Flow cytometric quantification of cholesteryl ester-containing "foam" cells. I. Analysis of aortas from normolipidemic swine.
We have quantified using flow cytometry foam cells of aortas from normolipidemic swine varying in age from 6 months to 12 years. These swine were maintained throughout their lives on a low-fat, cholesterol-free diet. Intimal-medial tissues removed from the swine aortas were enzymatically dissociated to prepare Formalin-fixed cell suspensions. Foam cells were labeled by specific staining of their intracellular cholesteryl ester using the fluorescent dye filipin. This was carried out by first removing cellular unesterified cholesterol with ethanol, then enzymatically hydrolyzing cellular cholesteryl ester, and finally staining with filipin the unesterified cholesterol derived from hydrolysis of cholesteryl ester. Results of flow cytometric analysis indicated that thoracic foam cell densities of female swine became more variable and tended to increase with age. It appeared that there were two subgroups of female swine with either high or low levels of thoracic foam cells. A similar finding was not observed for abdominal foam cells in female swine nor for thoracic or abdominal foam cells in the smaller number of older male swine. Abdominal foam cell densities in younger males, however, also appeared to be comprised of low and high foam cell groups. Foam cell densities did not correlate with serum cholesterol or triglyceride levels. However, a genetic basis for some of the variability in foam cell densities among these animals was suggested by the observation that females with high thoracic foam cell densities had greater commonality among ancestors than did females with low thoracic foam cell densities.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000032:analysis*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D005487:Foam Cells / Q000032:analysis*; D007178:Inbreeding; D008264:Macrophages / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature / Q000235:genetics; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D004041:Dietary Fats; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol