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The development of preatherosclerotic coronary artery lesions in perinatal piglets
R P Bolande1, E A Leistikow, F S Wartman
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27858-4354, USA.
Insights
Early coronary artery lesions in piglets, characterized by intimal changes and modified smooth muscle cells, may indicate prenatal injury and foreshadow atherosclerosis development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- The coronary arteries undergo significant development during the perinatal period.
- Understanding early vascular changes is crucial for identifying potential precursors to adult cardiovascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fine and ultrastructure of the anterior descending coronary artery in perinatal piglets.
- To identify early intimal lesions and their cellular components during early development.
Main Methods:
- Histological and ultrastructural examination of coronary arteries from piglets at various perinatal and postnatal time points (prenatal to 168 hours).
- Observation of intimal lesion development, including edema, internal elastic lamella changes, and cellular infiltration.
Main Results:
- Early plaque-like intimal lesions were prevalent in perinatal piglets, featuring subendothelial edema and modified smooth muscle cells (MSMCs).
- These lesions persisted and progressed in approximately half of the piglets during the first week of life.
- Increased MSMCs, fibroblasts, collagen deposition, and foamy macrophages were observed in later stages.
Conclusions:
- The observed intimal changes, present at birth, may represent a response to prenatal injury rather than solely normal development.
- These early lesions share features with human atherogenesis and could be precursive to coronary atherosclerosis.
- The findings highlight the potential for early-life events to influence long-term cardiovascular health.
Abstract:
The fine structure and ultrastructure of the anterior descending coronary artery were studied in a series of perinatal piglets at 1 week prior to birth, and at 8, 24, 72 and 168 h after birth. In the anterior descending coronary artery, at or just distal to the branch point of the left circumflex artery, early plaque-like intimal lesions were present in the majority of animals. These consisted of subendothelial edema, fragmentation and dissolution of the internal elastic lamella, and the appearance of intimal myoid cells known as modified smooth muscle cells (MSMCs). These changes were present in all piglets at and before 8 h of age. They persisted and progressed during the first week of life in about half of the piglets. Beginning at 72 h and continuing through 168 h, there was an increase in MSMCs and the appearance of fibroblasts. Both fibroblasts and MSMCs were associated with the elaboration of dense collagen fibrils. Foamy macrophages appeared within the subendothelial intima having the appearance of lipophages. While the prevalence of these changes at birth indicates that they may be part of normal development, their persistence in half the piglets and structural features suggest reaction to intimal injury beginning prenatally. The lesions may be precursive of coronary atherosclerosis later in life and may parallel the early stages of atherogenesis in humans.