Given a passage, construct a question on the basis of the information present in the passage. Construct the question in such a way that (i) it is unambiguous, (ii) it is answerable from the passage, (iii) its answer is unique (iv) it answer uses text phrases from the passage. Avoid creating questions that (i) can't be answered correctly without actually understanding the passage and (ii) uses the same words or phrases given in the passage.
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Question: The aim of the study was to determine whether medial meniscal substitution with a polyurethane scaffold (Actifit(®)) improves the outcome of medial meniscal-deficient varus knees undergoing open-wedge high tibial osteotomy.', 'Sixty patients with symptomatic varus knees those who underwent open-wedge high tibial osteotomies were prospectively studied. In 30 patients, the medial meniscus was left with a defect larger than 25 mm (Group M). An Actifit(®) device was implanted (Group A) in the remaining 30 patients. Patients were functionally evaluated with WOMET, IKDC and VAS. Patient satisfaction was graded from 0 (not satisfied) to 4 (very satisfied).', 'Both groups were comparable preoperatively. They had similar follow-up periods (31.2 months; range 24-47.5; n.s.). WOMET improved a mean of 53.4 ± 8.4 and 42.4 ± 17.2 points in Groups M and A, respectively (p = 0.002). IKDC improved a mean of 56.7 ± 12 and 50.3 ± 15.6 points in Groups M and A, respectively (n.s.). VAS dropped 5.9 ± 2.1 and 4.7 ± 2.8 points in Groups M and A, respectively (p = 0.006). Patient satisfaction averaged 3.3 ± 0.8 and 3.3 ± 1 in Groups M and A, respectively (n.s.).

Answer: Does partial meniscus substitution with a polyurethane scaffold improve outcome after an open-wedge high tibial osteotomy?


Question: Expression of CINCs was regulated differentially in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat macrophages. We examined whether the expression of CINCs in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat macrophages is similarly inhibited by anti-inflammatory drugs.', 'Rat peritoneal macrophages were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in the presence of anti-inflammatory steroids (dexamethasone, prednisolone and hydrocortisone) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin and piroxicam). The production and mRNA expression of three types of CINCs were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and northern hybridization.', 'Anti-inflammatory steroids; dexamethasone, prednisolone and hydrocortisone, dose-dependently inhibited the production of CINC-1, -2 and -3, whose inhibitory patterns were similar to each other. Furthermore mRNA expression of each CINC was inhibited by dexamethasone in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, indomethacin and piroxicam were without effect. Expression of each CINC was regulated differently; the production of CINC-1 reached a maximum at 12 h and then slightly decreased after lipopolysaccharide stimulation, whereas that of CINC-2 and CINC-3 increased up to 24 h. Dexamethasone inhibited the CINCs production and mRNA expression at 9 h after lipopolysaccharide stimulation.

Answer: Is the expression of three types of CINCs by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rat macrophages inhibited similarly by anti-inflammatory steroids?


Question: We previously reported that the intimal endothelium of the rat aorta switches to a microvascular phenotype during angiogenesis in vitro. The microvessels formed by the rat aortic endothelium are coated with pericytes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation of the pericytes to the angiogenic process and to identify the site of origin of these cells in the aortic wall.', 'Rings of rat aorta were cultured in collagen gel under serum-free conditions. The formation of a pericyte coating around aorta-derived microvessels was evaluated by counting pericytes and microvessels in the living cultures. Pericytes and endothelial cells were studied by immunohistochemistry, lectin labeling, electron microscopy, 3H-thymidine labeling followed by autoradiography, and time-lapse video microscopy. The capacity of aortic smooth muscle cells to differentiate into pericytes was studied by coculturing intimal- or medial-derived smooth muscle cells with endothelial cells in a collagen gel overlay assay that induced reorganization of endothelial cells into microvessels.', 'Microvessels during the early stages of angiogenesis were composed primarily of endothelial cells. As vascular proliferation decreased, the microvessels became coated with pericytes. The pericytes migrated from the root to the tip of the microvessels using the endothelium as a surface for attachment, proliferation, and contact guidance. The pericytes were continuous with the myointimal endothelial cells of the cultured aorta. Pericytes and myointimal cells were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin and were actively engaged in DNA synthesis. Treatment of the cultures with heparin caused a marked reduction in the number of pericytes. Smooth muscle cells isolated from the intimal aspect of the rat aorta migrated toward the endothelium and differentiated into pericytes when cocultured with microvessels formed by isolated endothelial cells in a collagen gel overlay assay. Conversely, smooth muscle cells isolated from the deep layers of the media had no significant endothelial tropism and failed to differentiate into pericytes.

Answer:
Do rat aortic smooth muscle cells become pericytes during angiogenesis in vitro?