Jeroen Hostens

Publications (2)5.9 Total impact

• Article: Occurrence of cardiovascular calcifications in normal, aging rats.

  Bram Roosens, Gezim Bala, Steven Droogmans, Jeroen Hostens, Joan Somja, Eléonore Delvenne, Johan Schiettecatte, Philippe Delvenne, Tony Lahoutte, Guy Van Camp, Bernard Cosyns
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  ABSTRACT: Cardiovascular calcification is an independent predictor of morbidity and mortality and increases with age. Animal models are frequently used to investigate the underlying pathophysiology. Only scarce data regarding the effect of aging on calcifications in these animal models are available. The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence of cardiovascular calcifications in normal, aging rats. A mixed inbred/outbred population of 44 male Lewis/Wistar rats was studied. Group 1 of three-month-old rats, group 2 twelve-month-old, group 3 twenty-four-month-old and group 4 thirty-month-old rats. Calibrated integrated backscatter (cIB) values and blood parameters (creatinine, parathyroid hormone (PTH)) were measured, followed by ex-vivo micro-CT and histology as reference methods. Cardiovascular calcifications developed with age, as demonstrated by significantly increasing cIB values of the aortic valve and myocardium. This was confirmed by a significant increase in the calcified volume on ex-vivo micro-CT and in the histological calcium score. There was also a significantly higher level of creatinine and PTH with age. As in humans, cardiovascular calcifications progressively increase with age in the normal rat. Therefore the aging rat model could be used for studying calcifying cardiovascular disease. cIB might have a value in future studies for the early detection of subclinical calcifications in humans.
  Experimental gerontology 05/2012; 47(8):614-9. · 3.34 Impact Factor
• Article: Integrated backscatter for the in vivo quantification of supraphysiological vitamin D(3)-induced cardiovascular calcifications in rats.

  Bram Roosens, Steven Droogmans, Jeroen Hostens, Joan Somja, Eléonore Delvenne, Sophie Hernot, Gezim Bala, Céline Degaillier, Vicky Caveliers, Philippe Delvenne, Tony Lahoutte, Guy Van Camp, Bernard Cosyns
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  ABSTRACT: Cardiovascular calcifications are frequently found in the aging population and are independent predictors of future cardiovascular events. Integrated backscatter (IB) of ultrasound reflectivity can easily quantify calcifications. For this purpose, 30 male Wistar rats received 25,000 IU/kg/day of vitamin D(3) (group 1, n = 8), 18,800 IU/kg/day (group 2, n = 8), or injections with the vehicle only (group 3, n = 14), for 10 weeks. Echocardiographic calibrated IB (cIB) was measured and calculated at baseline and after 10 weeks, followed by ex vivo micro-CT and histopathology of the aortic valve, ascending aorta, and myocardium. After 10 weeks, the mean cIB value of the aortic valve was significantly higher for vitamin D(3)-dosed animals compared to controls. The mean cIB value of the ascending aorta and the myocardium was also significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 3. In vivo IB results were confirmed by ex vivo micro-CT and histopathology. In conclusion, IB is a non-ionizing, feasible, and reproducible tool to quantify cardiovascular calcifications in an in vivo rat model. The integration of IB in the standard echocardiographic examination for the quantification of cardiovascular calcifications could be useful for serial evaluation of treatment efficacy and for prognosis assessment.
  Cardiovascular toxicology 06/2011; 11(3):244-52. · 2.56 Impact Factor