title: Effects of serum lipid smoothness on the progression and vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques in rabbits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to explore the effects of lipid smoothness on the progression and vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques.
  
  
  METHODS
  24 rabbits were divided into three groups randomly. Group 1 was given standard chow diet; group 2 was fed with cholesterol-rich diet; for group 3, subjects were planned to take cholesterol-rich diet at the first phase for 12 weeks and during the second phase, low-fat and cholesterol-rich diet was then applied alternately every three weeks till the end of the experiment. Lipid profiles, inflammatory factors, endothelium functions, pathological and histological changes were examined. Expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 were measured by immunohistochemical staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to data collected during the whole experiment, lipid smoothness index of group 3 was the lowest. Compared with group 2, statistics of the group 3 indicated that: the development of plaques progressed faster; the plaque area and plaque thickness (53.53[22.6]% vs 33.90[24.91]% , 800.38[98.25]µm vs 675.00[109.67]µm) were higher while the fibrous cap thickness (103.50[45.66]µm vs 295.83[97.90]µm) was lower; hs-CRP (0.53[0.07]mg/dL vs 0.45[0.06]mg/dL), interleukin-18 (186.01[8.41]ng/L vs 158.08[2.37]ng/L), OX-LDL (177.15[5.93]µg/L vs 139.57[2.35] µg/L) and endothelin-1 (164.66[9.54]ng/L vs 131.52[4.39]ng/L) were higher while nitric-oxide (22.41[1.69]µmol/L vs 27.23[1.36]µmol/L) was lower; expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (IOD: 37375.87[5634.52] vs 20956.57[4616.93]) and lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (IOD: 45213.04[16653.81] vs 21921.68[6142.32]) were higher.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lipids fluctuation could accelerate the progression and vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques through worsening arterial endothelium dysfunction and inflammatory reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department 1 of the Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department 1 of the Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Haijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory of Nanlou, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department 1 of the Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kailiang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department 1 of the Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department 1 of the Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department 1 of the Geriatric Cardiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Quanjin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Si
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D051127:Scavenger Receptors, Class E / Q000378:metabolism; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008055:Lipids; D051127:Scavenger Receptors, Class E; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9