A Historical Study on Atherosclerosis WHHL Rabbit with Reference to Carotid Arteries and Intracranial Arteries

WHHL兔颈动脉和颅内动脉动脉粥样硬化的历史研究

• 批准号: 63570689
• 负责人: SAMEJIMA Hirotsugu
• 金额: $ 0.58万
• 依托单位: Toho University, School of Medicine
• 依托单位国家: 日本
• 项目类别: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
• 财政年份: 1989
• 资助国家: 日本
• 起止时间: 1989 至 1990
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-63570689/
• 关键词: WHHL rabbit; Carotid arteries; Intracranial arteries; Intimal thickening; Atherosclerosis; Intimal thickening; Atherosclerosis

In an attempt to investigate atherosclerosis developing in WHHL rabbits, the author carried out a histological study on bilateral carotid arteries and intracranial arteries, particularly those present in the basilar area. In addition, serum level of cholesterol as well as triglyceride was measured. Thirty-seven WHHL rabbits in a range of 2-to 64-month-old were used in this experiment.Histologically, intimal thickening of carotid arteries was observed in rabbits above 2-month-old, and the incidence was 92%. In contrast, no intracranial arteries were involved with intimal thickening. Atherosclerosis of WHHL rabbits was characterized by intimal thickening which consisted mainly of foam cells and proliferation of smooth muscle cells as well as elastic fibers. However, internal elastic lamina was relatively preserved. The atherosclerosis had cholesterine crystals and calcification as additional features. A constellation of these findings was considered to be in keeping with atherosclerosis commonly seen in humans.A topographic distribution of the intimal thickening of carotid arteries seemed to have no correlation with the cholesterol level as well as the triglyceride level. Progressive thickening of the intima in bifurcations was demonstrated as the rabbits aged upto 20-month-old. In the rabbits above 20-month-old, almost all segments had intimal thickening. The lesion progressed from the bifurcations along a blood flow.In conclusion, the author considers that WHHL rabbit is a suitable animal mode l to study atherosclerosis of carotid arteries ; however, some additional factor(s), presumably such as a hypertensive state, seems to be necessary to induced the atherosclerosis in intracranial arteries.

为探讨WHHL家兔动脉粥样硬化的发生发展，作者对双侧颈动脉和颅内动脉，特别是基底动脉进行了组织学研究。此外，测定血清胆固醇和甘油三酯水平。本实验选用37只2 ~ 64月龄WHHL家兔，组织学观察发现，2月龄以上家兔颈动脉内膜增厚，发生率为92%。与此相反，没有颅内动脉内膜增厚。WHHL兔动脉粥样硬化以内膜增厚为特征，内膜主要由泡沫细胞和平滑肌细胞及弹力纤维增生组成。但内弹性膜相对保留。动脉粥样硬化有胆固醇结晶和钙化作为附加特征。这些结果被认为与人类常见的动脉粥样硬化一致，颈动脉内膜增厚的地形分布似乎与胆固醇水平以及甘油三酯水平无关。随着年龄的增长，20个月大的家兔表现出分叉处内膜的进行性增厚。20月龄以上兔几乎所有节段均出现内膜增厚。结论：WHHL兔是研究颈动脉粥样硬化的理想动物模型，但颅内动脉粥样硬化的形成还需要一些其他因素的影响，如高血压等。