Etienne J, Orcel L, Paillas J
Pathol Biol (Paris). 1978 May-Jun;26(5):249-53.
The work of Small and al. concerning the physical state of lipids accumulated in atherosclerotic plaques, is analysed. This team of biophysicists studies the composition in cholesterol, cholesterol esters and phospholipids, of each type of lesion and reports it on a phase diagram, while identifying the physical state of these lipids by polarizing microscope and by X-ray diffraction. In such a way, they show that the ordinary fatty streak has a composition which situates it in the 2 phases-zone, and actually demonstrate liquid crystals of phospholipids (+ cholesterol + cholesterol esters) and oily droplets of cholesterol esters, but never cholesterol crystals. In the other types of lesions (intermediary lesions, fibrous plaques and atheromatous plaques) they find, in addition to liquid crystals and oily droplets previously mentioned, crystals of cholesterol monohydrate, which leads to 3 phases. These findings are in accord with experimental models studied by the authors, for whom the physical state of lipids plays a very important role in the formation as well as the regression of atherosclerotic plaques.
分析了斯莫尔等人关于动脉粥样硬化斑块中积累的脂质物理状态的研究工作。这个生物物理学家团队研究了每种病变类型中胆固醇、胆固醇酯和磷脂的组成，并将其呈现在相图上，同时通过偏光显微镜和X射线衍射确定这些脂质的物理状态。通过这种方式，他们表明普通脂肪条纹的组成使其处于双相区，并实际证明了磷脂（+胆固醇+胆固醇酯）的液晶和胆固醇酯的油滴，但从未发现胆固醇晶体。在其他类型的病变（中间病变、纤维斑块和粥样斑块）中，他们除了发现前面提到的液晶和油滴外，还发现了一水合胆固醇晶体，这导致了三相。这些发现与作者研究的实验模型一致，对作者来说，脂质的物理状态在动脉粥样硬化斑块的形成以及消退中起着非常重要的作用。
