THE DISTRIBUTION OF INTIMAL WHITE BLOOD-CELLS IN THE NORMAL RABBIT AORTA

Macrophages play an important role in atherogenesis and have been repo rted within the intima at lesion-prone sites in normocholesterolemic a nimals as well as infants and children. The objective of this study wa s to determine the spatial distribution of intimal white blood cells ( WBC) in the normal rabbit aorta and the association of intimal WBC wit h replicating endothelial cells and sites of increased I-125-LDL perme ability. Intimal WBC and macrophages were identified en face on whole aortic tissue and on Hautchen preparations based on their morphology, ingestion of exogenous horseradish peroxidase, non-specific esterase a ctivity, and labeling with a monoclonal antibody for rabbit macrophage s (RAM11). WBC were primarily located in the lesion-prone flow divider regions of the large abdominal branch arteries. Using [H-3]thymidine autoradiography to determine cell proliferation, 4.4% of the WBC and 0 .12% of the endothelial cells were labeled on the Hautchen preparation s. The distribution of replicating endothelial cells was not localized to the arterial orifices and was not correlated with the distribution of intimal WBC. Intimal WBC were, however, spatially correlated with the distribution of I-125-LDL permeable sites about the celiac artery orifice and were directly associated with 31% of the LDL permeable spo ts. Moreover, mitotic endothelial cells accounted for only 8% of the t otal number of LDL permeable sites. The presence of intimal WBC at les ion-prone sites in the normocholesterolemic rabbit suggests that these cells may be important in the initiation of atherosclerotic lesions.