gms | German Medical Science

76th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

04.05. - 08.05.2005, Erfurt

Simultaneous in vivo analysis of angiogenesis and endocrine function after parathyroid heterotransplantation

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author Sebastian Strieth - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany
  • Verena von Johnston - Institute for Surgical Research, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany
  • Martin E. Eichhorn - Department of Surgery, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany
  • Georg Enders - Institute for Surgical Research, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany
  • Senat Krasnici - Institute for Surgical Research, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany
  • Eckart Thein - Institute for Surgical Research, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany
  • Claus Hammer - Institute for Surgical Research, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany
  • Marc Dellian - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. 76. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e.V.. Erfurt, 04.-08.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05hno451

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2005/05hno119.shtml

Published: September 22, 2005

© 2005 Strieth et al.
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Outline

Text

It is still a matter of investigation how angiogenesis and restoration of gland perfusion determine graft function after free parathyroid autotransplantation. We here provide a new animal model allowing simultaneous and repetitive in vivo assessment of angiogenesis and endocrine function of parathyroid transplants.

Fresh human parathyroid tissue from patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism was grafted into dorsal skinfold chamber preparations of athymic nude mice (CD1-nu; n=8). Equivalent pieces of the same human donor specimens were heat-inactivated and served as control grafts (n=7).

In all animals receiving parathyroid transplants intact human parathyroid hormone levels were detectable by species-specific ELISA analysis of plasma samples on day 5 after transplantation and increased by 2.5 fold over the observation period (19 days) in contrast to controls. Plasma Ca2+ levels revealed no differences between the groups.

On day 5 after transplantation intravital fluorescence microscopy revealed first murine angiogenic microvessels sprouting along non-perfused human donor vessels and one week later functional microvasculature was established in all parathyroid transplants. Histological analysis revealed well vascularized endocrine tissue. In contrast, control grafts were either necrotic and partly resorbed exhibiting no angiogenic activity or revealed well vascularized fat cells indicating fatty degeneration. Additionally, species-specific Western blot analysis revealed vascular endothelial growth factor expression of parathyroid transplants rather than functional vessel density as functional parameter of angiogenesis determining transplant function in vivo.

This model may serve to understand mechanisms associated with specific parathyroid transplant angiogenesis and its significance for transplant function in order to optimize clinical success of autotransplantation in therapy-resistant patients.