Metabolic Syndrome and Microvessel Density

What is causing vascular rarefaction in the skeletal muscle of patients with metabolic syndrome? In this podcast Associate Editor Gary Lopaschuk (University of Alberta) interviews lead author Jeff Frisbee (West Virginia University) and expert Victor Samokhvalov (University of Alberta) about the work by Frisbee and colleagues, which found that the chronic reduction in vascular nitric oxide bioavailability accompanying metabolic syndrome did not match the development of the rarefaction in skeletal muscle microcirculation. Using a multivariate discriminant model and leaning heavily on the concept of temporal resolution, the authors show that thromboxane and the inflammatory pathway may be the key mechanism for the initial pulse of vascular rarefaction. What potential therapeutic pathways does this open up? Listen now.

Jefferson C. Frisbee, Adam G. Goodwill, Stephanie J. Frisbee, Joshua T. Butcher, Robert W. Brock, I. Mark Olfert, Evan R. DeVallance, Paul D. Chantler Distinct temporal phases of microvascular rarefaction in skeletal muscle of obese Zucker rats Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published December 15, 2014. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00605.2014.