Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine whether a disturbance of hormonal homeostasis caused by ovariectomy influences the elasticity and wall structure of the abdominal aorta and whether camelina oil administration has an effect on the properties of the abdominal aorta in rats after ovariectomy. Forty Wistar female rats (220-240 g) were used in the experiment: 10 animals underwent a sham ovary repositioning operation (SHO), and 30 were ovariectomized (OVX). After 7 days of convalescence, the SHO rats and OVX1 rats were given physiological saline intragastrically for 6 weeks, while the treated rats received camelina oil at doses of 5 g/kg/b.w. (OVX2) or 9 g/kg/b.w. (OVX3) once a day. The rats were euthanized 7 weeks after the surgery, and the aorta, before the right and left common iliac arteries, was removed, cut into 5 mm pieces and exposed to a series of step-wise increases in tension. Aortic wall elasticity was measured in duplicate. Samples of the aorta were also prepared for histology (total aortic wall thickness, thickness of tunica intima and media, thickness of adventitia) and immunohistochemistry (volume and mean fluorescence intensity of collagens I and III and elastin), and images were obtained by light and confocal microscopy. Ovariectomy caused a significant decrease in the elasticity of the aorta, as well as in the volume of collagen III and elastin in the tunica intima and media, but no changes in the volume of collagen I, the total wall thickness or the thickness of the tunica intima and media. The elasticity of the aorta, the volume of elastin, and the mean fluorescence intensity of collagens I and III in rats receiving camelina oil at a dose of 9 g/kg/b.w. were similar to or higher than those observed in control animals. In conclusion, our data indicate that ovariectomy induced changes in the aortic wall associated with reduced vessel elasticity. The administration of camelina oil positivity influenced the elasticity of the aorta in rats, probably by increasing the elastin content. However, further research is required to verify whether supplementation of diet with oils rich in omega-3 PUFA may prevent negative changes in the structure and function of vessels.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Medycyna Weterynaryjna |
Volume | 72 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 240-246 |
Number of pages | 7 |
ISSN | 0025-8628 |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2016 |
Keywords
- camelina oil
- artery
- rat
- collagen
- elastin