[Effects of adenovirus on vein autografts: experiment with rat]

To assess the effects of transfection of adenovirus on the tunica intima hyperplasia of vein autografts.

An external branch of the internal jugular vein, 5 mm in length, of a Wistar rat was cut and transplanted to its own common carotid artery by end to end bypass so as to establish a model. Ninety Wistar rats underwent transplantation of vein autografts to their own arteries and then were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: experiment group, undergoing transplantation and adenovirus transfection; experimental control group, undergoing transplantation only; and normal control group. Three, 10, and 30 days later, samples of vessel were obtained. The expression of green fluorescence protein (GFP) was observed so as to measure the transfection rate of adenovirus. Routine HE staining and Verhoeff Van Gieson staining were made to measure the thickness of the vessels with computer-assisted image analyzer. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1).

Three day postoperatively, the expression of GFP reached the peak, (26.4 +/- 3.6)%; decreased to (14.5 +/- 2.1)% 10 day postoperatively; and became very low 30 day postoperatively, at the level of (0.81 +/- 0.2)%. The hyperplasia of venous tunica intima of the control group was obvious 10 day postoperatively, and became less obvious 30 day postoperatively. Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and sedimentation of extra-cellular matrix in the experimental group were very obvious, compared with the other 2 groups (both P < 0.05). PCNA was very rare in normal vein walls, showing that the VSMCs were in the static phase. PCNA presentation increased obviously in the control group, showing a high proliferation rate of VSMCs. The positive rate of PCNA was associated with the thickness of the tunica intima. mRNA expression and protein expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 could be detected 3 days after the transplantation, peaked 10 days after the transplantation, and remained high 30 days after in the normal group, however, the corresponding expression levels of the normal vein group were all very low (all P < 0.05). The corresponding levels of the experimental group were all higher than those of the experimental control group, however, not significantly different.

Transfection of adenovirus into the wall of transplanted vein causes inflammation and hyperplasia of tunica intima. However, such affects only a short time.