Degradation of collagen fibers by intimal smooth muscle cells in remodelling atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits.
In electromicroscopic studies of remodelling atherosclerosis in rabbits collagen fibers within smooth muscle cells of atherosclerotic lesions were observed. Their most common appearance was in form of elongated membrane-bound profiles enclosing single banded collagen fibers with a diameter corresponding to that of extracellular collagen. The unit membranes were in apposition to the fibers, that were generally linear or slightly curved. In other instances small groups of collagen fibers lay packed together within larger compartments; still other cytoplasmic vacuoles contained structures hardly recognizable as collagen fibers. In all the cases membranes bordering collagen fibers were free of ribosomes, smooth surfaced. The presence of collagen fibers within smooth muscle cells is regarded as morphological expression of phagocytosis and decomposition of extracellular collagen in remodelling atherosclerotic lesions.
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011817:Rabbits
D008055:Lipids; D003094:Collagen; D002784:Cholesterol