title: Local enzymatic treatment of atherosclerotic plaques.
abstract: Fat rich and fibromuscular lesions experimentally induced in animals as well as human atherosclerotic plaques were locally digested enzymatically with the help of a newly developed double balloon catheter. The technique was most successful if applied to fat rich intimal proliferation of hypercholesterolemic rabbits, while the fibromuscular plaques of dog femoral arteries and of human common carotid arteries were less sensitive to the treatment. Osmotic or denaturing pretreatments increased the efficiency of the different proteolytic enzymes. Thrombotic complications and leukocytic infiltration developed in dogs surviving the enzymatic digestion by 2 days. A perfect enzymatic dissolution of the fibromuscular plaques was not achieved but the enzymatic digestion appeared to offer the organism a chance to complete the dissolution by its own means. The passive mechanical properties of the treated human carotid arteries changed favorably. The technique requires skill and a competent background in vascular surgery. Nonetheless the local enzymatic treatment might serve either as an adjunct to angioplasty or as an alternative treatment.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kerényi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Merkel
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szabolcs
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pusztai
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nádasy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D010447:Peptide Hydrolases