Patterns of Sudanophilic Lesions at Ostia of Descending Thoracic and Abdominal Aorta in Cholesterol-Fed Adult Rabbits

• Published in: International journal of morphology 2011-09, Vol.29 (3), p.742-746
• Main Authors: Shahid, Uzma, Butt, Shadab Ahmed, Zareen, Nusrat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ANATOMY & MORPHOLOGY
• ISSN: 0717-9502; 0717-9502
• DOI: 10.4067/S0717-95022011000300013

Sudan-positive atherosclerotic lesions preferentially occur at downstream and lateral margins of arterial branch ostia in human neonates and weanling rabbits but tend to develop at lateral and upstream margins in old subjects. We investigated (i) the pattern of sudanophilic lesions at aortic ostia of cholesterol-fed adult rabbits and (ii) determined any differences in lesion distribution between descending thoracic and abdominal aorta. Ten adult males, New Zealand white rabbits were fed 2% high cholesterol diet. After six weeks, aortas were excised, opened longitudinally and stained with Sudan-IV for gross examination of atherosclerotic lesions. A total of 156 descending thoracic and 90 abdominal ostia were examined. Mean lesion frequencies upstream, downstream and at lateral margins of the affected ostia were calculated and compared. Sudanophilic lesions were detected around 32% ostia of descending thoracic aorta and 25% those of abdominal aorta. At ostia of descending thoracic aorta, lesion frequencies were significantly higher (P