PMID- 9752801
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19981015
LR  - 20150901
IS  - 0513-5796 (Print)
IS  - 0513-5796 (Linking)
VI  - 39
IP  - 4
DP  - 1998 Aug
TI  - Experimental hypercholesterolemia induces ultrastructural changes in the elastic 
      laminae of rabbit aortic valve.
PG  - 345-54
AB  - Atherosclerosis is the most severe problem in the high-pressure systemic 
      circulation and similar changes also occur in the high-pressure loading valve. 
      This study was designed to test the hypothesis that early atherosclerosis, 
      induced by a high cholesterol diet in rabbits, is characterized by significant 
      ultrastructural change in the elastic laminae of the aortic valve. However, it is 
      not known whether this process is also taking place in the cardiac valve at the 
      early stage of atherosclerosis. Animals were fed either a high cholesterol diet 
      (n = 5) or a control diet (n = 5) for 10-12 weeks. Histologic analysis 
      demonstrated that subendothelial thickening and foam-cell infiltration were 
      evident in the arterialis of aortic valves. Confocal microscopy revealed an 
      altered pattern characterized by fragmentation and disorganization of the 
      arterialis elastic laminae of hypercholesterolemic valves. Computerized digital 
      analysis of the images obtained by confocal scanning microscopy demonstrated that 
      compared to normal valves, the arterialis elastic laminae of hypercholesterolemic 
      valves decreased in percentage of their elastin content (29.03 +/- 1.10% vs. 
      42.94 +/- 1.35%, p = 0.023). Immunohistochemical staining for matrix 
      metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) revealed MMP-3 immunoreactivity was increased in 
      hypercholesterolemic valves, predominantly in the arterialis. This study 
      demonstrated that early atherosclerosis, induced by a high cholesterol diet in 
      rabbits, is characterized by significant ultrastructural change in the elastic 
      laminae of the aortic valve. The arterialis endothelium of the aortic valve may 
      be a more atherosclerosis-prone area compared with the ventricularis. The 
      presence of ultrastructural defect in the elastic laminae may play a role in 
      chronic degenerative change and a resultant valvular dysfunction.
FAU - Kwon, H M
AU  - Kwon HM
AD  - Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 
      Korea. Kwonhm@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
FAU - Lee, B K
AU  - Lee BK
FAU - Kim, D
AU  - Kim D
FAU - Hong, B K
AU  - Hong BK
FAU - Byun, K H
AU  - Byun KH
FAU - Kna, J S
AU  - Kna JS
FAU - Kim, I J
AU  - Kim IJ
FAU - Oh, S H
AU  - Oh SH
FAU - Kim, H S
AU  - Kim HS
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Korea (South)
TA  - Yonsei Med J
JT  - Yonsei medical journal
JID - 0414003
RN  - EC 3.4.24.17 (Matrix Metalloproteinase 3)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Aortic Valve/*ultrastructure
MH  - Elastic Tissue/*ultrastructure
MH  - Hypercholesterolemia/*pathology
MH  - Male
MH  - Matrix Metalloproteinase 3/metabolism
MH  - Microscopy, Confocal
MH  - Rabbits
EDAT- 1998/09/30 00:00
MHDA- 1998/09/30 00:01
CRDT- 1998/09/30 00:00
PHST- 1998/09/30 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1998/09/30 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1998/09/30 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.3349/ymj.1998.39.4.345 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Yonsei Med J. 1998 Aug;39(4):345-54. doi: 10.3349/ymj.1998.39.4.345.