The Change Of Water Content In Aortic Intima Of Rabbit During Atherosclerosis

Aim： To research the change of water content in the atherosclerotic rabbits’ aorticintima during atherosclerosis at8th,16th,24th week after high-cholesterol diet.Methods：45New Zealand rabbits were divided into common control group,high-cholesterol diet group and simvastatin group randomly and equally. At the end of8th,16th and24th week, we detected the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) respectively. Aortawere stained with hematoxylin-eosin and were studied with optical microscope. Thechanges of thickness of aortic intimal were measured and aortic intima of aortic archwere stripped. The water content of atherosclerotic plaques was detected with thevacuum freeze drying.Results：①The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and low densitylipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were higher in high-cholesterol diet group (P＜0.05).high-cholesterol diet group VS common control group at8th,16th,24th,weekTC(16.72±0.45VS1.46±0.12,22.72±0.94VS1.54±0.07,28.52±1.09VS1.54±0.04）、TG(1.74±0.03VS1.21±0.02,3.56±0.05VS1.22±0.02,5.25±0.04VS1.23±0.02）、LDL-C(8.80±0.16VS0.82±0.03,11.76±0.23VS0.83±0.07,17.92±0.28VS0.86±0.04)，P＜0.05.②Common control group: the intima was smooth and glossy; High-cholesterol dietgroup: the intima was thicker and a lot of foam cells and fatty streak plaques in theintima; Simvastatin group: thinner of intima and fewer foams cells and fatty steakplaques than high-cholesterol group.Intimal thickness(IT):common control group VShigh-cholesterol diet group VS simvastatin group at8th,16th,24thweek(5.04±0.98VS 72.40±1.82VS71.82±1.63;5.70±0.32VS130.80±7.85VS111.20±1.64;5.88±0.29VS181.40±6.23VS132.40±2.07）,P＜0.05.③In the high-cholesterol diet group, the atherosclerosis formed and the water content in16th and24th week group was lower than8th week group (55.73±1.93VS62.31±1.21,47.30±4.98VS62.31±1.21,P＜0.05). Compared with that of16th week,the water content was reduced at the end of24th week (47.30±4.98VS55.73±1.93,P＜0.05). In the simvastatin group, the water content was much more than thehigh-cholesterol diet group at the end of16th and24th week (59.08±1.36VS55.73±1.93;54.92±0.80VS47.30±4.98,P＜0.05).Conclusion： During atherosclerosis of rabbit, the water content was reduced inatherosclerotic plaques.