Effect of cholesterol lowering on stiffness of aortic and femoral arterial walls in rabbits on a high fat diet.
BACKGROUND
Researches in arterial elasticity have increased over the past few years. We investigated the effects of simvastatin on vascular stiffness in fat fed rabbits by ultrasonography.


METHODS
Thirty rabbits were assigned randomly to 3 groups: normal control group (A), the cholesterol group (B), simvastatin group (C: high fat diet for 4 weeks and high fat diet + simvastatin for further 4 weeks). Stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and velocity of pulse waves in abdominal aorta and femoral artery were measured by ultrasonographic echo tracking at the end of the 4th and the 8th weeks.


RESULTS
At the end of the 4th week, stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity of femoral artery were significantly increased in group B compared with those in group A. Similarly, at the end of the 8th week, the same parameters of abdominal aorta were significantly increased in group B compared with those in group A. In contrast, stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity of femoral artery were significantly decreased in group C compared with those in group B, however, there was no significant difference in parameters of abdominal aorta between groups B and C.


CONCLUSIONS
Short term administration of simvastatin can improve the elasticity of femoral artery but not abdominal aorta.
Xue
Li
L
Department of Cardiology, Center of Vascular Diseases, Fouth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China.
Xu
Wan-Hai
WH
Xu
Jin-Zhi
JZ
Zhang
Tong
T
Bi
Hong-Yuan
HY
Shen
Bao-Zhong
BZ
D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects*; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D004041:Dietary Fats; D019821:Simvastatin