Interstitial collagens in fibrous atherosclerotic lesions of human aorta

The present study was undertaken to clarify the existing controversy on the collagenous content and composition of human fibrous atherosclerotic versus normal aortic tissues. Several analytic procedures (slab gel electrophoresis; cyanogen bromide peptide mapping; high performance liquid chromatography; ion exchange chromatography) revealed that the amount of the interstitial collagens, i.e. types I and III, was similar in fibrous atherosclerotic lesions and control tissues (70% and 30% respectively). Moreover, when fibrous lesions were analyzed as serial fractions there was a uniform distribution of type I and type III throughout the lesion. Small increases in type III were observed only beneath the lesion where it interfaced with the normal media. The results suggest that contrary to some previous studies no major shifts in the ratio of the interstitial collagens are evident in atherosclerotic lesions as compared to normal intima-media preparations.