Abstract
Chemical analysis of the lipid composition of the thoracic aorta was performed in 19 age-and sex-matched pairs of diabetic and nondiabetic autopsy subjects.
The dry weight of the aorta per area and content of total lipid in the aorta was greater in cases with advanced atherosclerosis than those with less advanced atherosclerosis. The contents of cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, glycolipid and free fatty acid in the aortic wall were also greater in advanced atherosclerosis. According to the advance of atherosclerosis, the ratio of cholesterol to total lipid in the aortic wall increases, but the ratios of triglyceride, phospholipid, glycolipid, and free fatty acid to total lipid decreased. The content of all lipid components increased in the diabetic group as compared to the nondiabetic group, but no statistically significant difference was noted.
The relation between the lipid content in the aorta and dry weight of the aorta per area was studied. The increase in cholesterol concentration in the aorta with dry weight of the aorta per area was represented by the regression equations: y=-6.05+0.14 x for diabetics, and y=-1.80+ 0.053 x for nondiabetics. A statistically significant difference was noted between the slopes of both groups. Correlation coefficients revealed a good association between content of cholesterol and dry weight of the aorta: +0.519 in diabetics (p<0.05) and +0.260 in nondiabetics (p>0.05).The correlation coefficients between dry weight of the aorta and content of triglyceride, phospholipid, glycolipid and free fatty acid in the diabetics were -0.629 (p<0.01), -0.567 (p<0.01), -0.619 (p<0.01), and -0.598 (p<0.01), respectively. The values in nondiabetics were -0.490 (p>0.05), -0.303 (p>0.05), -0.233 (p>0.05), and -0.348 (p>0.05), respectively.
The above results suggest that the content of total lipid and cholesterol in the aortic wall increases remarkably according to the advance of atherosclerosis, especially in diabetes.
