Fall 2019 – The Response of Microvessels in the Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane to Low-Dose Aspartame

Aspartame (APM) has been evaluated for teratogenic potential by examining morphological changes in response to high doses. AMP is reported to impact endothelial function in vitro, and endothelial shear stress is a powerful stimulus of microvascular growth and remodeling. Because microvascular blood flow cannot be continually monitored in conventional animal models, the effects of low-dose APM on endothelial-dependent growth of microvessels cannot be evaluated. We are developing the chick chorioallantoic membrane model to study APM, because the microvasculature is exposed to sustained increases in blood flow, and radius and endothelial shear stress can be tracked in individual vessels over successive days