Giuriato L, Chiavegato A, Pauletto P, Sartore S
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy.
Atherosclerosis. 1995 Jul;116(1):77-92. doi: 10.1016/0021-9150(95)05530-a.
Mapping the distribution of an immature smooth muscle cell (SMC) subpopulation in large- and small-sized arterial vessels was carried out in normocholesterolemic rabbits and compared with the mapping atherosclerotic lesions in endogenously (Watanabe heritable hyperlipemic, WHHL) and exogenously derived (cholesterol-fed, CT) hypercholesterolemic rabbits. This cell subset is identified by a specific myosin isoform content and displays an intermediate degree of differentiation between fetal- and adult-type SMC. Monoclonal anti-myosin antibodies, immunofluorescence procedures, and different arterial segments of a rabbit vessel tree, i.e. from aorta to dental pulp (common carotid, external carotid, lingual, facial, maxillary, inferior alveolar arteries, and dental branches of alveolar arteries) were studied. WHHL of different ages (3 to 12 months), and two different concentrations of CT (2% and 0.2%) in the diet for 3 and 12 months, respectively, were used. The results of the present study indicate that: (1) using a diet with a higher percentage of CT (rabbits fed 2% CT-diet for 3 months) there is maximum expansion of atherosclerotic lesions from the aorta up to the maxillary artery; (2) localization of atherosclerotic lesions with a lower CT content in the diet is dependent on the duration of feeding and may involve the aorta up to the external carotid artery; (3) the development of the atherosclerotic lesion in hypercholesterolemic rabbit is strictly related to the appearance of an intermediate SMC subtype; (4) atherosclerotic lesions occur only in those arterial sites which, in corresponding normocholesterolemic rabbit, contain intermediate-type SMC; and (5) no differences can be found in the distribution of SMC subpopulations present in the lesions from WHHL, CT-fed animals, or at various arterial levels, whereas some discrepancies can be shown in aortic atherogenesis.
在正常胆固醇血症的兔子中，对大、小动脉血管中未成熟平滑肌细胞（SMC）亚群的分布进行了定位，并与内源性（渡边遗传性高脂血症，WHHL）和外源性（胆固醇喂养，CT）高胆固醇血症兔子中动脉粥样硬化病变的定位进行了比较。该细胞亚群通过特定的肌球蛋白同工型含量来识别，并且在胎儿型和成人型SMC之间表现出中间分化程度。研究了单克隆抗肌球蛋白抗体、免疫荧光程序以及兔血管树的不同动脉段，即从主动脉到牙髓（颈总动脉, 颈外动脉, 舌动脉, 面动脉, 上颌动脉, 下牙槽动脉以及牙槽动脉的牙支）。分别使用了不同年龄（3至12个月）的WHHL以及饮食中两种不同浓度的CT（2%和0.2%），持续3个月和12个月。本研究结果表明：（1）使用CT百分比更高的饮食（喂食2% CT饮食3个月的兔子），从主动脉到上颌动脉的动脉粥样硬化病变扩展最大；（2）饮食中CT含量较低时，动脉粥样硬化病变的定位取决于喂养持续时间，可能涉及从主动脉到颈外动脉；（3）高胆固醇血症兔子中动脉粥样硬化病变的发展与中间型SMC亚型的出现密切相关；（4）动脉粥样硬化病变仅发生在相应正常胆固醇血症兔子中含有中间型SMC的那些动脉部位；（5）在WHHL、CT喂养动物的病变中或在不同动脉水平上，SMC亚群的分布没有差异，而在主动脉动脉粥样硬化形成中可以显示出一些差异。
