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Selective removal of cholesterol esters in an arteriosclerotic region of blood vessels with a free‐electron laser
Author(s) -
Awazu Kunio,
Nagai Akio,
Aizawa Katsuo
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9101(1998)23:4<233::aid-lsm6>3.0.co;2-0
Subject(s) - cholesterol , chemistry , albumin , irradiation , extracellular , laser , biochemistry , optics , physics , nuclear physics
Background and Objective In advanced atherom atherosclerosis, a large amount of lipids, particularly cholesterol esters, accumulates on the arterial wall. The selective removal of cholesterol esters accumulated in the intracellular or extracellular spaces has clinical significance. In the present work, the authors investigated the removal of cholesterol esters by using a free‐electron laser (FEL) in an arteriosclerotic region. Study Design/Materials and Methods Thin films of cholesteryl oleate and albumin and the cross section of a rabbit artery were placed on an inverted microscope stage, and the changes caused by the FEL irradiation of 5.75 μm and 6.1 μm, with 1.5–3 mW on average, were monitored continuously by using a CCD camera in real time. Results and Conclusion FEL irradiation at a wavelength of 5.75 μm, which is a stretching vibrational mode of the ester, was able to ablate cholesterol esters without affecting albumin. It can also remove cholesterol esters from rabbit arteriosclerotic arterial walls. Lasers Surg. Med. 23:233–237, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.