Aortic endothelial mitosis and Evans blue uptake in cholesterol-fed subscorbutic guinea-pigs.

SUMMARY Groups of ovalbumin sensitised, subscorbutic guinea-pigs were subjected to various regimens for 8-10 weeks. Group 1 were given 0.25 mg/100 g body wt. cholesterol by mouth daily and were stressed with intraperitoneal injections of ovalbumin twice weekly. Group 2 received the cholesterol only and Group 3 were stressed only. Group 4 on the low vitamin C diet only acted as controls. Evans blue uptake tests and tritiated thymidine autoradiographs of Häutchen preparations of aortic endothelium were made on each animal. Endothelial mitosis was greatest in those areas of the aorta that had taken up the Evans blue most avidly. This was most apparent in Group 1, though to a lesser extent in Groups 2 and 3 also. Group 4 showed no dye uptake and the mitotic index was not raised. Blood ascorbic acid and plasma cholesterol levels are given for the various groups.