1988 Volume 16 Issue 1 Pages 91-98
In normal male rabbits fed a cholesterol (CH) supplemented (1.5% CH) diet for a period of 12 weeks, increases in intravascular adhesiveness of leukocytes and aggregability of erythrocytes in the subcutaneous microcirculatory system within a transparent ear chamber were noticed concurrently with persistent marked increases in serum levels of total CH, β-lipoproteins, phospholipids and triglycerides, in vitro leukocyte adhesiveness, and erythrocyte sedimentation rates, with persistent decreases in erythrocyte counts, hematocrit values and hemoglobin concentrations, and with remarkable aortic accumulations of total CH. Daily administrations of nicotine (N; 0.4mg/kg, s. c.) or carbon monoxide (CO; 1 minute's inhalation of 4% air-balanced mixture) combined with CH feeding appeared to have no effect on the aortic CH accumulations, hematological and biochemical changes and to have an appreciable enhancing effect on the microcirculatory changes due to CH feeding. Although no additive effect on the aortic CH accumulations was observed, the microcirculatory findings may suggest that N and CO as main noxious substances in tobacco smoke can play certain role in atherogenic changes at least in the peripheral arteries of the skin induced by CH feeding through their enhancing effects on the microcirculatory changes due to CH feeding.
