Using a Cell-Tracer Injection to Investigate the Origin of Neointima-Forming Cells in a Rat Saccular Side Wall Model

Summary

We performed a one-point, lipophilic cell-tracer injection to track endothelial cells, followed by an arteriotomy and suturing of sidewall aneurysms on the abdominal rat aorta. Neointima formation seemed dependent on the parent artery in decellularized aneurysms and was promoted by the recruitment from aneurysm wall cells in vital cell-rich walls.

Abstract

Microsurgical clipping creates a subsequent barrier of blood flow into intracranial aneurysms, whereas endovascular treatment relies on neointima and thrombus formation. The source of endothelial cells covering the endoluminal layer of the neointima remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the origin of neointima-forming cells after cell-tracer injection in the already well-established Helsinki rat microsurgical sidewall aneurysm model.

Sidewall aneurysms were created by suturing decellularized or vital arterial pouches end-to-side to the aorta in male Lewis rats. Before arteriotomy with aneurysm suture, a cell-tracer injection containing CM-Dil dye was performed into the clamped aorta to label endothelial cells in the adjacent vessel and track their proliferation during follow-up (FU). Treatment followed by coiling (n = 16) or stenting (n = 15). At FU (7 days or 21 days), all rats underwent fluorescence angiography, followed by aneurysm harvesting and macroscopic and histological evaluation with immunohistological cell counts for specific regions of interest.

None of the 31 aneurysms had ruptured upon follow-up. Four animals died prematurely. Macroscopically residual perfusion was observed in 75.0% coiled and 7.0% of stented rats. The amount of cell-tracer-positive cells was significantly elevated in decellularized stented compared to coiled aneurysms with respect to thrombus on day 7 (p = 0.01) and neointima on day 21 (p = 0.04). No significant differences were found in thrombus or neointima in vital aneurysms.

These findings confirm worse healing patterns in coiled compared to stented aneurysms. Neointima formation seems particularly dependent on the parent artery in decellularized aneurysms, whereas it is supported by the recruitment from aneurysm wall cells in vital cell-rich walls. In terms of translation, stent treatment might be more appropriate for highly degenerated aneurysms, whereas coiling alone might be adequate for aneurysms with mostly healthy vessel walls.

Introduction

Subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a devastating neurosurgical condition associated with high morbidity and mortality^1,2,3,4. In addition to microsurgical clipping, which provides direct endothelium-to-endothelium contact, endovascular devices have gained increasing importance over the past decades for treating ruptured and incidentally discovered IAs. The healing response in endovascularly treated IAs mainly depends on neointima formation and thrombus organization. Both are synergic processes, ....

Protocol

Veterinary support was performed according to institutional guidelines. Experiments were approved by the Local Ethics Committee, Switzerland (BE 60/19). The ARRIVE guidelines and 3R principles have been strictly followed^6,7. Thirty-one male Lewis rats, 12 weeks old and weighing 492 ± 8 g, were included. House all rats at a room temperature of 23 °C and a 12 h light/dark cycle. Provide free access to water and pellets. Statistical analyses have been.......

Discussion

This study demonstrates that neointima formation is mediated via endothelial cells originating in the parent artery of the aneurysm complex but is supported by the recruitment of cells derived from the aneurysm wall in vital aneurysms. Nevertheless, the role of circulating progenitor cells in aneurysm healing remains controversial^12,13. Overall, 31 male Lewis rats were included in this investigation; only 4 died prematurely (12.9% mortality).

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
3-0 resorbable suture	Ethicon Inc., USA	VCP428G
4-0 non-absorbable suture	B. Braun, Germany	G0762563
6-0 non-absorbable suture	B. Braun, Germany	C0766070
9-0 non-absorbable suture	B. Braun, Germany	G1111140
Atipamezol	Arovet AG, Switzerland
Bandpass filter blue	Thorlabs	FD1B	any other
Bandpass filter green	Thorlabs	FGV9	any other
Bipolar forceps			any other
Bicycle spotlight			any other
Board (20 x 10 cm)			any other
Buprenorphine	Indivior, Switzerland	1014197
Camera	Sony NEX-5R, Sony, Tokyo, Japan
Cannula (27-1/2 G)			any other
Cell count software	Image-J version 1.52n, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, https://imagej.nih.gov/ij/
CellTracker CM-Dil dye	ThermoFisher SCIENTIFIC, USA	C7000
Coil-Device	Styker, Kalamazoo, MI, USA		2 cm of Target 360 TM Ultra, 2-mm diameter
Desinfection			any other
Eye-lubricant			any other
Fentanyl	Sintetica, S.A., Switzerland	98683	any generic
Flumazenil	Labatec-Pharma, Switerzland
Fluoresceine	Curatis AG	5030376	any generic
Fluorescence microscope	Olympus BX51, Hamburg, Germany; Cell Sens Dimension Imaging software v1.8
Foil mask			any other
Glucose (5%)			any other
Heating pad	Homeothermic Control Unit, Harvard, Edenbridge, England		any other
Isotonic sodium chloride solution (0.9%)	Fresenius KABI	336769	any generic
Isoflurane			any generic
Longuettes			any other
Meloxicam	Boehringer Ingelheim	P7626406	any generic
Medetomidine	Virbac, Switzerland	QN05CM91
Micro needle holder			any other
Midazolam	Roche, Switzerland
Monitoring-system	Starr Life Sciences Corp., 333 Allegheny Ave, Oakmont, PA 15139, United States
Needle holder			any other
O2-Face mask			any other
Operation microscope	OPMI, Carl Zeiss AG, Oberkochen, Germany		any other
Oxygen			any other
Rectal temperature probe			any other
Scalpell	Swann-Morton	210	any other
Small animal shaver			any other
Smartphone			any other
Sodium dodecyl sulfate (0.1%)	Sigma-Aldrich	11667289001
Soft feed	Emeraid Omnivore		any generic
Soft tissue forceps			any other
Soft tissue spreader			any other
Stainless steel sponge bowls			any other
Stent-Device	Biotroni, Bülach, Switzerland		modified magmaris device, AMS with polymer coating, 6-mm length, 2-mm diameter
Sterile micro swabs			any other
Straight and curved microforceps			any other
Straight and curved microscissors			any other
Straight and curved forceps			any other
Surgery drape			any other
Surgical scissors			any other
Syringes 1 mL, 2 mL, and 5 mL			any other
Tape			any other
Vascular clip applicator	B. Braun, Germany	FT495T
Yasargil titan standard clip (2x)	B. Braun Medical AG, Aesculap, Switzerland	FT242T	temporary