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Preclinical Model of Hind Limb Ischemia in Diabetic Rabbits
Published on: June 2, 2019
Reduced pulmonary endothelium-bound angiotensin converting enzyme activity in diabetic rabbits
Laryssa L McCloud1, James B Parkerson, Lihua Zou
1Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912-2500, USA. lmccloud@mail.mcg.edu
Abstract:
We examined the effects of diabetes on pulmonary capillary endothelial cell (EC) function in diabetic rabbits. One, three and six weeks after alloxan treatment, rabbits were anesthetized and pulmonary endothelium-bound angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity was estimated from the single-pass transpulmonary hydrolysis of benzoyl-Phe-Ala-Pro (BPAP), an ACE specific substrate. ACE activity significantly decreased in 1- and 3-week diabetic rabbits and returned to control levels at 6 weeks. Capillary dilation, parenchymal hemorrhage and erythrocyte clumping were maximal in 3-week diabetic rabbits. We conclude that in the alloxan-diabetic rabbit, there are transient functional and more persistent morphological alterations.
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