HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lucca, J. J. D. Articles by Schuschke, D. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lucca, J. J. D. Articles by Schuschke, D. A.

---

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Neointima Formation in the Rat Carotid Artery Is Exacerbated by Dietary Copper Deficiency

Jurandir J. Dalle Lucca^*, Jack T. Saari, Jeff C. Falcone^* and Dale A. Schuschke^*,1

^* Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, and
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202

Dietary copper is an essential trace element with roles in both functional and structural aspects of the cardiovascular system. In particular, the vascular response to inflammatory stimuli is known to be significantly augmented in copper-deficient rats. The current study was designed to quantify the extent of injury-induced neointimal proliferation and stenosis in rats fed diets either adequate or deficient in copper. Male, weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed purified diets that were either adequate (CuA; 5.6 µg Cu/g) or deficient (CuD; 0.3 µg Cu/g) in copper for 4 weeks. Balloon injury was induced in the left external carotid arteries. Fourteen days after injury, histomorphometric analysis of cross-sections from carotid arteries showed increased neointimal formation in the CuD group compared with the CuA controls (neointima/media ratio: 4.55 ± 0.93 vs 1.45 ± 0.2, respectively). These results correspond with data indicating that the activity of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) is depressed in rats fed this CuD diet. Because superoxide anion and redox status are known to play a key role in the extent of neointimal formation in response to injury, we propose that the exaggerated neointimal proliferation seen in the CuD group is the result of the diminished Cu/Zn-SOD activity.

Key Words: copper • angioplasty • restenosis • carotid artery

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. J. Brewer Iron and Copper Toxicity in Diseases of Aging, Particularly Atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease Experimental Biology and Medicine, February 1, 2007; 232(2): 323 - 335. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]