R.M. Amy

Healing after myocardial infarction in the dog: changes in infarct hydroxyproline and topography.

Temporal changes in infarct collagen and left ventricular topography during healing after myocardial infarction were studied in 132 dogs with coronary artery ligation: 8 sham dogs and 13 with no infarction (controls) and 111 with infarction (3 at 1 day, 54 at 2 days, 25 at 7 days, 3 at 2 weeks, 9 at 4 weeks and 17 at 6 weeks). Myocardial hydroxyproline (a marker of collagen) was measured by spectrophotometry and pathologic infarct size, arteriographic occluded bed size and topography by computerized planimetry of weighed left ventricular rings. Over 6 weeks, hydroxyproline was unchanged in normal regions (average 4.20 mg/g dry weight) but increased progressively between 7 days and 6 weeks (9.94 versus 55.55 mg/g, p less than 0.001) in infarct zones. Progressive infarct contraction occurred over 6 weeks, with infarct size at 6 weeks being 40% less than at 2 days (9.7 versus 16.3% of the left ventricle, p less than 0.001), although total infarct hydroxyproline was directly related to infarct size at each time period (r = 0.73 to 0.81, p less than or equal to 0.05). Significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) left ventricular topographic changes in infarct hearts compared with control hearts included: 1) increase in cavity area (5.0 versus 3.9 cm2), endocardial circumference (8.8 versus 7.4 cm) and expansion index (infarct/normal endocardial segment length, 1.21 versus 1.02) by 7 days; and 2) decrease in thinning ratio (infarct/normal wall thickness, 0.71 versus 0.98) by 6 weeks. Also, compared with 2 day infarcts, by 6 weeks infarct area was decreased (1.8 versus 3.4 cm2) and the noninfarcted segment length increased (6.9 versus 5.4 cm). Changes in hydroxyproline and topography were similar for anterior (n = 54) and posterior (n = 57) infarcts. Thus, healing in canine infarcts is associated with cavity dilation and infarct expansion within 7 days followed by infarct contraction and thinning by 6 weeks, whereas collagen increases between 7 days and 6 weeks. Collagen deposition in expanded and thinned infarct segments explains the permanent regional shape distortion associated with ventricular aneurysms.

Inhibition of Atherosclerosis and Myocardial Lesions in the JCR:LA-cp Rat by β,β′-Tetramethylhexadecanedioic Acid (MEDICA 16)

Abstract Atherosclerosis-prone, insulin-resistant JCR:LA-cp male rats were treated from 6 weeks to 39 weeks of age with β,β′-tetramethylhexadecanedioic acid (MEDICA 16). Body weights were reduced (13%, P P P P P

Insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance in the atherosclerosis-prone LA/N corpulent rat.

The LA/N-cp rat is, when homozygous for the cp gene, hyperphagous, hyperlipidemic, and corpulent. The corpulent males develop atherosclerotic disease and myocardial lesions while corpulent females and lean rats do not. The fasting plasma glucose concentrations of corpulent rats are in the normal range, but insulin concentrations are mildly elevated in corpulent females and markedly elevated in corpulent males. Glucose tolerance testing reveals a glucose intolerance in corpulent rats in the presence of very high insulin concentrations, and this deficiency is more severe in the male rats. Glucagon concentrations are higher in corpulent rats than lean rats at 3 months of age and decrease progressively with age. In contrast, glucagon concentrations increase with age in lean rats and are higher than those in corpulent rats at 9 months. The islets of Langerhans of corpulent rats exhibit marked hyperplasia that increases with age. The hyperplasia is less extreme in corpulent female rats. The abnormalities suggest that this strain of rats has an insulin resistance leading to impaired glucose tolerance and progressive pancreatic disturbance. This process may be related to an accompanying defect causing elevated concentrations of very low density lipoproteins and correlates with the development of atherosclerotic disease.

Early Atherosclerotic Lesions in a Susceptible Rat Model the LA/N-corpulent rat

The LA/N-cp rat, when homozygous for the mutant cp gene, is obese and moderately hyperlipidemic. Body weight of homozygotes reaches approximately 950 g compared to 400 g for lean heterozygotes. In adult animals plasma triglycerides are 330 mg/100 ml compared to 40 mg/100 ml, and total cholesterol is 215 mg/100 ml, compared to 80 mg/100 ml in heterozygotes. We have examined the arteries of pressure perfusion fixed animals of 9 months age by scanning electron microscopy. Our technique shows normal endothelium in clear detail with each individual cell and its surface structure well defined. Numerous lesions were found in the arteries, including dead endothelial cells, polygonal cells, varying areas of desquamation with attached blood elements, frank ulcerated lesions and old rechannelized thrombus. The lesions were present in both homozygous cp and heterozygous animals, but were more frequent and severe in homozygous rats. We suggest that this strain of rats may provide a useful, inexpensive model for studies on atherosclerosis.

Plasma lipid secretion and clearance in hyperlipidemic JCR:LA-corpulent rats.

The JCR:LA-corpulent rat is an obese, hyperlipidemic, hyperinsulinemic strain that is atherosclerosis-prone and develops myocardial lesions. The hyperlipidemia is due to elevated plasma levels of a large relatively triglyceride-rich very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). Both corpulent and lean male and female rats were studied. Postheparin lipid clearance and apparent hepatic secretion rate after Triton WR1339 inhibition of lipoprotein lipase were determined. The concentrations of cholesterol and cholesteryl esters were not significantly altered by either treatment. Triglycerides showed rapid postheparin clearance in corpulent rats. The apparent hepatic secretion rate was markedly higher in corpulent male rats than in lean male rats, and the rate in corpulent females was again higher, reflecting the higher serum triglyceride concentrations in corpulent female rats. The relative secretion rate of C:48 triglyceride molecular species was lower than that of the C:50 to C:56 species, while the postheparin clearance of C:48 triglyceride molecular species was impaired compared to the C:50 species and those with higher carbon numbers. This effect was more marked in the male than in the female corpulent rats. The results indicate that VLDL hyperlipidemia in the corpulent rat is due to hepatic hypersecretion of VLDL and not to a defect in lipoprotein lipase. Further, the atherogenesis that is characteristic of the corpulent male rat may be related to the differential metabolism of fatty acids.

Atherogenesis in two strains of obese rats The fatty Zucker and LA/N-corpulent☆

Two strains of obese rats, the fatty Zucker and the LA/N-corpulent have been compared at 6 months age for the presence of vascular and myocardial disease. Both strains, when obese, exhibit a VLDL hyperlipidemia with elevated triglycerides and moderate elevations of plasma cholesterol concentrations compared to the lean rats of the same strain. The hyperlipidemia is more modest in the fatty Zucker than the corpulent LA/N, and the serum lipid concentrations of the lean Zucker are lower than those of the lean LA/N. Apolipoprotein concentrations were similar and elevated in the two obese genotypes compared to the lean genotypes which were also similar to each other. Male and female obese animals of both strains exhibited hyperinsulinemia under fasting conditions and after oral glucose, with obese male LA/N rats exhibiting the most severe hyperinsulinemia. Glucose tolerance was impaired in obese LA/N animals but was normal in lean rats of both strains and fatty Zucker rats of both sexes. The glucose intolerance observed in obese LA/N animals was more severe in the male than in the female rats. Unlike the corpulent rat, which develops atherosclerotic lesions, the fatty Zucker shows no evidence of advanced vascular lesions on scanning electron microscopy. The fatty Zucker also does not develop the myocardial lesions that are frequent in the male corpulent LA/N rat. It is suggested that the initiation of the atherogenic process is dependent upon elevated insulin levels or transient hyperglycemia. Development of the advanced lesions appears to require the presence of hyperlipidemia.

Serum lipids and lipoproteins in the atherosclerosis prone LA/N corpulent rat

The LA/N rat is one of two congenic strains bred from the original obese, hyperphagic and hypertensive rats of Koletsky. With the exception of hypertension the LA/N strain, when homozygous for the corpulent gene, is phenotypically similar to the parent Koletsky strain and prone to the development of vascular and myocardial lesions. Here we report a detailed analysis of the serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins B, E and A-I levels in young adult homozygous corpulent (cp/cp) rats of both sexes and in lean males of the same age which were demonstrable non-carriers (+/+) of the cp gene. Both male and female cp/cp rats were hypertriglyceridemic (282-512 mg/100 ml) and moderately hypercholesterolemic (74-84 mg/100 ml). Elevations in these lipids reflected the presence of large (622 A), triacylglycerol-rich and apoprotein-poor VLDL containing both apolipoproteins Bh and B1 and increased phospholipid-rich HDL. Similar, but less pronounced, elevations in serum apolipoproteins B and E in the cp/cp rats when compared to the +/+ animals were also noted. Apolipoproteins A-I levels were 2.7-3-fold higher in cp/cp rats. The levels of VLDL were significantly higher in female cp/cp rats; however, the levels of IDL (intermediate-density lipoproteins), LDL and HDL were significantly lower than in the more atherosclerosis prone male cp/cp rats. Similarly, apolipoprotein A-I was higher and apolipoprotein B lower in the male cp/cp than in the female cp/cp rats. The LDL (d = 1.030-1.063 g/ml) in cp/cp rats, like that in normal animals, was heterogeneous and contained apolipoproteins Bh, E, A-I and C. This fraction was significantly elevated in male cp/cp rats when compared to females but still represented less than 13% of the total serum cholesterol and less than 6% of the total serum lipids in 3-month-old cp/cp animals. The ratio of cholesterol to phospholipids was significantly lower for all lipoproteins in cp/cp rats when compared to +/+ males and these ratios for female cp/cp rats were in all cases lower than those of male cp/cp animals.

Effects of chronic ethanol consumption in atherosclerosis-prone JCR:LA-corpulent rat.

Rats of the atherosclerosis-prone JCR:LA-corpulent strain were subjected to long-term low (0.5% wt/vol) or high (4% wt/vol) consumption of ethanol from 1 to 12 months of age. The corpulent rats are hyperphaglc, obese, and Insulin-resistant; exhibit a marked very low density lipoproteln hyperlipldemla; and develop both vascular and myocardlal lesions while eating a normal rat chow. The total lipld profile of the rat sera showed only limited changes with ethanol consumption. There were also no significant effects on high density lipoproteln llplds. Ethanol consumption was associated with elevated fasting glucose concentrations in both lean and corpulent rats and a strong decrease In fasting Insulin levels and pancreatic B-cell volume density In the hyperlnsullnemlc corpulent rats. The relative frequency of myocardlal nodules of chronic Inflammatory cells was Increased In the ethanolconsuming rats, both lean and corpulent. In contrast, old organized lesions (scars) were absent in the ethanol-consumlng corpulent rats. Thus, ethanol consumption had no major effect on serum llplds or lipoprotelns in the corpulent rat but was associated with a reduction In insulin resistance and Islet cell hyperplasla, with an associated decreased Incidence of myocardlal lesions.

Prevention of myocardial lesions in JCR:LA-corpulent rats by nifedipine.

Male rats of the JCR:LA-corpulent strain spontaneously develop atherosclerosis and myocardial lesions if corpulent. The corpulent rats exhibit a marked very low density hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. The incidence of both vascular and myocardial lesions correlates strongly with the hyperinsulinemia, but not with the hyperlipidemia. Corpulent male rats were chronically treated with nifedipine or acetylsalicylic acid to explore the roles of smooth muscle spasm and platelet activity in induction of the myocardial lesions. Acetylsalicylic acid treatment was associated with no significant changes in fasting glucose, insulin, or lipid concentrations. Nifedipine caused no significant changes in glucose concentration but was associated with mildly increased insulin levels. Treatment with nifedipine resulted in significant decreases in serum triglyceride concentrations. The decreases were confined to longer-chain triacylglycerol molecular species with no change in the concentration of molecular species with 48 or 50 acyl carbon atoms. There was no effect on myocardial lesion frequency with acetylsalicylic acid treatment. In contrast, nifedipine prevented the development of old organized scarred lesions. This effect is similar to that seen with treatments that markedly reduce the insulin resistance. These findings suggest that platelet-initiated thrombus formation is not an important factor in lesion formation in the JCR:LA-cp rat, but that smooth muscle spasm is probably important.

Effect of castration on hyperlipidemic, insulin resistant JCR:LA-corpulent rats

The JCR:LA-cp rat exhibits an obese, insulin resistant, hyperlipidemic syndrome. Obese male rats, only, develop atherosclerosis and ischemic myocardial lesions. The obese males have a greater hyperinsulinemia, but the obese females have a much greater hypertriglyceridemia due to hypersecretion of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). Obese rats of both sexes were surgically castrated at 6 weeks of age to study the influence of testosterone and estrogen secretion on the sexual dimorphism of metabolism and disease in this strain. Castration had no effect on body weight or food consumption up to 16 weeks of age. Castrated male rats had significantly improved glucose tolerance, but a doubled serum triglyceride concentration. Castrated female rats showed approximately halved triglyceride levels. The distribution of the triglyceride molecular species was altered in the castrated male rats to resemble that of the females in which there was no change with castration. The effects suggest that testosterone may inhibit hepatic triglyceride secretion and promotes insulin insensitivity. Estrogen appears to exacerbate hepatic hypersecretion of VLDL. Castration had no effect on myocardial lesion frequency in 9-month-old rats of either sex. This implies that estrogen does not exert a direct protective effect against cardiovascular disease in this animal model.