| Abstrakt: |
Atherosclerosis was induced in 13 Yorkshire pigs (4 weeks; 7–10kg) by endothelial balloon denudation of the aorta and left anterior descending coronary artery and a diet containing 2% (wt/wt) of cholesterol, 8% (wt/wt) of lard fat and 0·5% (wt/wt) of bile acids. After 8 months 7 animals (group I) were sacrificed to determine the extent to which atherosclerosis had developed. The other 6 animals (group R) received a diet (no cholesterol, 5% (wt/wt) of lard fat and 5% (wt/wt) offish oil) for 4 months. In I plasma cholesterol increased from 2·29 to 9·02 mmol l−1 after 8 months and in R it returned to 1·89mmol l−1 after 12 months. Less marked changes occurred in plasma HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. ADP-induced platelet aggregation and the number of platelets remained constant in I whereas both parameters were reduced in R after 12 months. In the lesions of the abdominal aorta of I, cholesterol, cholesterol ester, phospholipid and triglyceride contents were 4·97, 2·08, 4·20 and 0·77μg g−1 wet wt, respectively, whereas in R these values (3·02, 0·47, 2·70 and 0·44 μg g−1 wet wt, respectively), were close to the values measured in non-abraded vessel wall specimens. The Sudan IV-positive area of the aorta was 34 ±9% in I and 10 ±4% in R (P <0·05). Luminal encroachment of the denudated left anterior descending coronary artery was 11±3% in I and 13±3% in R (P>0·05). We conclude that addition of n-3 fatty acids to a low cholesterol diet resulted in regression of atherosclerosis in the aorta but not in the coronary arteries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] |
