Sg. Velleman et al., CHANGES IN DISTRIBUTION OF GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS DURING THE PROGRESSION OF CHOLESTEROL INDUCED ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN JAPANESE-QUAIL, Atherosclerosis, 137(1), 1998, pp. 63-70
The temporal and spatial distribution and relative concentration of th
e proteoglycan glycosaminoglycan component were studied during the pro
gression of atherosclerosis in the systemic arteries of Japanese quail
selected for cholesterol induced atherosclerosis (CIA). The CIA quail
were placed on either control or 0.5% added cholesterol diets at 3 mo
nths of age. The major systemic arteries (dorsal aorta, right and left
brachiocephalic) were collected at 1- or 2-week intervals over the 10
-week period of cholesterol feeding. In the cholesterol fed quail, alc
ian blue staining of the dorsal aorta showed elevations of glycosamino
glycans in regions of the artery with atherosclerotic plaque, beginnin
g at the 6-week time point. By biochemical analysis, increases in glyc
osaminoglycan relative concentration was detected at the 10-week time
point. In addition to the change in glycosaminoglycan relative concent
ration and distribution, the cholesterol fed animals also formed foam
cells characteristic of atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, the conclu
sion reached was that the CIA line of Japanese quail is a valid animal
model for the study of alterations in proteoglycan metabolism in athe
rosclerotic plaques induced by hypercholesterolemia. (C) 1998 Elsevier
Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.