title: In vitro characterization of two types of LDL apheresis module and effect of repetitive LDL apheresis on plasma cholesterol levels and aortic atherosclerosis in heterozygous WHHL rabbits.
abstract: In vitro filtration was used to characterize and compare the function of two types of LDL apheresis module: membrane filtration (module M: pore diameter, 0.04 micron; effective surface area, 0.1 m2) and LDL adsorption (module A: a column containing 20 ml of polyvinyl alcohol gels fixed with polyacrylic acid). Module A had better selectivity of LDL removal, while module M could rapidly remove a larger amount of LDL. The effect of repetitive LDL apheresis with module A on the plasma cholesterol level and on the development of aortic atherosclerosis was examined in 6 heterozygous WHHL rabbits (5 to 10 months old; mean plasma total cholesterol level, 270 +/- 39 mg/dl), treated with LDL apheresis at weekly intervals for 2 months. Plasma total and LDL cholesterols were lowered approximately 40% by a signal procedure. The LDL cholesterol level tended to decrease as treatment progressed, while the HDL cholesterol level was unchanged or rose above the baseline value in a week after LDL apheresis. The ratio of atherosclerotic lesion area to whole aortic area was relatively low in treated rabbits (6.5 +/- 1.9%) in comparison with that in 5 untreated heterozygous WHHL rabbits (18.3 +/- 7.7%). The mean cholesterol content in the thoracic aorta was 4.9 +/- 1.3 mg/g wet tissue in treated rabbits vs 13.3 +/- 6.1 mg/g wet tissue in untreated rabbits. These results suggest that repetitive LDL apheresis might be effective in maintaining a lower level of LDL cholesterol and retarding the atherosclerotic process in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Fukui Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kutsumi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyabo
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol