1997) - et al.
Multi-photon excitation provides optical sections from deeper within scattering specimens than confocal imaging
Biophys J
(1998) - et al.
Direct evidence of nitric oxide production from bovine aortic endothelial cells using new fluorescence indicatorsdiaminofluoresceins
FEBS Lett
(1998) - et al.
Multi-photon microscopy in the evaluation of human saphenous vein
J Surg Res
(2001) - et al.
A fluorescence confocal assay to assess neuronal viability in brain slices
Brain Res Protoc
(1998) - et al.
Nitric oxide and its role in the cardiovascular system
Prog Cardiovasc Dis
(1995) - et al.
Functional and morphological evaluation of canine veins following preservation in different storage media
J Surg Res
(1997)