Statins improve human coronary atherosclerotic plaque morphology.

Statin treatment markedly reduces the incidence of acute coronary events in patients with coronary atherosclerosis. Although imaging studies have indirectly shown the beneficial effects of statins on plaque morphology, there has to our knowledge been no reported histologic comparison of the morphology of coronary plaque in statin-treated versus untreated patients who had substantial coronary artery atherosclerosis. We retrospectively studied arterial sections from the native hearts of patients who had experienced end-stage ischemic heart disease and subsequent cardiac transplantation. Of 44 qualified patients, 33 study patients had received pre-transplantation statin therapy, and 11 control patients had not. Pathologic examination of each explanted heart confirmed coronary artery disease and previous myocardial infarction in all patients. Diabetes mellitus was more prevalent in the study group. The groups were similar in levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and in the available number of arterial cross-sections per patient. All patients had plaques. High-grade lesions were found in 66.3% of cross-sections in the control group, and in 34.6% in the study group (P=0.011). Conversely, the degree of inflammation was markedly lower in the study group: low-grade fibrous plaques occurred in 45.7% of cross-sections in the study group, versus 11.3% in the control group (P=0.006). The study group had significantly fewer high-grade plaques and more fibrous plaques than did the control group at the time of transplantation. Our findings show that statin therapy substantially enhances plaque stabilization. We further suggest that reduction of plaque inflammation is an important aspect of this stabilization.

The effects of all-trans-retinoic acid on the proliferation and apoptosis of smooth muscle cells in human saphenous vein organ culture / 中国医师杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of all-trans-retinoic acid(atRA) on proliferation and apoptosis of smooth muscle cell in human saphenous vein organ culture.Methods Thirty segments(1cm) of human saphenous vein were divided into 3 groups: HSV group,atRA group and control group.The human saphenous vein segments in atRA group and control group were maintained in organ culture for 14 days with 100?M atRA and equivalent concentrations of pure ethanol respectively.All 30 segments human saphenous vein were harvested and the level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) was detected immunohistochemically.The smooth muscle cell proliferation was observed pathologically.Results Cultured saphenous vein segments developed significant neointimal formation and marked smooth muscle cell proliferation(P

Effects of Lipi Huatan Formula on Proliferation and Apoptosis of VascularSmooth Muscle Cells in Rabbits with Early Dietary Atherosclerosis / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To explore the possibility of Lipi Huatan Formula (LHF) in inhibit ing the occurrence of early atherosclerosis and its mechanism. Methods Twent y_four rabbits were randomly allocated to Group A (normal control), Group B (mod el control) and Group C (treated with LHF). Rabbit models with early dietary ath erosclerosis were induced by the feeding of fatty food. The morphological featur es and relative thickness of aortic intima, ki_67 expression of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the positive ratio of apoptotic VSMCs were observed by mo rphological, immunohistochemical and TUNEL techniques. Results The relative thickness of aortic intima, ki_67 expression of VSMCs and the positive ratio o f apoptotic VSMCs were decreased in Group C as compared with Group B (P