ACCUMULATION OF FATTY ACIDS IN ATHEROSCLEROTIC ARTERIES AS A RESULT OF CHANGES IN A NUMBER OF PROCESSES OF SYNTHESIS AND OXIDATION
Abstract
Background and aims: The study aims to analyze of fatty acid (FA) composition of arteries and blood plasma in atherosclerosis. Material and method:The blood plasma in patients with coronary atherosclerosis was studied, the blood from healthy volunteers was used as control. There were also analyzed arteries of patients with severe atherosclerotic lesions and arteries of people with significantly less atherosclerotic changes. Results:The data received indicates that there is a rather active penetration of FA from blood plasma lipoproteins into intima of arteries. Penetration of FA from blood lipoproteins into the depth of aorta and an atherosclerotic plaque appears to be small. A greater impact on the accumulation of FA in composition of atherosclerotic vessels is apparently produced by free FA of blood plasma, which did not undergo oxidation. The evidence of the increased activity of desaturases and fatty acid synthases in atherosclerotic and intact arteries in patients with severe atherosclerotic vascular lesions was obtained. Conclusions:These facts can promote accumulation of lipids in arterial wall by increasing the synthesis and inhibition of FA oxidation. The increased desaturase activity in cells of arteries, in turn, may be caused by relatively low content of polyunsaturated linoleic acid in blood plasma in atherosclerosis.