Structural and biomechanical alterations in rabbit thoracic aortas are associated with the progression of atherosclerosis
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Atherosclerosis is a diffuse and highly variable disease of arteries that alters the mechanical properties of the vessel wall through highly variable changes in its cellular composition and histological structure. We have analyzed th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2011-07-01
|
| Series: | Lipids in Health and Disease |
| Online Access: | http://www.lipidworld.com/content/10/1/125 |
| _version_ | 1828524092374908928 |
|---|---|
| author | Koletsis Efstratios Papalois Apostolos Mandellou Martha Karanikolas Menelaos Papadaki Helen Mavrilas Dimosthenis Koniari Ioanna Dougenis Dimitrios Apostolakis Efstratios |
| author_facet | Koletsis Efstratios Papalois Apostolos Mandellou Martha Karanikolas Menelaos Papadaki Helen Mavrilas Dimosthenis Koniari Ioanna Dougenis Dimitrios Apostolakis Efstratios |
| author_sort | Koletsis Efstratios |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Atherosclerosis is a diffuse and highly variable disease of arteries that alters the mechanical properties of the vessel wall through highly variable changes in its cellular composition and histological structure. We have analyzed the effects of acute atherosclerotic changes on the mechanical properties of the descending thoracic aorta of rabbits fed a 4% cholesterol diet.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two groups of eight male New Zealand White rabbits were randomly selected and fed for 8 weeks either an atherogenic diet (4% cholesterol plus regular rabbit chow), or regular chow. Animals were sacrificed after 8 weeks, and the descending thoracic aortas were excised for pressure-diameter tests and histological evaluation to examine the relationship between aortic elastic properties and atherosclerotic lesions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All rabbits fed the high-cholesterol diet developed either intermediate or advanced atherosclerotic lesions, particularly American Heart Association-type III and IV, which were fatty and contained abundant lipid-filled foam cells (RAM 11-positive cells) and fewer SMCs with solid-like actin staining (HHF-35-positive cells). In contrast, rabbits fed a normal diet had no visible atherosclerotic changes. The atherosclerotic lesions correlated with a statistically significant decrease in mean vessel wall stiffness in the cholesterol-fed rabbits (51.52 ± 8.76 kPa) compared to the control animals (68.98 ± 11.98 kPa), especially in rabbits with more progressive disease.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Notably, stiffness appears to decrease with the progression of atherosclerosis after the 8-week period.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:39:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6ff6cfc6f1104851be15fc023f6e8ee3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1476-511X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:39:58Z |
| publishDate | 2011-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Lipids in Health and Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-6ff6cfc6f1104851be15fc023f6e8ee32022-12-22T00:51:32ZengBMCLipids in Health and Disease1476-511X2011-07-0110112510.1186/1476-511X-10-125Structural and biomechanical alterations in rabbit thoracic aortas are associated with the progression of atherosclerosisKoletsis EfstratiosPapalois ApostolosMandellou MarthaKaranikolas MenelaosPapadaki HelenMavrilas DimosthenisKoniari IoannaDougenis DimitriosApostolakis Efstratios<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Atherosclerosis is a diffuse and highly variable disease of arteries that alters the mechanical properties of the vessel wall through highly variable changes in its cellular composition and histological structure. We have analyzed the effects of acute atherosclerotic changes on the mechanical properties of the descending thoracic aorta of rabbits fed a 4% cholesterol diet.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two groups of eight male New Zealand White rabbits were randomly selected and fed for 8 weeks either an atherogenic diet (4% cholesterol plus regular rabbit chow), or regular chow. Animals were sacrificed after 8 weeks, and the descending thoracic aortas were excised for pressure-diameter tests and histological evaluation to examine the relationship between aortic elastic properties and atherosclerotic lesions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All rabbits fed the high-cholesterol diet developed either intermediate or advanced atherosclerotic lesions, particularly American Heart Association-type III and IV, which were fatty and contained abundant lipid-filled foam cells (RAM 11-positive cells) and fewer SMCs with solid-like actin staining (HHF-35-positive cells). In contrast, rabbits fed a normal diet had no visible atherosclerotic changes. The atherosclerotic lesions correlated with a statistically significant decrease in mean vessel wall stiffness in the cholesterol-fed rabbits (51.52 ± 8.76 kPa) compared to the control animals (68.98 ± 11.98 kPa), especially in rabbits with more progressive disease.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Notably, stiffness appears to decrease with the progression of atherosclerosis after the 8-week period.</p>http://www.lipidworld.com/content/10/1/125 |
| spellingShingle | Koletsis Efstratios Papalois Apostolos Mandellou Martha Karanikolas Menelaos Papadaki Helen Mavrilas Dimosthenis Koniari Ioanna Dougenis Dimitrios Apostolakis Efstratios Structural and biomechanical alterations in rabbit thoracic aortas are associated with the progression of atherosclerosis Lipids in Health and Disease |
| title | Structural and biomechanical alterations in rabbit thoracic aortas are associated with the progression of atherosclerosis |
| title_full | Structural and biomechanical alterations in rabbit thoracic aortas are associated with the progression of atherosclerosis |
| title_fullStr | Structural and biomechanical alterations in rabbit thoracic aortas are associated with the progression of atherosclerosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural and biomechanical alterations in rabbit thoracic aortas are associated with the progression of atherosclerosis |
| title_short | Structural and biomechanical alterations in rabbit thoracic aortas are associated with the progression of atherosclerosis |
| title_sort | structural and biomechanical alterations in rabbit thoracic aortas are associated with the progression of atherosclerosis |
| url | http://www.lipidworld.com/content/10/1/125 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT koletsisefstratios structuralandbiomechanicalalterationsinrabbitthoracicaortasareassociatedwiththeprogressionofatherosclerosis AT papaloisapostolos structuralandbiomechanicalalterationsinrabbitthoracicaortasareassociatedwiththeprogressionofatherosclerosis AT mandelloumartha structuralandbiomechanicalalterationsinrabbitthoracicaortasareassociatedwiththeprogressionofatherosclerosis AT karanikolasmenelaos structuralandbiomechanicalalterationsinrabbitthoracicaortasareassociatedwiththeprogressionofatherosclerosis AT papadakihelen structuralandbiomechanicalalterationsinrabbitthoracicaortasareassociatedwiththeprogressionofatherosclerosis AT mavrilasdimosthenis structuralandbiomechanicalalterationsinrabbitthoracicaortasareassociatedwiththeprogressionofatherosclerosis AT koniariioanna structuralandbiomechanicalalterationsinrabbitthoracicaortasareassociatedwiththeprogressionofatherosclerosis AT dougenisdimitrios structuralandbiomechanicalalterationsinrabbitthoracicaortasareassociatedwiththeprogressionofatherosclerosis AT apostolakisefstratios structuralandbiomechanicalalterationsinrabbitthoracicaortasareassociatedwiththeprogressionofatherosclerosis |