TY - JOUR
T1 - Altered structure of small cerebral arteries in patients with essential hypertension
AU - Rizzoni, Damiano
AU - De Ciuceis, Carolina
AU - Porteri, Enzo
AU - Paiardi, Silvia
AU - Boari, Gianluca E M
AU - Mortini, Pietro
AU - Cornali, Claudio
AU - Cenzato, Marco
AU - Rodella, Luigi F.
AU - Borsani, Elisa
AU - Rizzardi, Nicola
AU - Platto, Caterina
AU - Rezzani, Rita
AU - Rosei, Enrico Agabiti
PY - 2009/4
Y1 - 2009/4
N2 - Objective Structural alterations in the microcirculation may be considered an important mechanism of organ damage. An increased media-to-lumen ratio of subcutaneous small resistance arteries has been demonstrated to predict the development of cardiocerebrovascular events in hypertensive patients. Alterations in the structure of small cerebral arteries have been demonstrated in animal models of experimental or genetic hypertension. However, no evaluation with reliable techniques has ever been performed in humans. Design and methods Twenty-eight participants were included in the present study: they were 13 hypertensive patients and 15 normotensive individuals. All participants underwent a neurosurgical intervention for benign or malign tumors. A small portion of morphologically normal cerebral tissue was excised from surgical samples and examined. Cerebral small resistance arteries (relaxed diameter around 200 μm) were dissected and mounted on an isometric and isobaric myograph, and the tunica media to internal lumen ratio was measured. In addition, cerebral cortical microvessel density (MVD) was also evaluated. The tissue was sectioned and stained for CD31, and MVD was measured with an automated image analyzer (percentage of area stained). Blood pressure values were evaluated, before surgical intervention, by standard sphygmomanometry. Results M/L was significantly greater and MVD significantly lower in hypertensive patients than that in normotensive individuals. No difference between groups in collagen content or mechanical properties of cerebral small arteries was observed. Conclusion Our results indicate that structural alterations of small cerebral vessels are present in hypertensive patients compared with normotensive individuals, similar to those previously observed in subcutaneous small arteries.
AB - Objective Structural alterations in the microcirculation may be considered an important mechanism of organ damage. An increased media-to-lumen ratio of subcutaneous small resistance arteries has been demonstrated to predict the development of cardiocerebrovascular events in hypertensive patients. Alterations in the structure of small cerebral arteries have been demonstrated in animal models of experimental or genetic hypertension. However, no evaluation with reliable techniques has ever been performed in humans. Design and methods Twenty-eight participants were included in the present study: they were 13 hypertensive patients and 15 normotensive individuals. All participants underwent a neurosurgical intervention for benign or malign tumors. A small portion of morphologically normal cerebral tissue was excised from surgical samples and examined. Cerebral small resistance arteries (relaxed diameter around 200 μm) were dissected and mounted on an isometric and isobaric myograph, and the tunica media to internal lumen ratio was measured. In addition, cerebral cortical microvessel density (MVD) was also evaluated. The tissue was sectioned and stained for CD31, and MVD was measured with an automated image analyzer (percentage of area stained). Blood pressure values were evaluated, before surgical intervention, by standard sphygmomanometry. Results M/L was significantly greater and MVD significantly lower in hypertensive patients than that in normotensive individuals. No difference between groups in collagen content or mechanical properties of cerebral small arteries was observed. Conclusion Our results indicate that structural alterations of small cerebral vessels are present in hypertensive patients compared with normotensive individuals, similar to those previously observed in subcutaneous small arteries.
KW - Brain
KW - Capillaries
KW - Cerebral small arteries
KW - Hypertension
KW - Microcirculation
KW - Microvascular rarefaction
KW - Small resistance arteries
KW - Small vessels
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U2 - 10.1097/HJH.0b013e32832401ea
DO - 10.1097/HJH.0b013e32832401ea
M3 - Article
C2 - 19300112
AN - SCOPUS:67649210152
VL - 27
SP - 838
EP - 845
JO - Journal of Hypertension
JF - Journal of Hypertension
SN - 0263-6352
IS - 4
ER -