A rat carotid atherosclerosis modal induced by artery clamping with high-cholesterol diet and vitamin D3 / 国际脑血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the feasibility of a rat carotid atherosclerosis model induced by artery clamping with high-cholesterol diet and vitamin D3.Methods Twenty Wista rats were randomly divided into either a general diet group (n =5) or a high cholesterol diet group (n =15).After clamping the right common carotid arteries of the rats in the high cholesterol diet group,they were fed with high fat diet,and vitamin D3 (600 000 IU/kg) was injected intraperitoneally.The lipid levels of the general diet group and the high cholesterol diet group were detected at 6 and 12 weeks respectively.The bilateral cormmon carotid arteries were selected for preparing paraffin sections and were stained with HE staining.The pathological changes in blood vessels were observed.Results The levels of serum total cholesterol at 12 weeks (2.803 ± 1.307 mmol/L vs.1.513 ±0.281 mmol/L; P=0.017) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.660± 0.260 mmol/L vs.0.311 ±0.078 mmol/L; P =0.003) in the high-cholesterol diet group were significantly higher than those at 6 weeks.The histopathological examination showed that the common carotid artery intimas on the clamping sides were incomplete,the foam cell deposition was observed under intima,the atherosclerotic plaques or fibrous plaques were observed on the surface of cavity,inside the plaques contained necrotic tissue,and thrombosis was observed in the cavity.The common carotid artery intima-media thickness in the general diet group (n =5) at 12 weeks was 8.3 ± 1.1 μm.The sham-operated sides (n =20) and clamping sides (n =20) were 8.8 ± 0.7 μm and 97.4 ±25.7 μm,respectively.There were significant differences among the three groups (F =116.313,P=0.000).The clamping sides in the high-cholesterol diet group were significantly higher than the shamoperated sides in the high-cholesterol diet group (P=0.000) and the general diet group (P =0.000).Conclusions Common carotid artery clamping with high-cholesterol diet and vitamin D3 is a simple and feasible method for inducing a rat carotid atherosclerosis model.