Iliac artery aneurysms are considered rare and difficult to detect and treat. Prompt diagnosis and timely intervention are essential, because the incidence of rupture is as high as 50%. The reported mortality rate for patients who undergo surgery for ruptured iliac artery aneurysm ranges from 50% to 70%. This study developed an in-vitro mechanical model of an iliac artery aneurysm to verify the accuracy of computer simulation software. Both the in vitro model and the in silico model can be used for further research to develop better treatment technology. This study also looks at the different types of iliac artery aneurysms, risk factors that contribute to the development of an iliac artery aneurysms, and current treatment options.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in reduction of the lower limb ischemia and to investigate the influence of this procedure on the lower limb salvage rate. The introduction defines the objectives and tasks of the study, includes a literature review, a summary of the main problems related to the theme. A separate chapter describes the research methodology. The study analysed the treatment results of 146 patients who underwent the iliac artery percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The following PTA efficacy criteria were determined - the increase of ankle-brachial index and the decrease of ischemia according to Fontaine stages of limb ischemia. It was also found that the substantial PTA effect of the iliac artery and the need for additional interventions become evident during the early postoperative period (1–7 days after PTA), and the effect of angioplasty decreases gradually during one year follow-up after the procedure. To arrest the progression of ischemia an additional endovascular procedure or an open surgery of femoral, popliteal and the crural arteries is necessary. The majority of these operations or procedures are reconstructive operations of the femoral, popliteal and the crural arteries. The effectiveness of the iliac artery PTA depends on the stage of lower limb ischemia. The need of an additional intervention is determined by the nature of lesion of the femoral arteries and the increase in ankle-brachial... [to full text] / Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti klubo arterijų perkutaninės transliuminalinės angioplastikos veiksmingumą mažinant apatinių galūnių išemiją ir ištirti, kokios įtakos ši gydomoji procedūra turi galūnių amputacijos dažniui. Įvade išdėstomi tyrimo tikslai bei uždaviniai, pateikiama literatūros apžvalga, kurioje apibendrinamos pagrindinės su nagrinėjama tema susijusios problemos. Atskirame skyriuje aprašyta tyrimo metodika. Disertacijoje išnagrinėti 146 pacientų, kuriems atlikta klubo arterijų perkutaninė transliuminalinė angioplastika, gydymo rezultatai. Nustatyta, kad kriterijai angioplastikos veiksmingumui įvertinti – kulkšnies-žasto indekso pokytis, išemijos sumažėjimas pagal Fontaine’o galūnės išemijos stadijas. Taip pat nustatyta, kad klubo arterijos PTA pakankamas efektas ir papildomų intervencijų poreikis daugiausia išryškėja ankstyvuoju pooperaciniu laikotarpiu (iki 7 dienų po PTA), o PTA rezultatai laipsniškai blogėja per vienerius metus. Išemijos progresavimui sustabdyti reikalinga šlaunies, pakinklio ir blauzdos arterijų papildoma endovaskulinė arba atviroji operacija, dažniausiai – rekonstrukcinės arterijų operacija. Klubo arterijų angioplastikos veiksmingumas priklauso nuo išemijos stadijos. Papildomos intervencijos poreikį po PTA lemia šlaunies arterijų pažeidimo pobūdis, kulkšnies-žasto indekso pokytis mažiau negu 0,15. Bendras pacientų sergamumas kitomis ligomis pakankamos angioplastikos ir papildomų intervencijų grupėje buvo vienodas. Iš tirtų periferinių arterijų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Abstract Reduction of morbidity in osseous reconstruction of cranio-maxillofacial bony defects could come from development of less invasive bone graft harvesting techniques or by elimination of bone graft donor sites using a bone graft substitute. This work studies outcomes and morbidity associated with these two approaches. A power-driven trephine was used to harvest bone from the anterior iliac crest using a minimally invasive surgical technique. Initially the safety of the technique was evaluated in a cadaver model. Twenty-five freshly preserved adult cadavers had a total of 250 cancellous cores of bone harvested from 50 anterior iliac crest sites. Twenty intentional perforations were made to the maximum depth possible with the instrumentation tested. No encroachment upon the peritoneum was found. A total of 84 patients had 333 cores of cancellous bone harvested using the same approach with a complication rate of 3.6% and a patient satisfaction rate of 98.8%. In a further 76 patients the motorized trephine method was compared to traditional open iliac crest corticocancellous block harvesting. The trephine group ambulated earlier, required fewer days of hospital stay and had significantly lower pain scores than the open iliac crest group. Coral-derived granules were used as a xenograft bone graft substitute to treat bony defects in the cranio-maxillofacial skeletons of 36 patients with 54 sites and followed for 12 to 36 months. The augmentations produced satisfactory results with the following complications noted: overt wound infection 1.8%, wound irritation 3.8% and clinically evident resorption in 9.3% of augmented sites. Coral-derived granules were then used to treat 48 dento-alveolar defects in 21 growing patients with trauma induced tooth-loss in the anterior maxilla and elective ankylosed tooth removal in the posterior maxilla and mandible. Coral granules were significantly more efficacious in reconstructing alveolar defects in the posterior maxilla or mandible (93.5%), than the anterior maxilla (17.6%). The minimally invasive technique using a power driven trephine was successful at reducing morbidity from bone graft harvesting at the anterior iliac crest. Coral-derived granules can be used in selected situations as a bone graft substitute and minimize post surgical morbidity by eliminating the bone graft donor site.

Isolated aneurysmal degeneration and dissection of the iliac artery, without involving the aorta, are uncommon, with an overall incidence in the general population being as low as approximately 0.03%. Solitary iliac artery aneurysm represents approximately 0.4 to 1.9% of all cases of aneurysmal disease; with involvement of external iliac artery being the least common and extremely rare and present in only 10% of these cases. Risk factors for external iliac dissection resulting from an aneurysm, are similar to that of abdominal aorta aneurysm and include male gender, white race, advancing age, history of smoking, hypertension and known atherosclerotic disease. We present a case of a 70 year old Caucasian male, with a past medical history of well controlled hypertension, dyslipidemia and remote history of smoking, who underwent a contrast enhanced CT Abdomen and pelvis to evaluate a renal cyst. However, was found to have short segment right external iliac artery dissection without distal propagation. He reported no symptoms - denied intermittent leg pain on exertion, lumbosacral pain, lower extremity edema, weakness or numbness/tingling in his legs. Also, denied urinary or bowel complains including urinary retention, pain during defecation and constipation. He reported a 28 pack year history of smoking and had quit smoking 50 years ago. Vital signs were recorded as: blood pressure 114/68 mmHg, pulse rate 66 bpm, respiratory rate 16 breaths/min and body temperature 96.6F. On physical examination, abdomen was soft, non tender, non distended and bowel sounds were present in all four quadrants. No guarding or rigidity was noted. Peripheral pulses were well palpable and equal. Laboratory data including CBC and CMP were within normal limits. ESR and CRP were 12 and In conclusion, this is a rare case of isolated asymptomatic external iliac artery dissection, diagnosed as an incidental finding. The treatment of this condition is unclear because of its rare occurrence. Cases complicated with rupture/ symptomatic patients should be treated surgery or endovascular repair. Asymptomatic patients with smaller size of

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is one of the most common cervical spine surgery procedures performed worldwide. ACDF utilizes autologous bone graft (autograft) from the iliac crest to induce fusion between neighboring vertebrae following the procedure. The iliac crest is widely considered the gold-standard autograft for ACDF procedures due to its osteoinductive, osteoconductive, and osteointegrative properties. However, harvesting from a second surgical site, as seen with iliac crest autograft, is commonly associated with short- and long-term complications. To mitigate iliac crest harvest site complications, a novel autograft location must be identified. The adjacent cervical vertebral body has been identified as a potential alternative donor site to the iliac crest. Previous studies have shown that this novel autograft site does not biomechanically compromise the vertebral body harvest site and has demonstrated clinically successful fusion rates comparable to those of the iliac crest. Despite prior successful fusion, a direct morphological and mechanical comparison between autograft from the adjacent cervical vertebra and iliac crest has not been thoroughly investigated. The primary goal of this thesis was to morphologically and mechanically compare the cervical spine and iliac crest. It was hypothesized that the cervical spine and iliac crest would not significantly vary in their morphological properties; however, due to daily physiological loading at each graft location, it was hypothesized that the two graft locations would differ mechanically. A clinical model utilizing iliac crest and cervical vertebral bone from human donors was characterized at the meso- and microscale to quantify morphological properties and collagen organization using micro-computed tomography (microCT) and second-harmonic generation (SHG) imaging modalities, respectively. A pre-clinical large animal model was used to characterize the mechanical and material properties of lumbar spine tissue, under similar physiological loading as the cervical spine, relative to the iliac crest through uniaxial compression testing. No significant difference was identified in the morphological and collagen organization properties in tissue from a human clinical cohort; however, directionality and anatomical location significantly impacted the mechanical and material properties in a bovine comparative anatomy model. Here, trabecular bone from the lumbar vertebra was found to be transversely isotropic whereas iliac crest trabecular bone was nearly isotropic; thus, directionality and anatomical location should be considered and quantified when selecting autograft tissue for future ACDF surgeries. Further characterization of the mechanical properties of cervical vertebral tissue and determination of correlations between directionality, anatomical location, and morphology through microCT and compression testing should be completed before adopting the cervical vertebra as the gold standard autograft for ACDF procedures. / Master of Science / Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a common upper spine surgery that helps to stabilize the spine by fusing two or more vertebrae together. To achieve this fusion, surgeons often use bone grafts taken from the patient's own hip, specifically the iliac crest. While this method is effective, it can lead to complications at the hip bone harvest site. To avoid these complications, researchers are exploring the possibility of using bone from a nearby vertebra in the upper spine as an alternative graft source. Early studies suggest that using bone from the upper spine does not weaken the spine and achieves similar success rates in fusion as the hip bone. However, a detailed comparison between both graft sites has not been thoroughly investigated until now. The main goal of this thesis was to compare the bone from the upper spine and the hip in terms of structure and strength. It was expected that the two types of bone would be similar in structure but different in strength due to difference forces they experience in the body. The research involved examining human bone samples from both the upper spine and hip using advanced imaging techniques to analyze their structure and collagen organization. Additionally, a large animal comparative model was used to test the strength and material properties of bone from the lower spine and hip, which experience similar forces as the human upper spine and hip. The findings showed no significant difference in the structure and collagen organization of the human bone samples. However, in the animal model, the strength and material properties of the bone significantly varied depending on the direction and location. Bone from the lower spine was found to be significantly stronger in one direction in comparison to two other directions in the lower spine and all three directions in the hip. These results suggest that when choosing bone for fusion in ACDF surgeries, it is important to consider the direction and location of the graft. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanical properties of upper spine bone and to confirm its suitability as a standard graft for ACDF procedures.

No description available.

Dental caries and periodontal disease are the major causes for tooth loss. While dental caries commonly involve the posterior teeth in both jaws, the teeth most commonly lost due to periodontal problems are the first and second molars in the maxilla. As a consequence, the upper posterior jaw is frequently edentulous. Implant therapy today is a predictable treatment modality for prosthetic reconstruction of edentulous patient. Insufficient amounts of bone, due to atrophy following loss of teeth or due to the presence of the maxillary sinus, can make it impossible to insert implants in the posterior maxilla. During the 1970s and 1980s, Tatum, Boyne and James and Wood and Moore first described maxillary sinus floor augmentation whereby, after the creation of a lateral access point, autologous bone grafts are inserted to increase crestal bone height and to create the necessary conditions for the insertion of implants. This surgical procedure requires a two-stage approach and a double surgical site: first, bone is harvested from a donor site and transplanted to the recipient site; then, after a proper healing period of between 4 to 6 months, the implants are inserted. This kind of bone reconstruction, even if well documented, has its limitations, not least in the creation of two different surgical sites and the consequent increased risk of morbidity. In 2004, Lundgren et al. described a new, simplified technique for the elevation of the sinus floor. The authors showed that by lifting the sinus membrane an empty space was created in which blood clot formations resulted in the establishment of new bone. The implants were placed simultaneously to function as “tent poles”, thus maintaining the sinus membrane in a raised position during the subsequent healing period. An essential prerequisite of this technique is to obtain optimal primary implant stability from the residual bone in the sinus floor. An extremely resorbed maxillary sinus floor, with, for example, less than 2-3 mm of poor quality residual bone, could impair implant insertion. The aims of the present research project were (i) to evaluate the donor site morbidity and the acceptance level of patients when a bone graft is harvested from the anterior iliac crest, (ii) to evaluate implant stability, new bone formation inside the maxillary sinus and marginal bone resorption around the implants in long term follow up when maxillary sinus floor augmentation is performed through sinus membrane elevation and without the addition of any grafting material, (iii) to investigate new bone formation inside the maxillary sinus, in experimental design, using a resorbable space-maker device in order to maintain elevation of the sinus membrane where there is too little bone to insert implants with good primary stability. In Paper I, 70 consecutively treated patients were retrospectively evaluated in terms of postoperative donor site morbidity and donor site complications. With regard to donor site morbidity, 74% of patients were free of pain within 3 weeks, whereas 26% had a prolonged period of pain lasting from a few weeks to several months. For 11% of patients there was still some pain or discomfort 2 years after the grafting surgery. Nevertheless, patients acceptance was high and treatment significantly improved oral function, facial appearance, and recreation/social activities and resulted in an overall improvement in the quality of life of formerly edentulous patients. In Paper I and III, some differently shaped space-making devices were tested on primates (tufted capuchin - Cebus apella) in two experimental models aimed at evaluating whether a two-stage procedure for sinus floor augmentation could benefit from the use of a space-making device to increase the bone volume and enable later implant installation with good primary stability, without the use of any grafting material. An histological examination of the specimens showed that it is possible to obtain bone formation in contact with both the Schneiderian membrane and the device. In most cases the device was displaced. The process of bone formation indicated that this technique is potentially useful for two-stage sinus floor augmentation. The lack of device stability within the sinus requires further improvement in space-makers if predictable bone augmentation is to be achieved. In Paper IV, a total of 84 patients were subjected to 96 membrane elevation procedures and the simultaneous placement of 239 implants. Changes of intra-sinus and marginal bone height in relation to the implants were measured in intraoral radiographs carried out during insertion after 6 months of healing, after 6 months of loading and then annually. Computerised tomography was performed pre-surgically and 6 months post-surgically. Resonance frequency analysis measurements were performed at the time of implant placement, at abutment connection and after 6 months of loading. The implant follow-up period ranged from a minimum of one to a maximum of 6 years after implant loading. All implants were stable after 6 months of healing. A total of three implants were lost during the follow-up period giving a survival rate of 98.7%. Radiography demonstrated an average of 5.3 ± 2.1 mm of intra-sinus new bone formation after 6 months of healing. RFA measurements showed adequate primary stability (implant stability quotient 67.4 ± 6.1) and small changes over time. In conclusion, harvesting bone from the iliac crest could result in temporary donor site morbidity, but in 11% of patients pain or discomfort was still present up to 2 years after surgery. However, patient satisfaction was good despite this slow or incomplete recovery, as showed by the quality of life questionnaire. Maxillary sinus membrane elevation without the use of bone grafts or bone substitutes results in predictable bone formation both in animal design, where the sinus membrane is supported by a resorbable device, and in clinical conditions, where the membrane is kept in the upper position by dental implants. This new bone formation is accompanied by a high implant survival rate of 98.7% over a follow-up period of up to 6 years. Intra-sinus bone formation remained stable in the long-term follow-up. It is suggested that the secluded compartment allowed bone formation in accordance with the principle of guided tissue regeneration. This technique reduces the risks of morbidity related to bone graft harvesting and eliminates the costs of grafting materials.

A variety of pathologies exist which increase the likelihood of bone fracture. Present methods for determining the fracture risk of a specific patient are based exclusively on the amount of bone present. While the quantity of bone tissue is correlated with strength, it neglects to account for bone’s intricate microarchitecture. To assess the effect of bone quality on strength, a methodology was developed for the structural analysis of cancellous bone biopsies. Thirty biopsies were selected from a pre-existing biopsy bank, and scanned using a SCANCO µCT-40 at a resolution of 30 microns. Cortical bone was removed from the resulting three-dimensional geometry, and the remaining cancellous bone was meshed with solid tetrahedral elements. A linear static uniaxial compression test was performed using ANSYS v14.0 to determine the apparent-level Young’s modulus. The maximum von Mises stress was also investigated, but showed poor convergence with increased mesh density. Consistent with the methodology of Pistoia et al., the failure load was assumed to occur when 2% of the bone volume exceeded 7000 µstrain. The results of the finite element analysis compared favorably with known values for cancellous bone strength.

Objetivo: Avaliar se a administração sistêmica de cilostazol reduz a hiperplasia neointimal nas artérias ilíacas de suínos submetidas a angioplastia com cateter balão. Métodos: O trabalho foi desenvolvido na Unidade de Experimentação Animal do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Vinte suínos foram submetidos a angioplastia com cateter balão 6 x 40 mm na artéria ilíaca comum direita, guiada por ultrassonografia com Doppler. Os animais foram randomizados em dois grupos: grupo 1 (n = 10), no qual foi administrado cilostazol 50 mg em duas doses diárias, e grupo 2 (n = 10), considerado controle. Após 30 dias, os animais foram sacrificados, e as artérias ilíacas preparadas para análise histológica. Os cortes histológicos foram digitalizados e analisados por morfometria digital. A análise estatística foi realizada com o teste t de Student e o de Mann-Whitney. Resultados: Comparando as artérias ilíacas submetidas a angioplastia com as não submetidas a angioplastia, houve hiperplasia neointimal significativa (0,228 versus 0,119 mm2; p = 0,0001). Nas artérias submetidas a angioplastia, não houve diferença entre o grupo 1 (cilostazol) e o grupo 2 (controle) na área do lúmen (2,277 versus 2,575 mm2; p = 0,08), área da íntima (0,219 versus 0,237 mm2; p = 0,64), área da média (2,262 versus 2,393 mm2; p = 0,53) e no percentual de obstrução neointimal (8,857 versus 9,257 %; p = 0,82). Conclusão: O uso de cilostazol 50 mg em duas doses diárias não reduziu a hiperplasia neointimal em artérias ilíacas de suínos submetidas a angioplastia com cateter balão. / Objective: To evaluate whether systemic administration of cilostazol reduces neointimal hyperplasia in the iliac arteries of pigs after balloon angioplasty. Methods: This study was conducted in the Experimental Animal Unit of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil. Twenty pigs underwent angioplasty of the right common iliac artery under Doppler ultrasound guidance using 6x40-mm balloon catheters. The animals were randomized to one of two groups: group 1 (n = 10) received 50 mg cilostazol in two doses a day; and group 2 (n = 10) was the control group. After 30 days, the animals were killed and their iliac arteries were prepared for histological analysis. Histological images were digitalized and analyzed using digital morphometry. The Student t and the Mann-Whitney tests were used for statistical analyses. Results: Iliac arteries that underwent angioplasty had significantly more neointimal hyperplasia than those with no angioplasty (0.228 versus 0.119 mm2; p = 0.0001) Group 1 (cilostazol) and 2 (control) had no significant differences in lumen (2.277 versus 2.575 mm2; p = 0.08), intima (0.219 versus 0.237 mm2; p = 0.64) or media (2.262 versus 2.393 mm2; p = 0.53) area, or in percentage of neointimal obstruction (8.857 versus 9.257 %; p = 0.82). Conclusion: The use of 50 mg cilostazol in two doses a day did not reduce neointimal hyperplasia in iliac arteries of pigs that underwent balloon angioplasty.

Submitted by NADIA FAGUNDES GARCIA null (nadia.garcia@usp.br) on 2016-04-26T14:05:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Nádia_final.pdf: 1655190 bytes, checksum: 3ec5b191317646b34cbfef983fcdf111 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-04-29T15:08:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 garcia_nf_me_rcla.pdf: 1655190 bytes, checksum: 3ec5b191317646b34cbfef983fcdf111 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T15:08:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 garcia_nf_me_rcla.pdf: 1655190 bytes, checksum: 3ec5b191317646b34cbfef983fcdf111 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A inatividade física e as dislipidemias são considerados fatores de risco para a gênese das doenças cardiovasculares. Estudos em animais mostram que o consumo de dieta contendo alto teor de lipídios leva à diminuição da resposta relaxante dependente do endotélio, o que pode ser prevenido pela realização de exercício físico. Entretanto, a maioria dos estudos investigou os efeitos do exercício físico em artérias de maior calibre e em modelos de dislipidemia induzida por dieta. Há escassez de estudos que avaliam os efeitos do exercício físico em artéria de menor calibre e, principalmente, em modelo que mimetiza a hipercolesterolemia familiar (HF). Portanto, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o efeito do treinamento físico aeróbio de moderada intensidade na reatividade vascular da artéria ilíaca em camundongos knockout para o receptor de LDL alimentados com dieta hiperlipídica. Foram utilizados camundongos wild type e knockout para o receptor de LDL (LDLR-/-) divididos em quatro grupos experimentais: wild type sedentário (WT), wild type treinado (WT/Ex), knockout sedentário (KO) e knockout treinado (KO/Ex). Os grupos WT foram alimentados com ração balanceada e os grupos KO com dieta hiperlipídica (38% lipídios). Os grupos WT/Ex e KO/Ex realizaram corrida em esteira (60-70%Vmax, 5 dias/semana, 60 min) durante oito semanas. A reatividade vascular em artéria ilíaca foi verificada através de curvas concentração-resposta a acetilcolina (ACh), nitroprussiato de sódio (SNP), fenilefrina (PHE) e ao análogo do tromboxano A2 (U46619). A determinação da produção de óxido nítrico (NO) foi realizada pela análise de fluorescência ao 4,5-diaminofluoresceína (DAF-2) e a produção de ânion superóxido pela análise da fluorescência derivada da oxidação da dihidroetidina (DHE). Foi quantificada a glicose, o colesterol total e os triglicerídeos sanguíneos. O grupo KO aumentou em 640% o ganho de peso corporal, 510% a gordura epididimal, 35% a glicose, 180% o colesterol total e 99% os triglicerídeos comparado ao grupo WT e o treinamento físico aeróbio foi eficaz em prevenir o ganho de peso e a gordura epididimal no grupo KO/Ex (167% e 121%, respectivamente). Nenhuma alteração foi verificada na glicose, colesterol total e triglicerídeos no soro. O relaxamento máximo induzido por ACh foi reduzido em 24% no grupo KO comparado ao grupo WT, sendo esta resposta normalizada no grupo KO/Ex, sem alteração na potência. A resposta máxima a PHE foi 65% maior, e resposta da potência foi 3 vezes maior na artéria ilíaca de animais do grupo KO comparado ao grupo WT. Nenhuma alteração na resposta foi encontrada aos agentes SNP e U46619. A produção de NO foi 47% menor no grupo KO comparado ao WT e a produção de espécies reativas de oxigênio (ERO) foi 48% maior no grupo KO comparado ao grupo WT. O treinamento físico preveniu o aumento na produção de ERO no grupo KO/Ex. Em conclusão, o exercício físico aeróbio, realizado por oito semanas, preveniu a disfunção endotelial na artéria ilíaca de camundongos LDLR-/- alimentados com dieta hiperlipídica. Este achado pode estar relacionado à menor produção de ERO, o que aumentaria a biodisponibilidade do NO. / Physical inactivity and dyslipidemia are considered risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A decrease in endothelium-dependent relaxation response, which can be prevented by physical exercise, had been showing in animals fed with high fat diet. However, most studies investigated the effects of physical exercise on large-caliber arteries using models of diet induced dyslipidemia. There are few studies that evaluate the effects of physical exercise in small-caliber artery and, mainly, in a model that mimics familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of moderate intensity exercise training on vascular reactivity of iliac artery in FH model using mice lacking LDL receptor. Wild type and knockout mice (LDLR-/-) were divided into four groups: sedentary control (WT), trained control (WT/Ex), sedentary knockout (KO) and trained knockout (KO/Ex). Control groups were fed with standard chow and knockout groups with high fat diet. Trained groups ran on a treadmill (60-70% Vmax, 60 min, 5 days/week for 8 weeks). Concentration-response curves to acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), phenylephrine (PHE) and thromboxane A2 analogue (U46619) were done in iliac artery rings. Arterial production of nitric oxide and oxygen reactive species formation were assessed using fluorescence analysis (DAF-2 and DHE). Serum concentration of glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride were determined using commercial kits. After eight weeks, the KO group had higher body weight gain (around 640%), epididymal fat (510%), glucose (35%), total cholesterol (180%) and triglycerides (99%) compared with WT group. Exercise training was effective to prevent body weight and epididymal fat gain in KO/Ex group (less 167% and 121%, respectively). No changes were observed in glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides concentration. KO animals had lower maximal response evoked by ACh (about 24%) and higher maximal response to PHE (about 65%) compared with WT group. Exercise training prevented these alterations since KO/Ex group had vascular response similar to WT and WT/Ex groups. Endothelial dysfunction observed in KO group could be related to the reduced production of NO (about 47%) and the increased formation of oxygen reactive species (about 48%). These features were partially prevented by exercise training, KO/Ex group had lower formation of oxygen species and a slight higher NO prodution compared with KO group. In conclusion, aerobic exercise training carried out for eight weeks, prevented endothelial dysfunction in iliac artery from LDLR-/- mice fed with high fat diet. This finding could be related to the lower formation of reactive oxygen species in situ that increases the NO bioavailability.