Experimental canine atherosclerosis in autogenous abdominal aortic grafts implanted into the jugular vein

Abstract

The fate of fresh autogenous abdominal aortic grafts implanted into the jugular vein was investigated in 14 dogs subjected to an atherogenic regimen. Of the 14 aortic grafts 8 were patent and 6 occluded. Of the 8 patent grafts 4 had gross atheromatous lesions. Microscopic sections using routine stains and Sudan IV demonstrated the presence of atherosclerosis in 6 out of the 8 patent grafts and in 4 out of the 6 occluded ones. Thus 10 out of 14 grafts (70%) developed atherosclerosis. The jugular vein displayed no lesions. These data indicate that the original susceptibility of the abdominal aorta to atherosclerosis is maintained even in a low-pressure system, thereby suggesting that atheromatous lesions may develop in a susceptible arterial tissue in the absence of mechanical or hemodynamic factors. This further supports our previous findings on the role of arterial tissue susceptibility in atherogenesis.