High fat diet induces adhesion of platelets to endothelium in two models of dyslipidemia

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent about 30% of all global deaths. It is currently accepted that, in the atherogenic process, platelets play an important role, contributing to endothelial activation and modulation of the inflammatory phenomenon, promoting the beginning and formation of lesions and their subsequent thrombotic complications. The objective of the present work was to study using immunohistochemistry, the presence of platelets, monocytes/macrophages, and cell adhesion molecules (CD61, CD163, and CD54), in two stages of the atheromatous process. CF-1 mice fed a fat diet were used to obtain early stages of atheromatous process, denominated early stage of atherosclerosis, and ApoE(-/-) mice fed a fat diet were used to observe advanced stages of atherosclerosis. The CF-1 mice model presented immunostaining on endothelial surface for all three markers studied; the advanced atherosclerosis model in ApoE(-/-) mice also presented granular immunostaining on lesion thickness, for the same markers. These results suggest that platelets participate in atheromatous process from early stages to advance d stages. High fat diet induces adhesion of platelets to endothelial cells in vivo. These findings support studying the participation of platelets in the formation of atheromatous plate.

Figure 1

Coronary of CF1 mice a SM Model. ((a), (b)) Histological sections of CF1 mouse coronary artery ND and FD, stained with H&E (100x). (c) Histological section of coronary artery of CF1 mouse ND. ((d), (d′)) Histological sections of coronary artery of CF1 mouse FD. Immunohistochemistry technique for platelets (CD61), 1/25. (e) Histological section of coronary artery of CF1 mouse ND. ((f), (f′)) Histological sections of coronary artery of CF1 mouse FD. Immunohistochemistry technique for ICAM-1, 1/25. (g) Histologic section of coronary artery of CF1 mouse ND. ((h), (h′)) Histological sections of coronary artery of CF1 mouse FD. Immunohistochemistry technique for monocytes/macrophages (CD163), 1/25. Scale bar: 20 μm.

Figure 2

APOE^−/− mice. Advanced atherosclerosis model. ((a), (c)) Histological section of APOE^−/− mice fed with ND. ((b), (d)) Histological section of ApoE^−/− mice fed with FD. H&E staining and Masson trichrome. (e) Histological section of ApoE^−/− mice fed with ND. ((f), (g)) Histological sections of ApoE^−/− mice fed with FD. Immunohistochemistry for platelets (CD61), 1/25. (h) Histological section of ApoE^−/− mice fed with ND. ((i), (j)) Histological sections of ApoE^−/− mice fed with FD. Immunohistochemistry for ICAM-1, 1/25. (k) Histological section of ApoE^−/− mice fed with ND. ((l), (m)) Histological sections of ApoE^−/− mice fed with FD. Immunohistochemistry for ICAM-1, 1/25. Scale bar: 50 and 200 μm.