Abstract
We studied the effect of nifedipine, a calcium antagonist, on atherosclerosis of Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit (WHHL-R). WHHL-R lacks in LDL receptor and is a unique model of human familial hypercholesterolemia. Rabbits were fed standard rabbit chow 120g daily, and were divided into two groups so that there were no significant differences in weights and serum cholesterol levels. Experimental group was given orally 20mg of nifedipine twice a day (nifedipine group), and control group was given placebo in the same way (placebo group).Rabbits were sacrificed at the end of 20 weeks of treatment. Body weights and serum cholesterol levels were not different between nifedipine and placebo group. The percentage of intimal surface area covered by atherosclerotic lesions (% AS) was 33.4±14.1% in nifedipine group (n=5), 27.0±11.7% in placebo group (n=6) (n.s.). Aortic cholesterol and calcium contents showed similar tendency to the results of %AS.Although many reports suggest that calcium antagonists suppress atherosclerosis in cholesterolfed rabbits, we concluded atherosclerosis was not suppressed by nifedipine in WHHL-R. This gives important suggestions to the mechanisms of antiatherosclerotic effect of nifedipine.
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