[Arterial elastin in atherosclerosis and hypertensive disease]

Elasticity and elastin of arteries in 106 dead people aged 14--74 years were investigated using physico-chemical methods. Depending on the character of morphological manifestations, aortas and arteries were divided into following groups: 1) without morphological manifestations of atherosclerosis; 2) affected by atherosclerosis; 3) vessels of patients who had suffered from atherosclerosis and hypertensive disease; 4) aortas and arteries of patients with atherosclerosis in combination with other somatic diseases. In atherosclerosis and hypertensive disease there were observed specific shifts in the character and intensity of fluorescence of elastin and elasticity as a whole. The intensity of primary fluorescence as an atherosclerotic process progressed and in concomitant hypertensive disease gradually changed. In atherosclerosis there were noted changes in transversal bands in elastin. The growth of transversal bands and intensity of fluorescence were found to be interrelated. Optical density of dissolved elastin with wave lengths (lambda) 240, 260, 280, 300, 320, 360, 400, 490 nm and pH 7.7 and 8.6 was studied. The peak of intensity of absorption of the solution of elastin in all groups referred to above was noted at the wave length lambda=240 nm. Amino-acid composition of dissolved elastin was also studied. It was established that as the process of atherosclerosis progressed, the content of lysine in the wall increased depending on the phase of the process -- lipoidosis, atheromatosis, etc. In the vascular wall there were observed changes in monoamino-oxidase, the latter being of particular importance for maintaining the level of cuprum in tissues.