Supersensitivity to vasoconstrictor action of serotonin precedes the development of atheroma-like lesions in the rabbit.

Abstract

We have studied the relationship between the early morphological changes and arterial responsiveness to vasoactive agents in a new animal model that is proposed to mimic the events of early human atherosclerosis. Atheroma-like lesions were produced by positioning a hollow Silastic collar (referred to as a cuff) around the common carotid arteries of rabbits. Following a period of either 48 h or 1, 2, or 4 weeks after surgery, vessels from both cuffed and sham-operated animals were removed, and vascular reactivity to cumulative concentrations of agonists were studied in isolated rings in organ baths. The contralateral arteries were perfused and fixed, studied by light microscopy, and the degre..