Stabilization of atherosclerotic plaque by pitavastatin in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits: A serial tissue-characterizing intravascular ultrasound study

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Hironori Haruta ; MD ; PhD^a ; ¹ ; Takafumi Hiro ; MD ; PhD ; FJCC^a ; ¹ ; ^{hiro.takafumi@nihon-u.ac.jp" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Masako Mitsumata ; MD ; PhD^b ; Tadateru Takayama ; MD ; PhD^a ; Mitsumasa Sudo ; MD^a ; Yuxin Li ; MD ; PhD^a ; Rie Takahashi^a ; Yoshiki Taniguchi^c ; Masashi Shiomi ; PhD^d ; Atsushi Hirayama ; MD ; PhD ; FJCC^a
• 关键词：Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ; Statin ; Intravascular ultrasound ; Plaque ; WHHL-MI rabbit
• 刊名：Journal of Cardiology
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：February 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：67
• 期：2
• 页码：205-211
• 全文大小：1142 K

文摘

To examine the effects of pitavastatin on atherosclerotic plaque in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits using serial in vivo tissue-characterizing intravascular ultrasound.

Methods

A total of 11 WHHL rabbits of 10–12 weeks of age were divided into two groups, control and pitavastatin-administered groups. A total of 29 atherosclerotic plaque segments from control group and 43 plaque segments from the pitavastatin group were serially imaged by 40 MHz intravascular ultrasound in vivo with a tissue characterization software (iMAP™, Boston Scientific, Natick, MA, USA) at the baseline and the follow-up (16th week).

Results

The level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly decreased in pitavastatin group. During the follow-up period, plaque area was significantly increased in the control group, whereas it was not significantly changed in the pitavastatin group. The fibrotic, necrotic, and necrotic plus lipidic areas were significantly increased in the control group, while no significant change was revealed for tissue profile in pitavastatin group. The change in the percent areas of fibrotic and lipidic plus necrotic tissues were significantly different between the two groups especially in the superficial half portion of plaque.

Conclusions

These data indicate that pitavastatin could attenuate atherosclerotic plaque formation and that it could stabilize the plaque in WHHL rabbits. Considering the fact that these were observed even with a high follow-up level of cholesterol, these data might come from the pleiotropic effects of pitavastatin.