atherosclerosis details with much of a biochemical aspect

1. ATHEROSCLEROSIS
By: Sai Swaroop

2. GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO ATHEROSCLEROSIS
ATHERO= BloodVessel; SCLEROSIS= Hardening
(wordscomefromGreek)
Thishardening isformedfromplaqueformedin
theEndotheliumoftheBloodvesselwhich
narrowsthebloodvessel
Plaqueformedduetoadifferenttypesof
reasons!

3. COMPARISON BETWEEN NORMAL AND
DISEASED VESSEL

4. MECHANISM OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS
• TheEndotheliumofaBloodvesselis
damagedatfirstbyavarioussubstances
likechemicalsfromtobaccoetc. Butthe
mainaffectingfactorisLDL
• LowDensityLipoproteindamagesthe
endothelium
• LDLcycleexplainsthereasonwhywehave
thedepositioninthe bloodvessels.

6. • LDLenterstheendotheliallayerwhich
triggersthemonocytestocomeandstart
tophagocytosize
• DuetothelargeamountofLDLpresent
there, themonocytesphagocytosize too
muchthatmakesthemunabletomove.
• ThesemonocytesreleaseCytotoxins,
which callsothermonocytestocomeand
phagocytosize moreLDL.

7. • AndthesedeadmonocytesalongwithLDL’sis
calledastheFATSTREAK
• Increaseinthenumberofcellsinthe
endotheliumproducesalesion, whichattracts
theplateletstocomeandformaclotonthe
lesionwhichreleasesthePlatelet-Derived
GrowthFactor(PDGF).
• ThisPDGFencouragesthegrowthofsmooth
muscleintheendotheliallayer(whichare
supposedtobelimitedtothemiddlelayer).

8. • ThesmoothmusclesIntheendotheliallayer,
producescollagen, proteoglycansandelastic
fibrouscells_-allthesetogethercalledasthe
FIBROUSCAP.
• Calcium isdepositedintheendotheliumby
smoothmusclewhichisremovedbytheHDL
(byreversecholesteroltransportandanti
oxidantproperties)
• ThisFATTYSTREAKalongwiththeFIBROUS
CAPtogetheriscalledasthePLAQUE

10. CONSEQUENCES OF PLAQUE BUILD-UP
• Bloodvesselsreducesthediameterofthe
bloodvesselseventuallydeceasingtheblood
flow.
• Andifthebloodsupplyisdisrupted, thecells
starttonecrotise.
• Themostcommonlethalconsequenceofthis
narrowingoftheCORONARYARTERY.
• Andothermajoreffectsincludethereduced
supplytokidneywhichcanaffectBlood
Pressure

12. DIAGNOSIS
• DopplerUltrasound
• Angiography
• PREVENTINGthediseasebyregular
exerciseandnotsmokingarethebest
waystostayhealthy.
AndtheTREATMENTforthisisdoneby:
• Statins
• Angioplasty