title: Carotid barochemoreceptor pathological findings regarding carotid plaque status and aging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carotid barochemoreceptor pathological lesions have been studied in animals, but few human necropsies have been performed. Therefore, data rely on case patients following surgery, radiotherapy and carotid endarterectomy. Almost no data are available regarding whether the effect of aging prevails over pathological conditions, despite the classic description that glomic fibrosis increases with age.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To morphometrically characterize the alterations of the carotid barochemoreceptors and their supplying arteries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n=23) who had suffered and died from stroke, with and without complicated internal carotid atheromatosis, were divided by age (group 1: older than 80 years; group 2: 65 to 80 years; and group 3: younger than 65 years). Carotid segments were obtained at autopsy. The specimens were stained for light microscopy and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carotid glomus presented from moderate-to-severe atrophy and fibrosis. A focal decrease in vascularization (CD34-positive) of the glomus (greater than 50%) was observed in areas of atrophy and fibrosis. Damaged nerve endings (S100 protein-positive) were observed at the media of the carotid sinus. Morphometric data showed no differences between groups for glomus area, number of type 1 and 2 cells, and the wall to lumen arteriole ratio. No statistical differences were demonstrated in the pathological findings of the carotid glomus when comparing complicated with noncomplicated plaques or age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe carotid chemoreceptor damage exists in patients who have died from stroke and suffered from carotid atheromatosis. These findings were independent from aging and plaque type. However, damage was correlated with a marked narrowing of the supplying arterioles as a consequence of hemodynamic and/or metabolic alterations (dyslipidemia, diabetes).
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. ininca@fmed.uba.ar
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Milei
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lavezzi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Grana
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Azzato
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matturri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D001344:Autopsy; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011311:Pressoreceptors / Q000473:pathology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology*