1. Detrimental effects of mechanical stretch on smooth muscle function in saphenous veins 
Kyle M. Hocking, BE, Colleen Brophy, MD, Syed Z. Rizvi, MD, Padmini Komalavilas, PhD, Susan Eagle, MD, Marzia Leacche, MD, Jorge M. Balaguer, MD, Joyce Cheung-Flynn, PhD 
Journal of Vascular Surgery 
Volume 53, Issue 2, Pages (February 2011)
DOI: /j.jvs
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2. Fig 1
Smooth muscle contractile responsiveness varied greatly in remnant saphenous vein grafts. Remnant saphenous veins (n = 60) from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass or peripheral vascular revascularization surgery were collected. Rings from each vein were suspended in a muscle bath, contracted with KCl (110 mM), and force was measured and converted to stress (105 N/m2). Each data point represents a vein graft from a different patient, and three segments were tested from each patient and averaged. Veins that generated stress ≤0.025 × 105 N/m2 were considered nonviable (black) and those that generated stress >0.025 × 105 N/m2 were viable (gray).
Journal of Vascular Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.jvs )
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3. Fig 2
Contractile response differed in remnant human saphenous vein grafts. Vein segments (n = 38) obtained from patients undergoing perivascular vein (PV) reconstruction or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures were suspended in a muscle bath, contracted with (A) 110 mM KCl or (B) 10−7 to 10−6 M norepinephrine, and force was measured and converted to stress (105 N/m2). At least three segments were tested from each patient and averaged. Data represent averaged stress generated by the HSV collected from each group. The error bars show the standard error of the mean. *P < .05.
Journal of Vascular Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.jvs )
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4. Fig 3
Functional response (contractile response to KCl) correlated with cell viability in human saphenous vein grafts. Remnant human saphenous veins (n = 13) were suspended in a muscle bath, contracted with KCl (110 mM), force was measured, and stress was calculated. Cell viability was determined in other sections of the same veins using methyl thiazole tetrazolium. The purple precipitate was measured spectrophotometrically (R2 = ). Inset, Representative human saphenous vein rings of (left) low and (right) high viability index.
Journal of Vascular Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.jvs )
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5. Fig 4
Mechanical stretch injuries reduced contractile response in a porcine saphenous vein model. Porcine saphenous veins (n = 4) harvested using the “no-touch” technique were subjected to (A) longitudinal or (B) angular stretching. Segments were suspended in a muscle bath, contracted with KCl, and force was measured and converted to stress (105 N/m2) At least two segments from each PSV porcine saphenous vein were tested for each treatment and averaged. Data represented averaged stress for each treatment. The error bars show the standard error of the mean. *P < .05.
Journal of Vascular Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.jvs )
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