[The dynamic changes in the functional characteristics of the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells under conditions of long-term hypercholesterolemia].

The course of the rabbit aortic wall reactivity changes due to hypercholesterolemia involved, in the first place, the inhibition of the endothelium relaxing influence on the smooth muscle contractile activity and an increase in the muscle sensitivity to neurogenic and humoral tonic influences. Later, a sharp inhibition of the vessel's wall functional activity occurred due to a mechanical factor: the development of connective tissue which prevents active vascular reactions. Nevertheless, endothelial and smooth muscle cells functional activity was high enough. The main cause of the vascular reactivity disturbances involved structural changes in the vessel wall whilst the direct influence of high blood cholesterol was much less obvious.