Vascular calcification has severe clinical consequences in a number of diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis and end-stage renal disease. The in vitro calcification of primary mouse, human and bovine vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is commonly employed to examine the mechanisms of vascular calcification. However, to date, no published studies have utilised a murine cell line to inv...

Involvement of cell-derived extracellular particles, coined as matrix vesicles (MVs), in biological bone formation was introduced by Bonucci and Anderson in mid-1960s. In 1983, Anderson et al. observed similar structures in atherosclerotic lesion calcification using electron microscopy. Recent studies employing new technologies and high- resolution microscopy have shown that although they exhib...

Vascular calcification is the abnormal deposition of calcium phosphate complexes in blood vessels, which regarded as pathological basis multiple cardiovascular diseases. The flowing exerts a frictional force called shear stress on vascular wall. Blood vessels have different hydrodynamic properties due to discrepancies geometric and mechanical properties. disturbance flow bending area branch poi...

OBJECTIVE Extensive remodeling of the valve ECM in calcific aortic valve sclerosis alters its mechanical properties, but little is known about the impact of matrix mechanics on the cells within the valve interstitium. In this study, the influence of matrix stiffness in modulating calcification by valve interstitial cells (VICs), and their differentiation to pathological phenotypes was assessed....

Mineralized collagen gels have been developed as in vitro models to better understand the mechanisms regulating the calcification process and the behavior of a variety of cell types. The vast majority of data are related to stem cells and to osteoblast-like cells, whereas little information is available for dermal fibroblasts, although these cells have been associated with ectopic calcification...

The pineal gland is a unique organ that synthesizes melatonin as the signaling molecule of natural photoperiodic environment and as a potent neuronal protective antioxidant. An intact and functional pineal gland is necessary for preserving optimal human health. Unfortunately, this gland has the highest calcification rate among all organs and tissues of the human body. Pineal calcification jeopa...

Vascular calcification is prevalent in aging as well as a number of pathological conditions, and it is now recognized as a strong predictor of cardiovascular events in the general population as well as diabetic and end-stage renal disease patients. Vascular calcification is a highly regulated process involving inductive and inhibitory mechanisms. This article focuses on two molecules, phosphate...

Soft tissue calcification is a pathological condition in which calcium and phosphate salts are deposited in the soft tissue organic matrix. This study presents an unusual calcification noted in the cartilaginous portion of the Eustachian tube. A 67-year-old woman presented for dental treatment, specifically for implant placement, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed. The CBCT ...

Calcification is a marked pathological component in carotid artery plaque. Studies have suggested that calcification may induce regions of high stress concentrations therefore increasing the potential for rupture. However, the mechanical behaviour of the plaque under the influence of calcification is not fully understood. A method of accurately characterising the calcification coupled with the ...

Vascular and cardiac valve calcification is associated with cardiovascular mortality in the general population. Increasing clinical and experimental evidence suggests that inflammation accelerates the progression of calcification, which has molecules in common with bone metabolism. For example, osteopontin (OPN), osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of the nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL),...