Interaction of lipoproteins with the artery wall.

Atherosclerosis can be defined in terms of the processes involved rather than in morphological terms, and there is evidence for possible roles of the macrophage in atherogenesis. The relevance of hyperlipidaemia to the morphogenesis of the atherosclerotic plaque is important, and this has been described in animal models including a strain of rabbit with a genetically determined hyperlipidaemia resembling familial combined hyperlipidaemia. Treatment of these animals with the HMG CoA reductase inhibitor lovastatin from the time of weaning results in a significant degree of inhibition of lesion formation.