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Byline: L.S. Bambang (a), J.P. Mazzucotelli (a), M. Moczar (a), F. Beaujean (a), D. Loisance (a ) Abstract: Human saphenous veins were cryopreserved in 4% human albumin and 10% dimethyl sulfoxide. The effect of cryopreservation on endothelial cells was studied in terms of the anticoagulant activity of thrombomodulin and in terms of cell proliferation. After storage for 2 weeks at -150[degrees]C, 0.45 [+ or -] 0.07 x 10.sup.5 endothelial cells/cm.sup.2 were detected in cryopreserved veins and 1.03 [+ or -] 0.04 x 10.sup.5 endothelial cells/cm.sup.2 in fresh veins (p < 0.01). The thrombin-catalyzed activation of protein C decreased after cryopreservation, indicating altered thrombomodulin activity in the endothelial cells. On a cell number basis, the release of soluble thrombomodulin was three times higher from the cryopreserved endothelium than from the fresh endothelium (p < 0.05). The amount of spontaneous release of von Willebrand factor from the endothelial surface was not significantly different between fresh and cryopreserved veins. Endothelial cells were cultured from fresh veins and from their cryopreserved counterparts. On plating of endothelial cells in primary culture, the number of adhered cells was 0.9 [+ or -] 0.09 x 10.sup.3 cells/cm.sup.2 from fresh veins and 0.25 [+ or -] 0.0 x 10.sup.3 cells/cm.sup.2 from cryopreserved veins (p < 0.01). The positive immunohistochemical stain for von Willebrand factor indicated that the endothelial cell character was maintained after cryopreservation. The endothelial desquamation with loss of anticoagulant function and the slow proliferation of surviving cells in vitro suggest an impaired endothelial healing in vivo. The loss of anticoagulant activity complicates the problems of the exposure of thrombogenic subendothelial matrix to blood in implanted cryopreserved veins. Author Affiliation: (a ) Centre de Recherches Chirurgicales Henri Mondor, CNRS URA 1431, Creteil, France (a) Centre Departemental de Transfusion Sanguine, CHU Henri Mondor, Creteil, France Article History: Received 12 August 1994; Accepted 23 December 1994

Byline: L. Lecerf, M. Moczar, D. Loisance Author Affiliation: Creteil, France Article History: Received 31 March 1997; Accepted 12 June 1977 Article Note: (footnote) [star] Address for reprints: Professor D. Loisance, Centre de Recherches Chirurgicales Henri Mondor, Faculte de Medecine, 8 Rue de General Sarrail, 94000 Creteil, France., [star][star] J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1997;114:1117-8, a 0022-5223/97 $5.00 + 0 12/54/83908

Hyaluronic acid (HA), heparan sulfate (HS) and structural glycoproteins (SGP) were investigated in explant cultures of hamster lungs by studying incorporation of 14C-glucosamine (14C GlcN) on the first and on the 24th day after intratracheal administration of pancreatic elastase. The different 14C radiolabeled macromolecules were extracted sequentially by 0. 4 M guanidinium chloride (0. 4 M GUA), 4 M GUA and collagenase digestion. At one day following elastase injury, a 4. 2 fold increase of 14C GlcN incorporation into HA released in 0. 4 M GUA extract and a 2. 6 fold increase into HS released in the collagenase digests were observed compared to control tissues; at 24 days, the increased 14C GlcN incorporation into HA and HS persist but to a lesser extent. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing carried out on 4 M GUA extracts, demonstrated identical quantitative and qualitative distribution of 14C GlcN between the major SGP (140 and 110 K with pl 7. 8 and 4. 5 respectively) in the normal and the experimental groups. These results indicate that pulmonary SGP biosynthesis is not modified at one and 24 days after elastase injury, whereas HA and HS biosynthesis are consistently increased. These results suggest a specific role of these macromolecules in emphysematous injury of the lung.

1. Glycoproteins of hamster, rat and baboon lung parenchyma were investigated by using [14C]glucosamine incorporation in vitro followed by sequential extraction of the macromolecular components and characterization of the glycoproteins in the extracts. 2. Slices of lung parenchyma maintained in vitro incorporated [U-14C]glucosamine linearly with time into non-diffusible macromolecules for up to 5h. All the macromolecule-associated 14C label was present as [14C]glucosamine. 3. These 14C-labelled macromolecules were extracted from previously delipidated and salt-extracted lung by 5M-guanidinium chloride in the presence of dithiothreitol and proteinase inhibitors before (extract A1) and after (extract A2) hydrolysis of the collagen by collagenase. The [14C]glucosamine-labelled glycoproteins in extracts A1 and A2 contained 55 and 5% respectively of the total [14C]glucosamine incorporated in the lung of all three species studied. 4. The [14C]glucosamine-labelled glycoproteins were analysed by gel-filtration chromatography, sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. The major [14C]glucosamine-labelled glycoproteins of baboon lung parenchyma had apparent mol.wts. of about 400 000, 140 000 and 65 000 with isoelectric points respectively of 4.8, 5.4 and 5.4. The hamster lung glycoproteins with isoelectric points of 4.1 and 5.8 were devoid of hydroxyproline and contained galactose, mannose and N-acetylglucosamine. These experiments indicate that several distinct glycoproteins are synthesized in situ by the cells of pulmonary parenchyma and may well play a role in its structure and function.

A biochemical study of skin biopsies of young normal subjects and two groups of aged subjects, one active and the other confined to bed, was made and the results compared with histological observations.Skin biopsies were incubated with 3H proline and 14C glucosamine and connective tissue components were sequentially extracted. In each extract the specific activity of total and collagenous protein was determined.With age a decrease was observed in both the amount of protein and the 3H proline incorporation of collagenous extracts. A parallel increase in 14C glucosamine incorporation was also noticed in extracts containing glycosaminoglycans and structural proteins.These results agree in part with the changes observed by light and electron microscopy, which revealed an increase in ground substance and fragmentation of collagen bundles in the dermis of older subjects.

Elastin from bovine ligamentum nuchae was hydrolyzed with 1 M KOH in 80% ethanol at 37°C for 0.5 to 72 h. Sephadex G 100 gel filtration separated the coacervable fractions from the retarded peptides (MW: 16,000) unable to form coacervates. Their ratio changed with progressing hydrolysis. The maximal yield fo coacervable peak was obtained after hydrolysis for about 6 h, whereas after hydrolysis from 18 to 72 h, only a nonco-acervable peak was recovered. The noncoacervable Sephadex peak was eluted at an identical position after hydrolysis for 4 and 72 h with an apparent molecular weight of 16,000 dalton on polyacrylamide SDS gel electrophoresis. The noncoacervable Sephadex peaks (MW: 16,000) obtained after hydrolysis for 4 and 72 h were submitted to isoelectric focusing in Servalyt in the pH range 2.5-11. The major crosslinked peptides were refocused in the pH range 2.5-6.In the major purified crosslinked peptides, recovered after hydrolysis for 4 h, the Ala to Gly ratio (1:1) was similar to that found in elastin. The minor component lacking desmosines is rich in Ala, Pro and Gly. In the crosslinked peptides separated after hydrolysis for 72 h, the ratio of Ala to Gly is 2:1 and their desmosine content is about 2.5 times higher than in elastin. The resistance of elastin peptides to hydrolysis with ethanolic KOH appears to be related to their high Ala and Des content.

Different proteoglycans (PGs) were isolated from pig aorta for aggregation studies with hyaluronic acid and human low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Extraction of the intima-media with 4M-guanidinium chloride and digestion of the residue with collagenase solubilized 91% of aortic hexuronic acid content. From the guanidinium chloride extract two PGs were isolated by ion-exchange and gel-permeation chromatography: proteochondroitin sulphate (PGI) with a protein-core apparent Mr of 250 000 and proteodermatan-chondroitin sulphate (PGII) with a protein-core apparent Mr of 55 000. Only PGI forms high-Mr aggregates with hyaluronic acid. From the collagenase digest two other PGs were isolated: proteoheparan sulphate and proteochondroitin sulphate (PGIII and PGIV respectively). PGIV had a smaller hydrodynamic size than PGI. PGI and PGII formed insoluble complexes with human LDL in the presence of Ca2+. PGIII or PGIV did not form precipitates with the LDL. PGI and PGII, but neither PGIII nor PGIV, were bound to LDL-Sepharose. The main peaks of PGI and PGII were eluted from LDL-Sepharose with 60 mM- and 90 mM-NaCl respectively. The results indicate that aortic PGs have different interacting potentials with lipoproteins, depending on their Mr and their glycosaminoglycan composition.

Rabbit aortic intima-media fragments were incubated with [14C]mannose and [3H]fucose for 6 h to detect glycoproteins synthesized in situ. The radioactively labelled and the non-labelled samples were extracted with 0.2 mM-CaCl2/0.5 mM-dithiothreitol/0.5 mM-ATP and chloroform/methanol/water (4:4:1, by vol.). The delipidated residue was extracted with 5 M-guanidinium chloride/0.05 M-dithiothreitol/0.1 M-Tris/0.4% Na2EDTA, pH 7.5, before (extract 1) and after hydrolysis with collagenase (extract 2). The proteins in extracts 1 and 2 were S-carboxamidomethylated and separated by molecular-sieve chromatography, polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in sucrose gradients in urea. The apparent molecular weights of glycoproteins were 36 000 (glycoprotein I) from extract 1, 50 000 (glycoprotein II) and 130 000 (glycoprotein III) from extract 2. The molecular weights of the non-labelled and radioactively labelled glycoproteins were identical. Glycoproteins I, II and III contain large amounts of polar amino acids and methionine. They contain neither hydroxyproline nor 3-methylhistidine. A hydroxyproline-containing component of 160 000-apparent-mol.wt. relatively rich in polar amino acids and labelled with incorporated sugars was isolated from extract 1. The incorporation in vitro of radioactive sugars into glycoproteins I, II, III and collagenous glycoproteins indicates that they are synthesized in the surviving aorta by the smooth-muscle cells.

The prevention of circumferential distension could reduce structural damage in arteriovenous grafts. We studied the effect of an external biodegradable supporting conduit on the endothelium and extracellular matrix in vein graft in a pig model. Cephalic vein control grafts (Group I) and jugular veins wrapped in a vicryl mesh tube (I.D. 4mm) (Group II) were implanted into autologous carotid arteries (n=14). The grafts were explanted after 1 and 24 hours and at 1 and 3 weeks and evaluated by ELISA for endothelial DNA synthesis and by immunohistoenzymic assays for cells and extracellular matrix. In group I an initial loss of endothelial and smooth muscle cells along with elastin breakdown was followed by an impaired endothelial regeneration and significant graft wall thickening. The elastic tissue was replaced by collagen type I and chondroitin sulfate accumulations, which included a disarray of α-smooth muscle actin positive cells. The endothelium was preserved in group II. After 3 weeks the circumferential elastin layers were densified, distended and separated from the endothelium by a neointimal growth of irregular thickness. Biodegradable perivenous conduit minimized endothelial injury and allowed the partial preservation of elastin fibers and smooth muscle cells in the arteriovenous graft. It did not however, prevent myofibroblastic cell proliferation and triggered a macrophagic reaction.

Synthesis of collagens in vitro was studied on minced mouse skins incubated with [3H]-proline in organ-culture conditions. A comparative study was carried out on genetically diabetic mice (KK strain) and control mice (Swiss strain). After incubation, neutral-salt-soluble and acid-soluble collagens were extracted. The insoluble dermis was digested by pepsin and type I and type III collagens separated by differential precipitation in neutral salt solutions. Type I and Type III collagens were characterized by ion-exchange and molecular-sieve chromatography, amino acid analysis and by the characterization of CNBr peptides. In diabetic-mouse skin, the relative proportion of type III collagen was significantly higher than in control-mouse skin. The incorporation of radioactively labelled proline into hydroxyproline of type III collagen was significantly faster in diabetic-mouse skin than in control-mouse skin. No significant modifications in the total collagen content of the skin or of their rates of synthesis were observed between the two strains. Alteration in the ratio of type III to type I collagen in the diabetic-mouse skin can be interpreted as a sign of alteration of the regulation of collagen biosynthesis and may be related to the structural alterations observed in the diabetic intercellular matrix.

To elucidate the role of the molecular structure of adhesive proteins in an endothelialization of synthetic vascular prosthesis in vitro, a recombinant fibronectin-like engineered adhesion factor (FP) constructed from the specific Arg-Gly-Asp cell adhesion repeats was assayed as adhesive substrate to culture human saphenous vein endothelial cells on ePTFE. ePTFE samples (1 cm2) inserted into cell culture chambers were coated by incubation with increasing amounts of FP (up to 100 μg/cm2) prior to cell seeding. At 24 hours after low density cell seeding and 20 μg/ml/cm2FP concentration, the number of adhered cells reached a plateau and the adhered cells did not proliferate up to 6 days of culture. At 24 hours after high density seeding (105cells/cm2), the number of adhered cells was significantly higher on ePTFE with preadsorbed FP than on fibronectin coated PTFE. About 55% of the initially adhered cells survived up to 7 days on FP, whereas cell debris and free nuclei were predominant on fibronectin coated PTFE. In the investigated model the engineered RGD polymer potentialized a short-term adhesion of vascular endothelial cells to PTFE, nevertheless it did not ensure proliferation and long-term survival of these cells.