This study tested the hypothesis that circulating microparticles (MPs) exacerbated vascular wall (VW) remodeling after endothelial denudation by 0.014 wire in a rat model. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 40) were equally categorized into group 1 [sham-control (SC); 3.0 mL saline intravenous injection], group 2 [SC + intravenous MPs (1.0 × 107) derived from patients with carotid artery stenosis (CAS)], group 3 [femoral arterial endothelial denudation (FAED)], group 4 (FAED + MPs derived from healthy subjects), and group 5 (FAED + CAS-derived MPs). Animals were euthanized by day 28 after FAED procedure. The results demonstrated that neointimal area (NIA) (mm2), medial area, and number of infiltrated cells in medial layer were highest in group 5 and lowest in groups 1 and 2, and significantly higher in group 4 than those in group 3 (all P<0.0001), but no differences were noted between groups 1 and 2. However, the ratio of luminal area to VW area showed an opposite pattern compared to that of NIA among five groups (P<0.0001). Immunofluorescent study showed an identical pattern of changes in the numbers of inflammatory (F4/80, CD14, CD40, IL-β) and proliferative (Ki-67, Cx43) cells in VW compared to that of NIA among the five groups (all P<0.00). The mNRA expressions of inflammatory (MMP-9, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS, PDGF) and cell activation (c-Fos, c-Myc, osteopontin, PCNA) biomarkers showed an identical pattern compared to that of NIA among all groups (all P<0.001). Take altogether, CAS-derived MPs further aggravated MP-mediated VW remodeling after endothelial damage compared to that observed after administration of MPS derived from healthy subjects.
Keywords: Endothelial denudation; circulating microparticles; inflammation; neointimal proliferation; vascular wall remodeling.