title: Spontaneous and diet-induced coronary atherosclerosis in normal swine and swine with von Willebrand disease.
abstract: We have observed that pigs with impaired platelet function in the form of severe von Willebrand's disease (vWd) are resistant to spontaneous and to diet-induced aortic atherosclerosis. However, it has been reported that vWd pigs are susceptible to coronary atherosclerosis produced by balloon-induced injury of coronary arteries combined with an atherogenic diet. We have evaluated the development of coronary atherosclerosis in normal control (NC) and homozygous vWd pigs in two prospective studies: 1) as a spontaneous process in five NC and vWd pigs receiving a regular diet from the age of 3 months to 4 years; and 2) in nine NC and five vWd receiving a high-fat and high-cholesterol (2%) diet from the age of 3 to 9 months. All of the coronary arteries were analyzed postmortem in 5-mm sections. None of the NC nor the vWd pigs in the spontaneous study showed coronary atherosclerosis or myocardial lesions. In the study of diet-induced atherosclerosis, only one NC and one vWd pig had discrete stenoses; the stenoses affected the three coronary arteries and were significant (50% to 80%) in the NC and mild (greater than 25%) in the vWd pigs; no pigs showed myocardial lesions. Pigs with vWd are resistant to atherosclerosis of the aorta. To assess the resistance or susceptibility to coronary disease in these pigs, a longer follow-up study would be necessary.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013552:Swine; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology