A study of calcification mechanism of arteriosclerosis

动脉硬化主要发生在动脉内膜，包括脂质色素沉着、动脉粥样硬化和钙化。虽然有许多关于病变发病机制的研究报道，但对晶体形成的研究尚未得到广泛和结论性的研究。因此，本研究的目的是从组织病理学和生物矿物学的角度研究动脉硬化中晶体的形态特征，得到以下结果。病理组织学表现为动脉内膜纤维增生，并伴有动脉粥样硬化、溃疡和钙化。从偏振显微镜的观察结果来看，在动脉硬化区散布着几块具有高双折射的晶体结构。形态特征表明晶体呈束状玫瑰花结或融合状。此外，晶体呈阴性或用von Kossa染色染黑。从傅里叶变换红外光谱和扫描电子显微镜分析，晶体的成分被认为是磷酸钙和/或草酸钙。发病机制可能与肠道疾病或主要寄生虫感染引起的草酸中毒有关。

Arteriosclerosis which consisted of lipid pigmentation, atheroma and calcification, is mainly occurred in the tunica intima. Although many studies concerning about pathogenesis of the lesion have been reported, the study of crystal formation has not been done extensively and conclusively, as yet. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the morphologic feature of the crystal in the arteriosclerosis from histopathological and biomineralogical viewpoints, and the following results were obtained.Histopathologically, the arteriosclerosis was composed of fibrous hypertrophy of the tunica intima with formation of atheroma, ulcer and calcification. From the findings using a polarization microscopy several pieces of crystal structure, which showed with high birefringence, were scattered in the area of arteriosclerosis. The morphological features indicated a bundle rosette, or fused appearance of the crystals. In addition, the crystals were negative or dyed black with von Kossa staining.From the analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, the component of the crystal was thought to be calcium phosphate and/or calcium oxalate. The pathogenesis may have a relationship of oxalosis due to intestinal disorders or infection of major parasite.