Peripheral arterial disease is a major health problem and there is a significant need to develop therapies to prevent its progression to claudication and critical limb ischemia. Promising results in rodent models of arterial occlusion have generally failed to predict clinical success and led to questions of their relevance. While sub-optimal models may have contributed to the lack of progress, we suggest that advancement has also been hindered by misconceptions of the human capacity for compensation and the specific vessels which are of primary importance. We present and summarize new and existing data from humans, Ossabaw miniature pigs, and rodents which provide compelling evidence that natural compensation to occlusion of a major artery (i) may completely restore perfusion, (ii) occurs in specific pre-existing small arteries, rather than the distal vasculature, via mechanisms involving flow-mediated dilation and remodeling (iii) is impaired by cardiovascular risk factors which suppress the flow-mediated mechanisms and (iv) can be restored by reversal of endothelial dysfunction. We propose that restoration of the capacity for flow-mediated dilation and remodeling in small arteries represents a largely unexplored potential therapeutic opportunity to enhance compensation for major arterial occlusion and prevent the progression to critical limb ischemia in the peripheral circulation.

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Background Small conductance calcium activated potassium (SK) channels are responsible for afterhyperpolarization that suppresses nerve discharges. Objectives To test the hypotheses that low-level vagus nerve stimulation (LL-VNS) leads to the upregulation of SK2 proteins in the LSG. Methods Six dogs (Group 1) underwent 1-wk LL-VNS of the left cervical vagus nerve. Five normal dogs (Group 2) were used as control. SK2 protein levels were examined by western blotting. The ratio between SK2 and glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH) levels was used as an arbitrary unit (AU). Results We found higher SK2 expression in Group 1 (0.124 ± 0.049 AU) than Group 2 (0.085 ± 0.031 AU, P < 0.05). Immunostaining showed that the density of nerve structures stained with SK2 antibody was also higher in Group 1 (11,546 ± 7,271 μm2/mm2) than in Group 2 (5,321 ± 3,164 μm2/mm2, P < 0.05). There were significantly more ganglion cells without immunoreactivity to TH in Group 1 (11.4 ± 2.3%) than Group 2 (4.9 ± 0.7%; P < 0.05). The TH-negative ganglion cells mostly stained positive for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) (95.9 ± 2.8% in Group 1 and 86.1 ± 4.4% in Group 2, P = 0.10). Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy revealed a significant decrease in the SK2 staining in the cytosol but an increase in the SK2 staining on the membrane of the ganglion cells in Group 1 compared to Group 2. Conclusion Left LL-VNS results in the upregulation of SK2 proteins, increased SK2 protein expression in the cell membrane and the increased TH-negative (mostly ChAT-positive) ganglion cells in the LSG. These changes may underlie the antiarrhythmic efficacy of LL-VNS in ambulatory dogs.

The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), which forms with two leaflets instead of three as in the normal tricuspid aortic valve (TAV), is associated with a spectrum of secondary valvulopathies and aortopathies potentially triggered by hemodynamic abnormalities. While studies have demonstrated an intrinsic degree of stenosis and the existence of a skewed orifice jet in the BAV, the impact of those abnormalities on BAV hemodynamic performance and energy loss has not been examined. This steady-flow study presents the comparative in vitro assessment of the flow field and energy loss in a TAV and type-I BAV under normal and simulated calcified states. Particle-image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed to quantify velocity, vorticity, viscous, and Reynolds shear stress fields in normal and simulated calcified porcine TAV and BAV models at six flow rates spanning the systolic phase. The BAV model was created by suturing the two coronary leaflets of a porcine TAV. Calcification was simulated via deposition of glue beads in the base of the leaflets. Valvular performance was characterized in terms of geometric orifice area (GOA), pressure drop, effective orifice area (EOA), energy loss (EL), and energy loss index (ELI). The BAV generated an elliptical orifice and a jet skewed toward the noncoronary leaflet. In contrast, the TAV featured a circular orifice and a jet aligned along the valve long axis. While the BAV exhibited an intrinsic degree of stenosis (18% increase in maximum jet velocity and 7% decrease in EOA relative to the TAV at the maximum flow rate), it generated only a 3% increase in EL and its average ELI (2.10 cm2/m2) remained above the clinical threshold characterizing severe aortic stenosis. The presence of simulated calcific lesions normalized the alignment of the BAV jet and resulted in the loss of jet axisymmetry in the TAV. It also amplified the degree of stenosis in the TAV and BAV, as indicated by the 342% and 404% increase in EL, 70% and 51% reduction in ELI and 48% and 51% decrease in EOA, respectively, relative to the nontreated valve models at the maximum flow rate. This study indicates the ability of the BAV to function as a TAV despite its intrinsic degree of stenosis and suggests the weak dependence of pressure drop on orifice area in calcified valves.

Dog bite vascular injuries are an uncommon occurrence, where extremity pulse abnormalities are the most common presentation. These injuries are also associated with significant adjacent soft tissue trauma, which warrants aggressive debridement and perioperative antibiotic therapy. Despite vigilant management, nearly one-fifth of our patients sustained wound infections. All infections were successfully managed with broad-spectrum antibiotics, and all limbs were preserved 1-year postoperatively.