J Korean Surg Soc.  2011 Feb;80(2):131-141. 10.4174/jkss.2011.80.2.131.

Relationship of Serum Ferritin, Cholesterol, and Intimal Hyperplasia after Mechanical Injury to Carotid Artery in a Rat Model

• Kim SD
• Hwang JK
• Park SC
• Kim JI
• Moon IS

• KMID: 2117121
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4174/jkss.2011.80.2.131

Abstract

PURPOSE
Iron plays an important role in the process of oxidizing Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) in the arterial wall during the development of atherosclerosis, but the role of iron during the development of intimal hyperplasia has not been confirmed. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship of serum ferritin, serum cholesterol and intimal hyperplasia.
METHODS
Forty rats were divided into four groups according to diet. Group I was the normocholesterol and normoferritin group, group II was the hypercholesterol and normoferritin group, group III was the hypercholesterol and hypoferritin group, and group IV was the hypercholesterol and hyperferritin group. At the sixth week, we induced clamping injury at the left common carotid artery of each rat. At the end of the eighth week, we obtained tissue of the left common carotid artery from each rat, and we performed staining. After that, we evaluated differences of the intima to media ratio (IMR) of arterial walls according to groups.
RESULTS
The IMR of group II was higher than that of group I (P<0.001). Among hypercholesterol groups (group II~IV), the IMR of group III was lower than that of group II (P<0.001), and the IMR of group IV was higher than that of group II (P=0.007).
CONCLUSION
We suggest the possibility that serum ferritin and serum cholesterol are proportionally related with intimal hyperplasia. But we think that large-volume experiments in animal models and prospective studies in humans are needed to confirm and expand on our results.

Keyword

Iron; Ferritin; Cholesterol; Intimal hyperplasia

MeSH Terms

Animals
Atherosclerosis
Carotid Arteries
Carotid Artery, Common
Cholesterol
Constriction
Diet
Ferritins
Humans
Hyperplasia
Iron
Lipoproteins
Models, Animal
Rats
Cholesterol
Ferritins
Iron
Lipoproteins

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 H&E stains on immediately harvested carotid artery tissues following the clamping injury shows the clamping injury-induced early endothelial denudation. (A) shows the endothelial denudation of common carotid arteries of rats in H&E stain (×100), and (B~D) show the endothelial denudation of common carotid arteries of rats in H&E stain (×200). The arrows indicate the endothelial denudation of common carotid arteries.

• 

  Fig. 2 The laboratory findings of the rats show differences according to the groups. (A) shows the difference of the increase of body weight, (B) shows that of the Total Cholesterol (TC), (C) shows that of the Triglyceride (TG), (D) shows that of the High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), (E) shows that of the Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), (F) shows that of the Ferritin, (G) shows that of the Iron, and (H) shows that of the Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC). The * means P<0.05.

• 

  Fig. 3 H&E stains (×100) of the common carotid arteries of the rats show differences according to the groups. (A) shows the common carotid arteries of the group I rats, (B) shows the common carotid arteries of the group II rats, (C) shows the common carotid arteries of the group III rats, and (D) shows the common carotid arteries of the group IV rats.

• 

  Fig. 4 H&E stains (×200) of the common carotid arteries of the rats show differences according to the groups. (A) shows the common carotid arteries of the group I rats, (B) shows the common carotid arteries of the group II rats, (C) shows the common carotid arteries of the group III rats, and (D) shows the common carotid arteries of the group IV rats. The arrows indicate the intimal thickness of each group.

• 

  Fig. 5 Masson-Trichrome stains (×200) of the common carotid arteries of the rats show differences according to the groups. (A) shows the common carotid arteries of the group I rats, (B) shows the common carotid arteries of the group II rats, (C) shows the common carotid arteries of the group III rats, and (D) shows the common carotid arteries of the group IV rats. The arrow indicates the collagen materials of the matrix (blue color) of each group.

• 

  Fig. 6 The immunohistochemistry using anti-α-SMA antibody (×200) of the common carotid arteries of the rats show differences according to the groups. (A) shows the common carotid arteries of the group I rats, (B) shows the common carotid arteries of the group II rats, (C) shows the common carotid arteries of the group III rats, and (D) shows the common carotid arteries of the group IV rats. The arrow indicates the α-SMA-positive cells of each group.

• 

  Fig. 7 The measurements of artery wall of the common carotid arteries of the rats show differences according to the groups. (A) shows the difference of the artery wall thickness, (B) shows that of the intimal thickness, and (C) shows that of the intima to media ratio (IMR). The * means P<0.05.

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