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Arterial wall hypoxia following hyperfusion through the vasa vasorum is an initial lesion in atherosclerosis
Author(s) -
MARTIN J. F.,
BOOTH R. F. G.,
MONCADA S.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1990.tb01905.x
Subject(s) - vasa vasorum , hypoxia (environmental) , lesion , sterol o acyltransferase , thrombosis , medicine , arterial wall , cholesteryl ester , cholesterol , cardiology , endocrinology , anatomy , pathology , chemistry , lipoprotein , oxygen , organic chemistry
. Pressure on the outside of arteries can cause physical and biochemical changes in the vessel wall of rabbits which are characteristic of atherosclerosis. It is hypothesized that occlusion of the vasa vasorum causes ischaemia of the arterial media which results in smooth muscle cell proliferation and cellular accumulation of cholesteryl esters. Hypoxia increases mRNA for platelet‐derived growth factor in arterial wall cells and increases the activity of acyl CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). Such a mechanism may explain many of the anatomical, actuarial and environmental risk factors for atherosclerosis. Hyperfusion of the vasa vasorum may follow thrombosis.