title: Effects of a high-cholesterol diet on arterial wall thickness and vascular reactivity in young rabbits.
abstract: Cholesterol enrichment of arteries may induce biochemical and structural abnormalities in vascular smooth muscle resulting in increased arterial contractile sensitivity. We studied the effects of a high-cholesterol diet on arterial structural properties and vascular reactivity in young rabbits. In vivo measurements of aortic intimal-plus-medial thickness using high resolution ultrasound imaging were obtained before and after 3 weeks of a high-cholesterol diet in 12 rabbits (group 2) and compared to data from 12 animals a cholesterol-free diet fed (group 1). Six rabbits (group 3) were studied before and after a 3-week, high-cholesterol diet and after a subsequent 13-week, cholesterol-free recovery diet. Blood pressure responsiveness to noradrenaline was evaluated before and at the end of each diet period. In groups 2 and 3, high dietary cholesterol caused an increase in intimal-plus-medial thickness from 0.31 mm and 0.33 mm to 0.88 mm and 0.89 mm, respectively (p less than 0.001). Plasma cholesterol concentration rose from 0.9 +/- 0.26 mmol/l to 36.7 +/- 8.56 mmol/l. There was no change in group 1. In group 3, intimal-plus-medial thickness remained increased (1.01 mm) following the cholesterol-free recovery diet despite normal plasma cholesterol. Blood pressure responsiveness to noradrenaline was markedly increased after the high-cholesterol diet (p less than 0.001) in groups 2 and 3 and after the cholesterol-free recovery diet in group 3 (p less than 0.001), and was directly related to intimal-plus-medial thickness (r = 0.84; p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Universitäts-Poliklinik Bonn.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: K O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Stumpe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kolloch
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Goertz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vetter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D005352:Fibromuscular Dysplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009638:Norepinephrine; D011817:Rabbits; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D009638:Norepinephrine