Atherosclerosis as a Proliferative Disease of Arterial Intimal Cells : An ultrastructural, immunohistochemical, and in situ hybridization study

Coronary arterise obtained from 35 autopsied cases were studied with the aid of electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization. Smooth muscle cells were the main cellular components of the fibrocellular intimal thickening of the coronary artery. Atherosclerotic lesions were characterized by proliferation of smooth muscle cells as well as foam cells. Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies indicated that, foam cells originated from smooth muscle cells and macrophages. Immunohistochemistry showed low levels of expression of the myc oncogene product in the lesions of fibrocellular intimal thickening and increased expression of that in the early stage of the athlrosclerotic lesions. Both smooth muscle cell and macrophage were responsible for the expression of the myc oncogene. In situ hybridization demonstrated the presence of m-RNA of myc oncogene in the intimal cells of the uncomplicated atherosclerotic lesions

Effects of dietary lard and fish oil on the serum lipid level and aortic tissue : a comparison in quail animal model

A total of twenty-five 40-day-old, male, Japanese quails were fed with either basal diet, a diet containing 15% butter fat and 2% cholesterol, or a diet containing 15% fish oil and 2% cholesterol for 3 months. The birds which were fed with the diet containing lard and cholesterol showed marked hypercholesterolemia and severe lipid-rich aortic lesions. In accordance to serum cholesterol level, the lard fed group had numerous fibroblasts with or without lipid droplets in the thickened intima of the ascending aorta. The birds fed with the fish oil and cholesterol had no significant increase in their serum cholesterol level or lipid-rich aortic lesions. These data clearly indicate that fish oil is less atherogenic than lard

Ultrastructure of Aortic Lesions in Restricted-Ovulator Chickens

Aortas from normal roosters, normal layers and hereditary restricted-ovulator hens (nonlayers) were examined electron-microscopically and biochemically. In accordance with an abnormal increase in plasma lipid levels, lipid-rich aortic lesions were more frequently observed in these nonlayers than in the layers and roosters. The three types of lipid-containing cells observed in these experimental animals originated from smooth muscle cells, fibroblast-like cells or macrophages. The malonaldehyde content was remarkably high in the plasma and aortic tissue of the nonlayers. Degenerate cells without stainable lipid, characterized by cytolysis and pyknotic nuclei, were frequently observed in the abdominal aortas of the nonlayers. These findings suggest that oxidized lipids, as well as hyperlipidmedia, may be responsible for the development of atherosclerosis in these nonlayers