Stroke is the second or the third leading cause of death and the leading producer of disability among adults in Lithuania and Western countries. Surgery is very important to treatment and prevention of ischemic cerebrovascular disease, but the selection of patients for it must be based on meticulous evaluation of surgery risk and factors influencing follow-ups. The aim of this study was to evaluate the selection criteria for cerebral revascularisation in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular diseases and factors affecting postoperative follow-ups. The innovativeness and originality of this study is the complex evaluation of neurological, neuroradiological, neurophysiological factors in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease before and after cerebral revascularisation. The evaluation of the influence of cerebral revascularisation to the neurological status of the patients, the possibilities of cerebral revascularisation for patients with Moyamoya disease, the factors affecting the neurological status of patients after cerebral revascularisation, the postoperative complications, death causes of patients after cerebral revascularisation and the surviving after cerebral revascularisation was done. The specification of the factors affecting outcomes after cerebral revascularisation was done too.

Reproduction de : Thèse d'exercice : Médecine : Nancy 1 : 2003. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre.

Thèse d'exercice : Médecine : Nancy 1 : 2009. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Les maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV) sont la première cause de décès dans le monde. Les problèmes majeurs dans la gestion de ces patients sont le diagnostic et la prédiction du pronostic. Les microARN (miARN) sont de petits ARN simple brin non codants qui inhibent l’expression des gènes. Les miARN circulants sont apparus comme biomarqueurs potentiels des MCV. Les miARN pourraient être également utiles pour la réparation cardiaque post infarctus du myocarde (IM). Nous avons émis l’hypothèse que les miARN pourraient être utilisés comme biomarqueurs des MCV et outils thérapeutiques dans la réparation cardiaque post-IM. Nous avons évalué la capacité diagnostique des miARN chez des patients avec douleurs thoraciques. Les miR-208b et miR-499 sont de potentiels biomarqueurs diagnostiques chez les patients avec IM mais n’améliorent pas la valeur diagnostique des biomarqueurs traditionnels. Le miR-423-5p permet de prédire la réhospitalisation des patients atteints d’insuffisance cardiaque aiguë et les miR-21 et miR-122 sont associés aux séquelles neurologiques de patients après arrêt cardiaque. Les miARN circulants seraient de potentiels biomarqueurs diagnostiques/pronostiques des MCV. Nous avons également montré qu’inhiber le miR-16 permet de stimuler la prolifération, la différenciation et les capacités pro-angiogéniques des cellules endothéliales progénitrices et que le miR-150 est impliqué dans l’effet de l’adénosine sur leur recrutement post-IM. Les miARN pourraient être utilisés pour améliorer la revascularisation post-IM. En conclusion, nos études contribuent à la caractérisation de plusieurs miARN dont l’utilité clinique dans le domaine cardiovasculaire reste à confirmer. / Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. Major issues in the management of these patients lie on the diagnosis and the prediction of the prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small single-stranded non-coding RNAs that inhibit gene expression. Circulating miRNAs appeared as potentials biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases. MicroRNAs could be also useful to stimulate cardiac repair. We hypothesized that miRNAs could be used as biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases, and also as therapeutic tools to improve cardiac repair after myocardial infarction. We evaluated the diagnostic capacity of miRNAs in patients with chest pain. MicroRNA-208b and miR-499 were potential diagnostic biomarkers in patients with myocardial infarction, without improving the diagnostic accuracy of traditional biomarkers. MicroRNA-423-5p predicted the rehospitalization of patients with acute heart failure and miR-21 and miR-122 are associated with neurological damage after cardiac arrest. Overall, our results indicate that circulating miRNAs could be useful diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases. We also showed that inhibiting miR-16 could stimulate the proliferation, differentiation and pro-angiogenic capacities of endothelial progenitor cells and that miR-150 is involved in the effect of adenosine on the recruitment of these cells after myocardial infarction. These results suggest that miRNAs could be used to improve the revascularization after myocardial infarction. In conclusion, our studies contributed to the characterization of several miRNAs, which clinical utility in the cardiovascular field remains to be confirmed.

Background: Acute coronary syndrome is known for its effect on cardiac function and can lead to impaired segmental and even global myocardial function. Evidence exists that myocardial revascularisation whether pharmacological, interventional or surgical results in improvement of systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) function, particularly that of the long axis which represents the sub-endocardial function, known as the most sensitive layer to ischaemia. Objective: We sought to gain more insight into the early effect of pharmacological and interventional myocardial revascularisation on various aspects of cardiac function including endocrine, electrical, segmental, twist, right ventricular (RV) and left atrial (LA) function. In particular, we aimed to assess the response of ventricular electromechanical function to thrombolysis and its relationship with peptides levels. We also investigated the behaviour of RV function in the setting of LV inferior myocardial infarction (IMI) during the acute insult and early recovery. In addition, we aimed to assess in detail LA electrical and mechanical function in such patients. Finally, we studied the early effect of surgical revascularisation on the LV mechanics using the recent novel of speckle tracking echocardiography technology to assess rotation, twist and torsion and the strain deformation parameters as a tool of identifying global ventricular function. Methods: We used conventionally Doppler echocardiographic transthoracic techniques including M-mode, 2-Dimentional, myocardial tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking techniques. Commercially available SPSS as a software was used for statistical analysis. Results: 1-The elevated peptide levels at 7 days post-myocardial infarction correlated with the reduced mechanical activity of the adjacent non-infarcted segment thus making natriuretic peptides related to failure of compensatory hyperdynamic activity of the non-infarcted area rather than the injured myocardial segments. 2-RV segmental and global functions were impaired in acute IMI, and recovered in 87% of patients following thrombolysis. In the absence of clear evidence for RV infarction the disturbances in the remaining 13% may represent stunned myocardium with its known delayed recovery. 3-LA electromechanical function was impaired in acute inferior STEMI and improved after thrombolysis. The partial functional recovery suggests either reversible ischaemic pathology or a response to a non-compliant LV segment. The residual LA electromechanical and pump dysfunction suggest intrinsic pathology, likely to be ischaemic in origin. 4-LV function was maintained in a group of patients with multivessel coronary artery disease who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Surgical myocardial revascularisation did not result in any early detectable change in the three functional components of the myocardium, including twist and torsion, as opposite to conventional percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Conclusion: The studied different materials in this thesis provide significant knowledge on various aspects of acute ischaemic cardiac pathology and early effect of revascularisation. The use of non-invasive imaging, particularly echocardiography with its different modalities, in studying such patients should offer immediate thorough bed-side assessment and assist in offering optimum management.

Transplantation of pancreatic islets is a potential treatment of type 1 diabetes that aims to restore normal blood glucose control. By encapsulating the islets in alginate, they can be protected from rejection. The aim of this thesis was to study the biology of encapsulated islets and to use the technique of microencapsulation to study the effect of transplantation in a system that is separated from direct contact with the vascular system and the host tissue at the transplantation site. Encapsulated islets can effectively reverse hyperglycaemia after transplantation into the peritoneal cavity of diabetic mice. A period of culture before encapsulation and transplantation did not affect their insulin release or curative capability. Pre-culture with exendin-4 improved insulin secretion, but not to the extent that the long term outcome in our transplantation model was improved. Despite being able to reach and retain normoglycaemia, microencapsulated islets transplanted intraperitoneally decreased in size. More specifically the number of beta cells in each individual islet was decreased. However, in contrast to previous studies using non-encapsulated islets, the alpha cell number was maintained, and thus the capsule seems to protect these peripherally located and otherwise exposed cells. As the capsule also prevents revascularisation of the islets, the model was used to study the importance of vascular supply for islet amyloid formation. Islet amyloid is a possible reason for the long-term failure of transplanted islets. It is likely that their low vascular density causes a disturbed local clearance of IAPP and insulin that starts the aggregation of IAPP. Indeed, encapsulated islets had an accelerated amyloid formation compared to normal islets, and might serve as a model for further studies of this process. In conclusion, although revascularisation is not a prerequisite for islet graft function, it plays an important role for islet transplantation outcome.

Reproduction de : Thèse d'exercice : Médecine : Nancy 1 : 2006. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre.

Suite à une ischémie, de nombreux acteurs moléculaires et cellulaires concourent pour promouvoir la revascularisation post-ischémique afin de limiter les lésions tissulaires. Des cellules progénitrices et inflammatoires originaires de la moelle osseuse sont notamment recrutées au niveau du tissu ischémique où elles activent et participent à la régénération vasculaire et tissulaire. Leurs capacités pro-angiogéniques et pro-vasculogéniques suscitent d’ailleurs un grand intérêt pour l’élaboration de nouvelles stratégies thérapeutiques. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse aura été d’améliorer notre compréhension des mécanismes qui régissent la mobilisation et le recrutement des cellules progénitrices originaires de la moelle osseuse et de mettre en évidence l’efficacité d’un traitement basée sur l’utilisation de cellules souches pour promouvoir la revascularisation post-ischémique. Dans un premier travail nous avons mis en évidence que les catécholamines (dopamine -DA- et norépinephrine –NE-) du système nerveux sympathique régulent la mobilisation des cellules progénitrices originaires de la moelle osseuse via une signalisation dépendante de la eNOS. Nous avons montré que la DA et la NE augmentent le nombre de cellules médullaires recrutées dans le tissu ischémique et stimulent leur différenciation en cellules à phénotype endothéliale ou inflammatoire favorisant ainsi la revascularisation post-ischémique. Le recrutement des cellules médullaires dépend également des chimiokines, et plus particulièrement de CXCL12 qui est connue pour attirer les cellules exprimant son récepteur CXCR4. Le deuxième travail de cette thèse a montré que le pouvoir chimioattractant de CXCL12 est également régulé par sa capacité à se lier aux héparan-sulfates (HS), et donc à adhérer à la matrice extracellulaire. En effet, de fortes interactions CXCL12/HS induisent une augmentation de la régénération vasculaire post-ischémique corrélée à un meilleur recrutement des cellules d’origine médullaires dans le tissu lésé.Une fois recrutées dans le tissu ischémique, les cellules souches, de part leurs capacités remarquables d’auto-renouvellement, de prolifération, de différenciation et leur activité paracrine sont d’excellents activateurs de la revascularisation post-ischémique. La troisième étude de cette thèse met en évidence l’efficacité des cellules souches embryonnaires humaines multipotentes pour traiter l’ischémie critique du membre inférieur. Nous avons également révélé que ce potentiel thérapeutique dépend du miR-21.Ces travaux ont permis de démontrer que la régulation de la mobilisation et du recrutement des cellules souches contrôle la revascularisation post-ischémique et de souligner l’efficacité d’un traitement basé sur l’utilisation de cellules souches pour promouvoir la revascularisation post-ischémique. / Following ischemia, many molecular and cellular mechanisms compete to promote post-ischemic revascularization to minimize tissue damage. Bone marrow-derived progenitor and inflammatory cells are especially recruited into the ischemic tissue where they activate and participate in vascular and tissue regeneration. Their pro-angiogenic and pro-vasculogenic capacity also generate great interest in the development of new therapeutic strategies. The objective of this thesis has been to improve our understanding of the mechanisms governing the mobilization and recruitment of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells and to highlight the effectiveness of a treatment based on the use of stem cells to promote post-ischemic reperfusion. In a first work we have demonstrated that catecholamines (dopamine -DA- and norepinephrine -NE-) of the sympathetic nervous system regulate the mobilization of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells via eNOS-dependent signaling. We have shown that DA and NE increase the number of bone marrow-derived cells recruited into the ischemic tissue and stimulate their differentiation into endothelial or inflammatory phenotype cells, which promots post-ischemic revascularization.The recruitment of bone marrow cells also depends on chemokines, and particularly CXCL12 which is known to attract cells expressing CXCR4. The second work of this thesis has shown that the chemoattractant capacity of CXCL12 is also regulated by its ability to bind to heparan sulfate (HS), and thus, to adhere to the extracellular matrix. Indeed, strong interactions between CXCL12 and HS induce an increase in post-ischemic vascular regeneration correlated with better recruitment of bone marrow-derived cells in the injured tissue.Once recruited into the ischemic tissue, stem cells, because of their remarkable capacity of self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation and paracrine activity are excellent activators of post-ischemic revascularization. The third study of this thesis highlights the effectiveness of pluripotent human embryonic stem cells to treat critical limb ischaemia. We also found that their therapeutic potential depends on the miR-21.These studies have demonstrated that the regulation of the mobilization and recruitment of stem cells control the post-ischemic revascularization and highlight the effectiveness of a treatment based on the use of stem cells to promote post-ischemic revascularization.

Atherosclerotic renovascular disease (ARVD) is a significant cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Randomised controlled trials, representing over 2100 patients, have failed to demonstrate any prognostic benefit of percutaneous renal revascularisation when utilised in addition to standard medical therapy. This negative finding has been interpreted in three ways. Firstly, that ARVD may be an association of CKD and not a specific disease process. Secondly, that published studies have recruited low-risk patients who are least likely to benefit from revascularisation. Thirdly, that the focus of treatment for patients with ARVD should be optimal medical therapy, not renal revascularisation. This research project had a series of linked aims. These were investigated in two large patient cohorts that had been accumulated at this centre over the last decade. These cohorts comprised > 900 patients with ARVD, the Salford Renovascular Database (SRVD), and > 2500 patients with all-cause CKD, the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Standards Implementation Study (CRISIS). The first aim was to consider whether ARVD should be considered as a specific cause of CKD. Here risks for death and progression to renal replacement therapy were compared between patients having ARVD as their primary cause of renal failure and patients with other coded causes of CKD. In this analysis, patients with ARVD had a greater risk for death and a lesser risk for RRT than patients with other forms of CKD.The second aim of this thesis was to consider if specific patient sub-groups of ARVD could be identified. Patients in the SRVD with currently accepted high- risk clinical presentations were selected and outcomes compared to patients without a high-risk presentation. In this analysis, presentation with flash pulmonary oedema (but with not refractory hypertension or rapidly declining renal function) was associated with an increased risk for death and cardiovascular event. When the effects of revascularisation were considered in patients with high-risk presentations, a mortality benefit was observed in patients with flash pulmonary oedema and in patients presenting with rapidly declining renal function and refractory hypertension in combination. A separate analysis was performed in the SRVD to consider if a high-risk sub-group of ARVD patients could be identified using laboratory measurements. Here, a classification tree methodology was employed to identify ARVD patients with the greatest risk for progression to end stage kidney disease. The results of this analysis were converted into a practically applicable clinical scoring system incorporating renal function, proteinuria, medications, smoking history and renal artery occlusion. The final aim of this thesis was to describe how the majority of ARVD patients should be treated. In this analysis of the SRVD effects of treatment with anti- platelet and beta-blocker therapy were considered, and shown to be associated with reduced risks for cardiovascular events and death.