Atherosclerotic plaque stability depends on the structural integrity of its extracellular matrix skeleton. The balance between degradation by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) may regulate plaque stability. Although MMP expression in atheroma is well documented, localization and control of expression of TIMPs in these lesions is incomplete. Ext...

Thirty-nine thrombosed arterial segments of the branches of the circle of Willis were studied by a complete serial section technique. Twenty-two patients had been hypertensive and 8 had hypercholesterolemia before the onset of cerebral artery thrombosis. The histological characteristics of the thrombosed arterial segments were intramural hemorrhage in 28 segments, superficial edema of the fibro...

The Bernoulli effect may result in eruption of a vulnerable carotid atheroma, causing a stroke. We measured electrocardiography (ECG)-registered QRS intra-stenotic blood velocity and atheroma strain dynamics in carotid artery walls using ultrasonic tissue Doppler methods, providing displacement and time resolutions of 0.1 μm and 3.7 ms. Of 22 arteries, 1 had a peak systolic velocity (PSV) >280 ...

Recent advances in endovascular technology have generated a variety of alternative procedures and instruments in treating peripheral arterial occlusive disease. Mechanical atherectomy has been developed as an alternative to conventional percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) because of its limitations. Atherectomy devices can selectively remove atheroma by cutting or pulverising it in athe...

AIMS Platelets have a fundamental role in atherothrombosis, but their role in early atherogenesis is unclear. The P2Y12 receptor is responsible for amplifying and sustaining platelet activation and P2Y12 inhibition is crucial in modulating the vessel wall response to injury. We therefore examined the role of platelet vs. vessel wall P2Y12 in early atherogenesis and considered the use of P2Y12 a...

Degradation of ECM, particularly interstitial collagen, promotes plaque instability, rendering atheroma prone to rupture. Previous studies implicated matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in these processes, suggesting that dysregulated MMP activity, probably due to imbalance with endogenous inhibitors, promotes complications of atherosclerosis. We report here that the serine proteinase inhibitor ti...

OBJECTIVE Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is involved in the pathogenesis of primary atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty. On the background of the antiproliferative activities of caveolin-1, the present study focused on the expression of caveolin-1 in proliferating VSMC of human atheroma. METHODS VSMC were isolated from wild-type (Wt) and caveolin-1 knockout ...

introduction: sugar cane is a giant plant of grain products. regarding the benefits of the use of medications with herbal origin, in the present study the impact of sugar cane extract on atherosclerosis and ldl-c and hdl-c in the serum of hypercholesterolemic rabbits was studied. materials and methods: 24 adult male new zealand rabbits race with an average weight of 2 kg were classified into fo...

Twelve peripheral arteries are described in 59 patients of all ages. Accumulation of ground substance in the media, accompanied by small foci of calcification of the internal elastic lamina, was found in the large leg arteries of young adults, and progressively in a wider series of arteries throughout life. This picture showed no relationship to hypertension, to Mönckeberg's sclerosis, or to th...