Cholesterol crystals rupture biological membranes and human plaques during acute cardiovascular events--a novel insight into plaque rupture by scanning electron microscopy.
Plaque rupture and/or erosion are considered the leading cause of cardiovascular events. To elucidate this process, we demonstrated that during cholesterol crystallization the occupied volume increases rapidly and sharp-tipped crystals cut through thin biological membranes in their path. The amount of cholesterol correlated directly with both peak level and rate of crystal growth (r = 0.98; r = 0.99; p < 0.01, respectively). These observations suggest that crystallization of cholesterol in atherosclerotic plaques can induce cap rupture and/or erosion. Observations by scanning electron microscopy confirmed similar findings of cholesterol crystals perforating the lumen surface in human coronary artery segments with ruptured plaque.
Abela
George S
GS
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, USA. george.abela@ht.msu.edu
Aziz
Kusai
K
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000473:pathology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D003460:Crystallization; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000473:pathology*
D002784:Cholesterol