Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase expression in critical limb ischaemia
fluorescence microscopy, western blotting, and qRT-PCR. Results: Preliminary results have suggested differences in the adhesion, morphology, and proliferation of the cells exposed to the various substrates. For example, the PAVEC seeded on to domain 1 displayed a disruption of cell-to-cell junctions, which is an important step in the initiation of angiogenesis. Additionally, the cells seeded on to the intact basementmembranes led to the formation of early vasculogenic tubulelike structures typical of endothelial cells seeded onto matrigel. Discussion: Fully understanding the role of perlecan in regulating angiogenesis-modulated ossification in the progression of CAVD would greatly contribute to the development of interventional treatments for the disease. This research is working to indentify a novel target for interfering with the progression of valvular endothelium disruption which is seen in the pathology of CAVD.