Changes in distribution of glycosaminoglycans during the progression of cholesterol induced atherosclerosis in Japanese quail.

The temporal and spatial distribution and relative concentration of the proteoglycan glycosaminoglycan component were studied during the progression of atherosclerosis in the systemic arteries of Japanese quail selected for cholesterol induced atherosclerosis (CIA). The CIA quail were placed on either control or 0.5% added cholesterol diets at 3 months of age. The major systemic arteries (dorsal aorta, right and left brachiocephalic) were collected at 1- or 2-week intervals over the 10-week period of cholesterol feeding. In the cholesterol fed quail, alcian blue staining of the dorsal aorta showed elevations of glycosaminoglycans in regions of the artery with atherosclerotic plaque, beginning at the 6-week time point. By biochemical analysis, increases in glycosaminoglycan relative concentration was detected at the 10-week time point. In addition to the change in glycosaminoglycan relative concentration and distribution, the cholesterol fed animals also formed foam cells characteristic of atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, the conclusion reached was that the CIA line of Japanese quail is a valid animal model for the study of alterations in proteoglycan metabolism in atherosclerotic plaques induced by hypercholesterolemia.