This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bonchek, L. I. Articles by Kissebah, A. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bonchek, L. I. Articles by Kissebah, A. H.

Circulation, Vol 66, 338-341, Copyright © 1982 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Prevention of lipid accumulation in experimental vein bypass grafts by antiplatelet therapy

LI Bonchek, LE Boerboom, GN Olinger, JR Pepper, J Munns, L Hutchinson and AH Kissebah

The ameliorative effect of antiplatelet therapy on atherogenesis of vein grafts was assessed in autologous cephalic veins grafted into femoral arteries of 16 normolipemic and 11 hyperlipemic stump-tailed macaque monkeys. Before grafting, one half of each vein was distended at high pressure (700 mm Hg) and the other half at low pressure (350 mm Hg). Eight normolipemic monkeys were treated with aspirin, 80 mg/day, and dipyridamole, 50 mg/day, and eight were controls. When grafts were harvested at 12 weeks, tissue cholesterol and beta-apoprotein content in grafts from untreated monkeys were significantly higher than in ungrafted, uninjured veins. Antiplatelet therapy eliminated the increase in lipid content of vein segments distended at low pressure, and significantly lowered lipid content of segments distended at high pressure, though not to be control levels of ungrafted veins. Seven of the 11 hyperlipemic monkeys received antiplatelet drugs and four did not. The lipid content of all graft segments was significantly higher than in grafted or ungrafted veins from normolipemic monkeys. Antiplatelet therapy again significantly reduced the lipid content in vein segments distended at both levels of pressure, and also reduced the elevated cholesterol content in ungrafted veins. Although this animal preparation differs in many ways from human coronary bypass operations, these observations may be pertinent to the prevention of atherosclerosis in human vein bypass grafts.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Collaborative overview of randomised trials of antiplatelet therapy - II: Maintenance of vascular graft or arterial patency by antiplatelet therapy BMJ, January 15, 1994; 308(6922): 159 - 168. [Abstract] [Full Text]