Fabricant C G, Fabricant J, Litrenta M M, Minick C R
J Exp Med. 1978 Jul 1;148(1):335-40. doi: 10.1084/jem.148.1.335.
Of four groups of chickens, two (groups I and II) were infected with MDV and two were not (groups III and IV). Groups I and III were fed diets low in lipid, and groups II and IV were fed cholesterol-supplemented diets. Striking grossly visible atherosclerotic lesions were seen in large coronary arteries, aortas, and major aortic branches of infected normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic chickens (groups I and II). In contrast, grossly visible atherosclerotic lesions were not seen in uninfected normocholesterolemic chickens (group III), nor in uninfected hypercholesterolemic chickens (group IV). Microscopically, arterial changes in the infected animals were characterized by occlusive fibromuscular intimal thickening which formed fibrous caps overlying areas of atheromatous change. This change closely resembled chronic atherosclerosis in man. These results may have important bearing on our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of human arteriosclerosis since there is widespread and persistent infection of human populations with up to five different herpes-viruses.
四组鸡中，两组（第一组和第二组）感染了马立克氏病毒（MDV），两组未感染（第三组和第四组）。第一组和第三组喂食低脂日粮，第二组和第四组喂食添加胆固醇的日粮。在感染的正常胆固醇水平和高胆固醇水平的鸡（第一组和第二组）的大冠状动脉、主动脉和主要主动脉分支中可见明显的肉眼可见的动脉粥样硬化病变。相比之下，在未感染的正常胆固醇水平的鸡（第三组）和未感染的高胆固醇水平的鸡（第四组）中未见到肉眼可见的动脉粥样硬化病变。在显微镜下，感染动物的动脉变化特征为闭塞性纤维肌性内膜增厚，在动脉粥样硬化改变区域上方形成纤维帽。这种变化与人类的慢性动脉粥样硬化非常相似。这些结果可能对我们理解人类动脉硬化的病因和发病机制具有重要意义，因为人类群体中广泛且持续感染多达五种不同的疱疹病毒。
