Abstract

The earliest distinctive lesions in human atherosclerosis are fatty streaks (FS), characterized initially by lipid-laden foam cell formation. Fibrous plaques (FP), the clinically significant lesions, differ from FS in several respects. In addition to foam cells, the FP also exhibit fibromuscular proliferation and a necrotic core region rich in extracellular lipid. The possible transition of FS into mature FP has long been debated, however. A subset of FS described by Katz etal., was intermediate in lipid composition between ordinary FS and FP. We investigated this hypothesis by electron microscopic cytochemistry by employing a tissue processing technique previously described by our laboratory. Osmium-tannic acid-paraphenylenediamine (OTAP) tissue preparation enabled ultrastructural analysis of lipid deposits to discern features characteristic of mature fibrous plaques.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.