[An experimental study on cerebral arteriosclerosis].

Abstract

The experimental study suggested that it would be difficult to induce atherosclerosis in the cerebral arteries. Although the atherosclerotic lesions on the aortas were evident in the experimental rabbits of the hypertension plus hypercholesterolemia group, evidence of early atherosclerosis was found on the intracranial small arteries in only three out of the 10 rabbits of this group. Under the microscope widespread thickening and contraction were seen on almost all the small cerebral and cerebral parenchymal arteries. Hyaline degeneration could be seen in some of the arteries. Most of the cerebral parenchymal capillary endothelia were swollen and some of these cells contained lipid drops. All of these pathological changes could not be found in the authors earlier experiment in the group of the rabbits without hypertension. It was, therefore, surmised that both hypertension and hyperlipidemia would be two of the important factors in inducing the lesions in the cerebral arteries, but although such factors would be coordinative, hypertension might be more important in the process of damaging the cerebral arteries and leading to their degenerative changes.