title: Susceptibility to spontaneous atherosclerosis in pigeons: an autosomal recessive trait.
abstract: The inheritance pattern for susceptibility to spontaneous (noninduced) aortic atherosclerosis in pigeons was determined by crossbreeding and backcrossing experiments with atherosclerosis-susceptible White Carneau and atherosclerosis-resistant Show Racer breeds. Susceptibility, assessed by the presence of grossly visible lesions at the celiac bifurcation of the aorta at 3 years of age, demonstrated an inheritance pattern consistent with an autosomal recessive Mendelian trait. Cell culture studies indicated that susceptibility is a constitutive property of aortic cells as evidenced by vacuole formation and lipid content in smooth muscle cells from various tissues in susceptible pigeons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, 13 Kendall Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824-3590, USA. samuels@hopper.unh.edu
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002445:Celiac Artery / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D010856:Columbidae / Q000235:genetics*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007178:Inbreeding; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth