Abstract
To elucidate the initial compositional changes in cell lipids and the progress of atherogenesis, we analyzed lipid fractions in intima-media tissues separated from the arch, renal and abdominal portions from 8 non-diabetic and 4 type-2 diabetic autopsy cases. Intima-media was homogenized in 0.13M Tris-HCl buffer and centrifuged. Total lipids, lipid fraction (TLC) and protein (Lowry's method) in supernatant were measured.
Total lipid content was 8.1±0.8mg/g wet weight (M±SE) in non-diabetics and it raised significantly (p<0.005) to 15.0±3.3mg/g wet weight in diabetics. Cholesterol esters were dominant but triglyceride raised most remarkably to 30.9±10% in diabetics (non-diabetics: 13.3±4.4 %). Phospholipids reduced significantly (p<0.005) to 12.5±2.7% in diabetics (non-diabetics: 27.2±2.6%). Free cholesterol also reduced in diabetics. These changes were especially predominant in the abdominal portion.
We supposed that the decrease of phospholipids might cause the disorder of permeability in the aortic cell membranes, resulting in the accumulation of the TG-rich lipoproteins that are known to increase in diabetes.
