Oinuma T, Ohni S, Yamada T, Takashi K, Sakurai I, Matsumoto T, Ueno T, Saito E, Fujioka T, Tochihara T
Second Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine.
Nihon Ronen Igakkai Zasshi. 1997 Jul;34(7):555-9. doi: 10.3143/geriatrics.34.555.
Atherosclerotic plaque with central depression (depressed lesion) has been hypothesized to be a morphological feature of atherosclerosis regression. We tested this hypothesis in New Zealand white rabbits. After the animals were fed a diet containing 1% cholesterol for three months, they were changed to a normal diet for 6 to 9 months. Several aortas had centrally depressed lesions similar to those found in elderly people, and the animals had low serum cholesterol levels. Immunohistochemical study showed that the depressed lesions contained more smooth muscle cells and collagen type IV, and fewer macrophage-derived foam cells than did common atherosclerotic elevated lesions found in rabbits. We know of no other report of depressed lesions in rabbits with atherosclerosis. Thus we believe that the centrally depressed lesion is a histological characteristic of regression of atherosclerosis.
有中央凹陷的动脉粥样硬化斑块（凹陷性病变）被推测为动脉粥样硬化消退的一种形态学特征。我们在新西兰白兔身上验证了这一假设。给动物喂食含1%胆固醇的饲料三个月后，改为正常饲料喂养6至9个月。几只兔子的主动脉出现了与老年人身上发现的类似的中央凹陷性病变，且这些动物的血清胆固醇水平较低。免疫组织化学研究表明，与兔子常见的动脉粥样硬化隆起性病变相比，凹陷性病变含有更多的平滑肌细胞和IV型胶原，而巨噬细胞衍生的泡沫细胞较少。我们未找到其他关于动脉粥样硬化兔子出现凹陷性病变的报道。因此，我们认为中央凹陷性病变是动脉粥样硬化消退的一种组织学特征。
