Association of increased lipid peroxide levels in the aorta in comparison to the pulmonary artery with the presence of coronary artery disease

Abstract

Abstract. Atherosclerosis predominantly affects systemic arteries as compared to pulmonary arteries; however, the reasons for this differential predilection are not clear. Oxidative damage caused by free radicals is a key initiating event in atherogenesis and the lungs are able to produce large quantities of free radicals even under physiological conditions. The present study investigated whether pulmonary venous blood reaching the aorta contained greater quantities of lipid peroxides, a marker of oxidative stress, compared to the pulmonary artery. Aortic and pulmonary artery blood samples were collected at the time of cardiac catheterization from 45 consecutive patients (38% female) without acute coronary event and free of other medical disorders, who were scheduled to undergo coronary angiography for anginal chest pain. Lipid peroxides were measured in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA). MDA levels were significantly higher in the aorta compared to the pulmonary artery (4.93±1.97 vs. 3.36±1.14 nmol/ml; P<0.001); the difference was significant in patients with angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD) (P<0.001) compared to the patients without CAD (P=0.071). Higher aortic MDA levels were associated with the presence of CAD even following adjustment for major risk factors. The results of the present study demonstrate that aortic blood contains significantly greater levels of lipid peroxides compared to pulmonary artery. This differential oxidative stress between systemic and pulmonary arteries could provide a mechanistic explanation for their difference in the propensity to develop atherosclerosis.

A Single Simulated Heliox Dive Modifies Endothelial Function in the Vascular Wall of ApoE Knockout Male Rats More Than Females

“…Due to low pulmonary resistance the pressure in pulmonary artery is much lower than in the systemic arteries. In compressed gas diving, the pulmonary vasculature is exposed to high partial pressure of oxygen levels that border on oxygen toxicity, and causing high levels of oxidative stress (Butler and Hills, 1979; Malik, 2016; Wingelaar et al, 2017). Therefore, we consider the pulmonary artery to be highly relevant in diving studies.…”

Endothelial dysfunction in small arteries and early signs of atherosclerosis in ApoE knockout rats

“…Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that trigger early endothelial dysfunction in resistance arteries are essential for our understanding of the early stages of atherosclerosis pathology, and consequently, early diagnosis and prevention. However, there are few reports of atherosclerotic plaques in other arteries such as the pulmonary artery 13 , 14 .…”