Effect of local unstable atherosclerotic plaque on plaque formation in the carotid artery and abdominal aorta of rabbits / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the effect of local unstable atherosclerotic plaque on plaque formation in the carotid and aortic arteries of rabbits.@*METHODS@#Thirty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into atherosclerosis model group, highfat diet feeding group, and normal chow feeding group (blank control group). In the model group, carotid artery balloon injury was induced after 4 weeks of high-fat diet feeding. Eight weeks later, all the rabbits were euthanized for histopathological examination of the carotid artery and abdominal aorta, and the mean intimal thickness and plaque to lumen area ratio were measured using image analysis software. Venous blood samples were collected from the rabbits for blood lipid analysis.@*RESULT@#At the ends of 4, 8 and 12 weeks, the rabbits in the model group and high-fat feeding group, but not those in the blank control group, all showed significant weight gain compared with their body weight at 0 week (P < 0.05). The mean intimal thickness was significantly greater in atherosclerosis model group than in the other two groups (P < 0.05). In atherosclerosis model group, the mean intimal thickness and plaque to lumen area ratio in the injured carotid artery were significantly greater than those in the contralateral carotid artery and abdominal aorta (P < 0.05). At the end of the 12 weeks, the levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density cholesterol (HDL-C) and highsensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) were all significantly higher in the model group and high-fat feeding group than in the blank control group (P < 0.05); the levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, or HDL-C did not differ significantly between the model group and high-fat feeding group (P>0.05), but the level of CRP was significantly higher in arteriosclerosis model group (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Local unstable atherosclerotic plaque can increase the level of CRP and promote the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery and abdominal aorta in rabbits.

Study on correlation between OCT for detecting characteristics of coronary artery plaque and matrix metalloproteinase / 重庆医学

Objective To apply the optical coherence tomography(OCT) to detect the characteristics of coronary artery plaque and to investigate its correlation with levels of serum matrix metalloproteinase 7(MMP 7),MMP9 and MMP12.Methods The patients undergoing coronary arterial angiography for diagnosing coronary arterial lesions in the cardiology department of our hospital from October 2014 to March 2016 were collected and included into the research subjects.The subjects were divided into the stable plaque group and unstable plaque group based on the results of OCT scanning.The neovascularization characteristics such as the fibrous cap thickness of plaque,angle of lipid pool,macrophage infiltration and plaque cracks were detected by using OCT.ELISA was used to measure serum MMP7,MMP9 and MMP12 levels.Results (1) The fibrous cap thickness in the stable plaque group was more than that in the unstable plaque group(P＜0.01);the lipid pool angle,microphage infiltration,intima erosion and plaque cracks in the unstable plaque group were more than those in the stable plaque group(P＜0.05).(2) The MMP7 and MMP9 levels in the unstable plaque group were higher than those in the stable plaque group and control group(P＜0.05).(3) The fibrous cap thickness had significantly negative correlation with serum MMP9 level(r=-0.336,P=0.034);the MMP7 and MMP9 levels in the microphage infiltration group were higher than those in the non-microphage infiltration group(P＜0.05);the MMP9 level in the intima erosion group was higher than that in the non-intima erosion group(P＜0.01).Conclusion OCT can detect and find unstable plaque and the serum levels of MMP7 and MMP9 are significantly elevated in the patients with unstable plaque,which can be used as an important basis for predicting unstable plaque and guiding the treatment decisions.

Clinical analysis on vulnerable coronary atherosclerotic plaque by intravascular ultrasound / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To find out the sensitivity and s pecificity of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in identification of unstable atherosclerotic plaques. Methods Fourty-three patients diagnosed coronary heart disease, receiving coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound examination,were divided into soft plaque and hard plaque group according to the echo reflectivity of atherosclerotic plaque by IVUS. Quantitative determination was performed between the two groups. Results The sensitivity of IVUS in detecting soft plaques from patients with acute coronary artery syndrome was 81.4 %, specificity 75.0 %, accuracy 79.1 %, positive predictive value 84.6 %. The lipid core areas and lipid to plaque ratio of soft plaques were significantly larger than those of hard plaques (P 0.05 ).Conclusions IVUS had higher sensitivity and specificity in detecting coronary vulnerable plaques in live bodies.