Summary
Nifedipine has been implicated as an inhibitor of dietary induced atherosclerosis in rabbits. This study was designed to examine the effect of nifedipine on the regression of atherosclerotic lesions in this animal model.
NZ-rabbits were fed a cholesterol-enriched diet (1.5%) for 4.8 months. A control group A was killed and the aorta removed for planimetry of the vessel wall lesions. The remaining animals were divided into two groups, group P receiving a placebo solution and group N a nifedipine solution (2 × 20 mg/day). They were maintained on a standard chow for a further 4.5 months. In the nifedipine-treated group N, sudanophilia of the aorta was reduced by more than 20% as compared to the cholesterol-fed control group A and was 50% lower than in the placebo-treated group. Total cholesterol of the aortic tissue was lowest in group N. No significant differences in plasma cholesterol, triglycerides or the platelet half-life time were observed between the placebo- and the nifedipine-treated group. These data indicate that nifedipine can stimulate regression of pre-existing atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ross R (1981) Atherosclerosis: a problem of the biology of arterial wall cells and their concentrations with blood components. Arteriosclerosis 1:293–311
Seidel D, Cremer P, Thiery J (1985) Plasmalipoproteine und Atherosklerose. Int Welt 8:114–124
Henry PD (1985) Atherosclerosis, calcium, and calcium antagonists. Circulation 3:456–459
Kramsch DM (1985) Calcium antagonists and atherosclerosis.In: Kritchevsky D, Holmes WL, Paoletti R (eds) Drugs affecting lipid metabolism, VIII: Advances in experimental medicine and biology, vol 183. Plenum Press, New York, pp 456–459
Henry PD, Bentley KI (1981) Suppression of atherogenesis in cholesterol-fed rabbits treated with nifedipine. J Clin Invest 68:1366–1369
Willis AL, Nagel B, Churchill V, Whyte MA, Smith DL, Mahmud I, Puppione D (1985) Antiatherosclerotic effects of nicardipine and nifedipine in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Arteriosclerosis 5:250–255
Chan CT, Wells H, Kramsch DM (1978) Suppression of calcific fibrous-fatty plaque formation in rabbits by agents not affecting elevated serum cholersterol levels. The effect of thiophene compounds. Circ Res 43:115–125
Kramsch DM (1981) Atherosclerosis: prevention by agents not affecting abnormal levels of blood lipids. Science 213:1511–1512
Mancini G, Carbonara AO, Heremans JF (1965) Immunochemical quantification of antigens by single radial immunodiffusion. Immunochemistry 2:235–254
Scheffel U, McIntyre PA, Evatt B, Dvornicky JA Jr, Nataraja TK, Bolling DR, Murphy EA (1977) Evaluation of Indium-111 as a new high photon yield gamma-emitting “physiological” platelet label. Johns Hopkins Med J 140:285–293
Korubin V, Maisey MN, McIntyre PA (1972) Evaluation of technetium-labelled red cells for determination of red cell volume in man. J Nucl Med 13:760–762
Folch J, Less M, Sloane-Stanley GH (1956) A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues. J Biol Chem 226:497–509
Niedmann PD, Luthe H, Wieland H, Schaper G, Seidel D (1983) Richtigkeit der HDL-Cholesterinmessung. Klin Wochenschr 61:133–138
Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275
Thiery J, Seidel D (1987) Fish oil feeding results in an enhancement of cholesterolinduced atherosclerosis in rabbits. Atherosclerosis 63:53–56
Daugherty A, Schonfeld G, Sobel BE, Lange LG (1986) Metabolism of very low density lipoproteins after cessation of cholesterol feeding in rabbits. A factor potentially contributing to the slow regression of atheromatous plaques. J Clin Invest 77:1108–1115
Stender S, Stender I, Nordestgaard B, Kjeldsen K (1984) No effect of nifedipine on atherogenesis in cholesterol fed rabbits. Arteriosclerosis 4:389–394
Constantinides P, Booth J, Carlson G (1960) Production of advanced cholesterol atherosclerosis in the rabbit. Arch Pathol 70:712–724
Han P, Boatwright C, Avollie NG (1983) Effect of the calcium-entry blocking agent nifedipine on activation of human platelets and comparison with verapamil. Thromb Haemost 60:513–517
Berlin E, Shapiro SG, Friedland M (1984) Platelet membrane fluidity and aggregation of rabbit platelets. Atherosclerosis 51:223–239
Van Niekerk JLM, Hendriks T, de Boer HHM, Van't Laar A (1984) Does nifedipine suppress atherogenesis in WHHL rabbits? Atherosclerosis 53:91–98
Stein O, Leitersdorf E, Stein Y (1984) Verapamil enhances receptor-mediated endocytosis of low density lipoproteins by aortic cells in culture. Arteriosclerosis 5:35–44
Etingin OR, Hajjar DP (1985) Nifedipine increases cholesteryl ester hydrolytic activity in lipid-laden rabbit arterial smooth muscle cells: a possible mechanism for its antiatherogenic effect. J Clin Invest 75:1454–1485
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study is dedicated to Professor N. Zöllner, University of München on his 65th birthday 1988
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thiery, J., Niedmann, P.D. & Seidel, D. The beneficial influence of nifedipine on the regression of the cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis in rabbits. Res. Exp. Med. 187, 359–367 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01855662
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01855662