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Role of Adipose Tissue and Skeletal Muscle in Atherosclerosis and in Central Hemodynamics

Artery Research volume 26, pages 76–83 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Carotid Arterial Disease (CAD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are atherosclerotic diseases. Adipose tissue (AT) and skeletal muscle (SM) are endocrine organs producing polypeptides with vascular effects. The main objective of this study is to characterize the AT and SM in PAD and CAD. It is also an aim to determine their role in central hemodynamics.

Methods

A prospective, observational, case–control study is being conducted. The study group includes patients with PAD/CAD, with and without surgical indication. The control group includes subjects without PAD/CAD, with indication for elective non-vascular surgery, in order to allow access to samples of AT and SM. The quantity, histology and endocrine function of AT and SM are being determined.

Results

From December 2018 to August 2019, 47 PAD were studied: 33 with Intermittent Claudication (IC) - (28 male; age: 67.24 ± 9.97 years) and 14 Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) - (seven male; age: 69.21 ± 8.33 years). CLI patients have a lower quantity of SM and higher quantity of visceral and subcutaneous AT, determined on the CT scan, but these differences were not statistically significant. CLI had significant lower SM strength and density [muscle strength right hand: 22.62 ± 8.20 kgf IC vs. 16.38 ± 7.84 kgf CLI, p = 0,02; SM strength left hand: 21.98 ± 8.98 kgf IC vs. 16.37 ± 8.35 kgf CLI, p = 0.04; SM density: 20.44 ± 11.73 Hounsfield Units (HU) IC vs. 9.04 ± 2.47 HU CLI, p = 0.01].

Conclusion

This preliminary data suggests that CLI patients could have a SM dysfunction, inferred from hand grip strength and SM density. These results would be corroborated with the project development. The novelty of this research is the possibility to study the histology features and endocrine markers of AT and SM and to find an association with artery function, arteriosclerosis an atherosclerosis, in human.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital da Senhora da Oliveira, Guimarães, Portugal Rua dos Cutileiros Creixomil, 4835-044, Guimarães, Portugal

    Joana Ferreira & Amílcar Mesquita

  2. Life and Health Science Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Portugal Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal

    Joana Ferreira, Pedro Cunha & Jorge Cotter

  3. Centro Académico Department, Hospital da Senhora da Oliveira, Guimarães, Portugal

    Joana Ferreira, Pedro Cunha & Jorge Cotter

  4. Center for the Research and Treatment of Arterial Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk, Internal Medicine Department, Hospital da Senhora da Oliveira, Guimarães, Portugal

    Pedro Cunha, Cristina Cunha, Cristina Silva, Isabel Vila & Jorge Cotter

  5. Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal

    Armando Mansilha

  6. Vascular Surgery Department, Hospital de São João, Porto, Portugal

    Armando Mansilha

  7. Radiology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-508, Vila Real, Portugal

    Alexandre Carneiro

Authors
  1. Joana Ferreira
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  2. Pedro Cunha
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joana Ferreira.

Additional information

Peer review under responsibility of the Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology

Data availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in https://www.synapse.org/TAMstudy.

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This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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Ferreira, J., Cunha, P., Mansilha, A. et al. Role of Adipose Tissue and Skeletal Muscle in Atherosclerosis and in Central Hemodynamics. Artery Res 26, 76–83 (2020). https://doi.org/10.2991/artres.k.200511.001

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/artres.k.200511.001

Keywords

Artery Research

ISSN: 1876-4401

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