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Updated: May 9, 2026
Assessing Leukocyte-endothelial Interactions Under Flow Conditions in an Ex Vivo Autoperfused Microflow Chamber Assay
Published on: December 30, 2014
Profile of leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions induced in venules and arterioles by nucleoside
Carmen De Pablo1, Samuel Orden, Jose E Peris
1Departamento de Farmacología and CIBERehd, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valencia.
Background:
There is controversy regarding cardiovascular (CV) toxicity of the nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors used to treat human immunodeficiency virus infection.
Methods:
We evaluated the effects of nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors on leukocyte-endothelium interactions, a hallmark of CV diseases, in rat mesenteric vessels using intravital microscopy and in human arterial cells using a flow chamber system.
Results:
Abacavir and didanosine increased rolling, adhesion and emigration in rat vessels. These effects were reversed with antibodies against Macrophage-1 antigen (Mac-1) or intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and were reproduced in human cells. Lamivudine, zidovudine, emtricitabine, and tenofovir had no effects.
Conclusions:
Our results support the association of abacavir and didanosine with CV diseases.
