Experimental Hypercholesterolemia Induces Apoptosis in the Aortic Valve
Nalini M. Rajamannan MD, Giuseppe Sangiorgi MD, Margaret Springett MD, Kim Arnold BSc, Tibor Mohacsi MD, Luigi Giusto Spagnoli MD, William D. Edwards MD, A. Jamil Tajik MD, Robert S. Schwartz MD

The effect of hypercholesterolemia on rabbit aortic valves was assessed. Rabbits were fed a 1% cholesterol diet for 12 weeks to induce hypercholesterolemia, after which their aortic valves were atherosclerotic in appearance when compared with those of controls. Apoptosis was shown to present by TUNEL immunostaining, and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Nuclear fragmentation was present in the hypercholesterolemic valves as compared with those form controls. Hypercholesterolemia may play an important role in the development of aortic valve disease.