Division of Comparative Pathophysiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
Present address: Central Research Laboratories, Nichinichi Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd., 239-1 Tominaga, Iga, Mie 518-1417, Japan.
Exp Anim. 2019 Aug 14;68(3):293-300. doi: 10.1538/expanim.18-0175. Epub 2019 Mar 1.
In WHHLMI rabbits, arterial lesions develop spontaneously in various arteries even with standard chow. Here, we examined the development of arterial lesions in various arteries to demonstrate standard characteristics of arterial lesions in WHHLMI rabbits. For WHHLMI rabbits at 6, 12, 20, and 30 months of age, lesion areas and areas of arterial lumen surfaces were measured using image analysis software. Histopathological sections of arterial lesions were stained with elastic van Gieson staining. Arterial lesions developed around bifurcations and expanded with aging. In the aorta, atheromatous lesions were severe in the thoracic aorta but were mild in the distal part of the abdominal aorta. Carotid artery lesions progressed in the proximal region and at bifurcations, and the histopathological features were similar to those of coronary lesions. Pulmonary artery lesions contained many foam cells. Fibrous lesions were observed in the proximal and distal areas of the renal arteries, at the bifurcation of the iliac-femoral artery and mesenteric artery, and around the anastomosis of vertebral arteries. Lesions in the celiac artery contained foam cells and/or lipid droplets within fibrous lesions. In a pair of right and left arteries, the arterial lesions tended to progress more in the right artery. Gender did not affect analysis of arterial lesions. In conclusion, the arterial lesions expanded from bifurcations, and the morphological features of the arterial lesions varied depending on the type of artery. These results serve as reference data for arterial lesions in studies using WHHLMI rabbits.
在 WHHLMI 兔中，即使给予标准饲料，各种动脉也会自发出现病变。在此，我们检查了各种动脉中动脉病变的发展，以证明 WHHLMI 兔动脉病变的标准特征。对于 6、12、20 和 30 月龄的 WHHLMI 兔，使用图像分析软件测量病变面积和动脉管腔表面面积。动脉病变的组织病理学切片用弹性 van Gieson 染色染色。动脉病变在分叉处周围发展并随年龄增长而扩大。在主动脉中，胸主动脉的粥样硬化病变严重，但腹主动脉远端的病变较轻。颈动脉病变在近端区域和分叉处进展，其组织病理学特征与冠状动脉病变相似。肺动脉病变含有许多泡沫细胞。肾动脉的近端和远端、髂股动脉和肠系膜动脉的分叉处以及椎动脉吻合处都观察到纤维性病变。腹腔动脉病变的纤维性病变中含有泡沫细胞和/或脂质滴。在一对左右动脉中，右侧动脉的动脉病变往往更严重。性别不影响动脉病变的分析。总之，动脉病变从分叉处开始扩张，动脉病变的形态特征取决于动脉的类型。这些结果为使用 WHHLMI 兔进行的动脉病变研究提供了参考数据。
