Kovanen P T
Wihuri Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
Curr Opin Lipidol. 1996 Oct;7(5):281-6. doi: 10.1097/00041433-199610000-00004.
Recent immunohistochemical observations on atherosclerotic lesions in human aortas and coronary arteries have revealed that these lesions contain mast cells. Mast cells, better known for their actions in allergic reactions of skin and mucosal surfaces, are filled with cytoplasmic secretory granules that contain histamine, heparin and neutral proteases, notably chymase. When activated these cells degranulate, and in this way may influence lipoprotein metabolism in their immediate environment. Indeed, animal studies have suggested that exocytosed mast cell granules may carry LDL into peritoneal macrophages, and so induce their conversion into foam cells. With immunoelectron microscopic techniques, evidence was obtained suggesting that such a 'granule carrier pathway' may operate in vivo in the human arterial intima.
最近对人体主动脉和冠状动脉粥样硬化病变进行的免疫组织化学观察显示，这些病变中含有肥大细胞。肥大细胞因其在皮肤和黏膜表面过敏反应中的作用而更为人所知，其细胞质中充满了分泌颗粒，这些颗粒含有组胺、肝素和中性蛋白酶，尤其是糜酶。这些细胞被激活时会脱颗粒，从而可能影响其周围环境中的脂蛋白代谢。事实上，动物研究表明，肥大细胞脱颗粒释放的颗粒可能将低密度脂蛋白转运至腹膜巨噬细胞，进而促使其转化为泡沫细胞。利用免疫电子显微镜技术，已获得证据表明，这种“颗粒载体途径”可能在人体动脉内膜的体内发挥作用。
