High susceptibility of atherosclerotic coronary arteries to the onset of vasospasm and angina pectoris-like symptoms due to coronary spasm in WHHLMI rabbits.
We examined the relationship between atherosclerosis and the provocation of coronary spasm as well as the influence of coronary spasm on the onset of acute ischemic myocardial disease. Coronary spasm was provoked in anesthetized normal Japanese white (JW) rabbits and myocardial infarction-prone Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHLMI) rabbits, an animal model for coronary atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction, by injecting ergonovine during the infusion of norepinephrine through a marginal ear vein. A decrease in contrast flow in the left circumflex artery was observed on coronary angiograms. Ischemic changes were observed on the electrocardiograms of 29% (2/7) of JW and 79% (27/34, P=0.007) of WHHLMI rabbits. The frequency of coronary spasm was significantly high in rabbits with severe coronary plaques showing diffuse lesions. Left ventricle motility in vasospasm-positive rabbits, which was evaluated with echocardiograms, was decreased by 29% following the ergonovine injection (P<0.001), and every serum ischemic marker markedly increased 4 h after the provocation of vasospasm. These results demonstrate that atherosclerotic coronary arteries are positively related to the provocation of vasospasm, and vasospasm in severe atherosclerotic coronary segments evokes angina pectoris-like findings and/or non-fatal myocardial infarction. WHHLMI rabbits may be a novel animal model for angina pectoris and acute ischemic heart disease.
Institute for Experimental Animals, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
Tomonari
T
Koike
Shiori
S
Tamura
Ying
Y
Yu
Nobue
N
Kuniyoshi
Masashi
M
Shiomi
D000787:Angina Pectoris; D000818:Animals; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003329:Coronary Vasospasm / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004874:Ergonovine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010120:Oxytocics / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
D010120:Oxytocics; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D004874:Ergonovine; D009638:Norepinephrine