Aortic calcification produced by vitamin D3 plus nicotine.
Calcification of the elastic arteries of the young rat by treatment with vitamin D and nicotine (VDN) has been proposed as an animal model of arterial calcification associated with age and age-related vascular pathology in man. The calcium-binding protein, S-100, which is found in human atherosclerotic lesions was associated with medial calcification of the aorta in VDN rats, especially in cases of severe calcification. Calcification (total calcium content: 366 +/- 87, n = 12 in VDN vs. 24 +/- 2 micromol g(-1) aortic dry weight in controls, n = 13) involved elastocalcinosis leading to elastolysis as revealed by a fall in the amount of desmosine and isodesmosine in the aortic wall (266 +/- 17 and 254 +/- 15 in VDN vs. 655 +/- 56 and 588 +/- 30 microg g(-1) aortic dry weight in controls). The decrease in elastin was associated with an increase in the stiffness of the aortic wall (elastic modulus: 15.1 +/- 1.8 in VDN vs. 6.7 +/- 0.5 10(6) dyn cm(-2) in controls), an increase in end-systolic stress (central systolic aortic pressure: 152 +/- 6 in VDN vs. 136 +/- 2 mm Hg in controls) (at a normotensive mean pressure level) and left ventricular hypertrophy (heart weight/body weight 2.51 +/- 0.10 in VDN vs. 2.24 +/- 0.07 g kg(-1) in controls). In conclusion, the mechanisms and consequences of aortic calcification in VDN show several similarities with calcification occurring in human athero- and arteriosclerosis.
Niederhoffer
N
N
Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Cardio-vasculaire, Faculté de Pharmacie de l'Université Henri-Poincaré, Nancy I, France.
Bobryshev
Y V
YV
Lartaud-Idjouadiene
I
I
Giummelly
P
P
Atkinson
J
J
D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001835:Body Weight; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004326:Drinking; D004435:Eating; D004548:Elasticity; D006439:Hemodynamics; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis
D009418:S100 Proteins; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D009538:Nicotine