Effects of dexamethasone on experimental atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rabbits.
We studied the effects of a synthetic adrenocortical steroid, dexamethasone, on the development of experimental atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Daily intramuscular injection of dexamethasone (0.125 mg/day) remarkably inhibited the aortic atherosclerosis induced by feeding a 1% cholesterol-rich diet for 8 weeks, although it aggravated diet-induced hyperlipidemia. Histologically, less foam cell accumulation was observed in the atherosclerotic lesions of the dexamethasone-treated rabbits as compared with the control animals. When rabbits were fed a normal chow diet for 10 weeks after receiving the 1% cholesterol-rich diet for 8 weeks, no regression of atherosclerotic lesions was observed with the daily injection of dexamethasone (0.125 mg/day); however, the drug again tended to inhibit further progression of atherosclerosis. The anti-atherogenic mechanism of dexamethasone may involve an inhibition of recruitment of blood monocytes and the insudation of atherogenic lipoproteins, mainly beta-very low density lipoprotein (beta-VLDL) in the present experiments, into the aortic intima, or it may involve a change in the size and structure of the lipoproteins, resulting in their decreased passage through the aortic endothelium into the intima.
Naito
M
M
Department of Geriatrics, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Yasue
M
M
Asai
K
K
Yamada
K
K
Hayashi
T
T
Kuzuya
M
M
Funaki
C
C
Yoshimine
N
N
Kuzuya
F
F
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008055:Lipids; D003907:Dexamethasone