Healthy and alloxan-diabetic rats were fed various fat-enriched diets for 6 weeks, and the thoracic aorta as well as the ascending arteries were examined histologically for atherosclerotic lesions Lipid infiltrations and cellular changes in the walls of the respective vessels were observed only in the diabetic rats and only after supplementing the diet with cholesterol. The occurrence and severity of the vascular lesions showed a positive correlation to the elevation of the serum cholesterol levels. The pathogenic role of the diabetic state in atherogenesis seems to be related primarily to its serum cholesterol-raising effect. Furthermore, the possibility is discussed that the lipophages, which may be involved in atherogenesis, originate in the reticuloendothelial system of the liver.
Reconstruction of the knee with a chronic injury to the anterior cruciate ligament is an unsolved problem. Biologic graft substitutes have failed to maintain knee stability in the longer postreconstruction intervals. In an attempt to overcome the limitations in graft performance, synthetic materials have been proposed to augment the biologic tissue. In this study, a 6-mm polypropylene braid Ligament Augmentation Device (LAD) possessing a tensile strength of 1500 N and excellent fatigue and creep properties was investigated as an adjunct to the MacIntosh/Marshall Over-the-Top repair. A two-year animal study of 54 adult goats was conducted in which experimental ACL defects were created and reconstructed with a transplant consisting of a portion of the rectus femoris tendon, prepatellar tissue, and the central one-third of the patellar tendon. The goats were equally divided between nonaugmented and LAD-augmented groups and sacrificed at three, six, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Mechanically, the augmented transplants were substantially stronger at the time of initial implantation (364N versus 26N) and again at two years (841N versus 528N). Intermediate times did not demonstrate a difference in strength. Histologically, the augmented transplants consisted of a loosely organized fibrous capsule surrounding the LAD. At 24 months, "insertion fibers" were noted to provide continuity between the fibrous tissue and bone on both the tibia and femur.
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