Browsing by Subject "Varicose vein"

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    Down-regulation of lysyl oxydase-like in aging and venous insufficiency
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2008) Pascual, G.; Mendieta, C.; Mecham, R.P.; Sommer, P.; Bellón, J.M.; Buján, J.
    Background: Elastin expression is higher in tissues where elastic fibres are essential for the correct maintenance of function such as blood vessels. Elastin expression usually diminishes with age, however, it may be re-expressed in response to injury or repair processes. Some authors attribute the characteristic loss of elasticity of the varicose vein to a drop in the population of smooth muscle cells in the media layer. A reduction in elastin has been observed in chronic venous insufficiency, but little is known about some of the factors involved in elastin synthesis such as lysyl oxidases. The aim of this study was to examine the in vivo expression of the elastin precursor, tropoelastin (TE), and lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1), a cross-linking enzyme responsible for elastin polymer deposition. The effects of age on these expression patterns were also evaluated. Methods: Saphenous vein segments were obtained during surgery from organ donors (controls, n=20) and subjects with venous insufficiency (varicose veins, n=20). Both these groups were subdivided according to subject age into <50 years (n=10) and ³ 50 years (n=10). Control and varicose vein tissue specimens were immunolabelled using anti-tropoelastin and antiLOXL1 antibodies and also subjected to Western blot analysis. Results: Our results indicate that the levels of these markers of elastin synthesis (LOXL/tropoelastin) in the vein wall diminish in a significant way (p<0.05) with the age factor. Excluding the age factor, LOXL1 was significantly decreased in the varicose condition (p<0.05). In the younger pathological population they showed an inverse relationship (LOXL decreased, tropoelastin increased). Conclusions: The already established reduction in elastin in the varicose condition may be related, at least in part, to the decreased LOXL1 levels observed here. These events could reduce spontaneous reticulation of elastin and the partial loss of tissue elasticity in this group of patients.
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    Evaluation of the smooth muscle cell eomponent and apoptosis in the varicose vein wall
    (Murcia : F. Hernández, 2000) Buján, J.; Jimenez-Cossio, J.A.; Jurado, F.; Gimeno, M.J.; Pascual, G.; García-Honduvilla, N.; Dominguez, B.; Bellón, J.M.
    This study was designed to evaluate the role of the smooth muscle cell and the apoptosis in the pathogenesis of the varicose vein. Segments of saphenous vein were obtained from healthy subjects and from those with varicose veins. The vein specimens were subdivided according to subject age (younger or older than 50 years) and according to the varicose vein source (distal or proximal). Morphological, ultrastructural, cell proliferation (anti- PCNA method) and cell death (TUNEL method) analysis were performed. The walls of healthy, control vein specimens acquired a more collagenous and papilomatous appearance with age. A slight increase in the number of TUNEL-positive cells was also observed in specimens from older subjects. The proportion of apoptotic cells was much greater in the varicose veins than in control specimens. Most cellular alterations were seen in proximal varicose segments obtained from young subjects. These specimens showed hypertrophic areas with a high degree of cellularity (both in the media and in the thickened intima). The highest proportion of apoptotic cells and collagenisation were also observed in these areas. The enhanced number of apoptotic cells in varicose veins observed mainly in proximal/young vein specimens could be responsible, at least in part, for the acceleration of the final fibrosclerotic process characteristic of the varicose vein wall.