Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikari-ga-oka.
Division of Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima.
J Hypertens. 2024 Mar 1;42(3):441-449. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000003608. Epub 2023 Nov 1.
The role of hypercholesterolemia in arterial stiffness, which usually reflects the progression of atherosclerosis has not been fully investigated. To clarify the meaning of arterial stiffness in hypercholesterolemia, we evaluated arterial stiffness in myocardial infarction-prone Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHLMI) rabbits by using new arterial stiffness indices of the aorta and common iliac to femoral artery. The new arterial stiffness indices of both arteries were determined by the application of the theory of cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) to the aorta (aBeta) and ilio-femoral artery (ifBeta). Furthermore, the responses of both indices to nitroglycerin (NTG) administration were compared between WHHHMI and normal rabbits.
aBeta and ifBeta of WHHLMI and normal rabbits were measured under anesthesia. Pulse wave velocity in the whole aorta (aPWV) and ilio-femoral artery (ifPWV), blood pressure, and other parameters were measured before and after administration of NTG (50-120 μg/kg/min) every 1 for 5 min.
Atherosclerotic lesions were observed in the aorta, but a little in the ilio-femoral artery in WHHLMI rabbits. Compared with normal rabbits, aBeta was significantly higher, but ifBeta was lower in WHHLMI rabbits. When NTG was administered, ifBeta decreased significantly in both groups; however, aBeta increased in normal rabbits, but remained unchanged in WHHIMI rabbits.
These findings suggested that hereditary hypercholesterolemia in rabbits did not uniformly enhance arterial stiffness in elastic artery and muscular artery. The responses to NTG were also different between two arteries. The mechanism of these different responses needs further studies.
高胆固醇血症在动脉僵硬中的作用，通常反映了动脉粥样硬化的进展，但尚未得到充分研究。为了阐明高胆固醇血症中动脉僵硬的意义，我们通过应用心血管-踝血管指数（CAVI）理论评估了易患心肌梗死的 Watanabe 遗传性高脂血症（WHHLMI）兔的主动脉和髂总股动脉的动脉僵硬新指标。通过将 CAVI 理论应用于主动脉（aBeta）和髂股动脉（ifBeta），确定了这两条动脉的新动脉僵硬指数。此外，比较了 WHHHMI 和正常兔对硝酸甘油（NTG）给药的两种指数的反应。
在麻醉下测量 WHHLMI 和正常兔的 aBeta 和 ifBeta。在 NTG（50-120μg/kg/min）给药前和给药后每 1 分钟测量 5 分钟，测量全主动脉（aPWV）和髂股动脉（ifPWV）的脉搏波速度（PWV）、血压和其他参数。
在 WHHLMI 兔的主动脉中观察到动脉粥样硬化病变，但在髂股动脉中则很少。与正常兔相比，aBeta 明显升高，但 ifBeta 降低。给予 NTG 时，两组的 ifBeta 均明显降低；然而，正常兔的 aBeta 增加，但 WHHIMI 兔的 aBeta 不变。
这些发现表明，兔遗传性高胆固醇血症并未均匀增强弹性动脉和肌肉动脉的动脉僵硬。两种动脉对 NTG 的反应也不同。需要进一步研究这些不同反应的机制。
