Abstract

An evaluation was made on the etiology of arteriosclerosis with cholesterol content of the anterior eye chamber fluid and ocular aortic implant in rabbits. Cholesterol content of the anterior eye chamber fluid ranged from 7 to 31 mg. per cent in spite of an increase of about 30 times in serum. Even highest value, 31mg. per cent is far less than in normal serum. The results indicate that even of atherosclerotic or normal aorta is transplanted to the anterior eye chamber in rabbits to observe the acceleration or development of atherosclerosis it is impossible to relate the incidence of atherosclerosis with cholesterol content of the anterior eye chamber fluid. For this reason atherosclerosis can be produced without hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. Hence the cause of increase of cholesterol content in the ocular aortic implant must be attributed to the etiology of arteriosclerosis. In this case several factors are considered but main cause of increase of cholesterol in ocular aortic implant must be attributed to the imbalance of deposition and consumption of cholesterol in ocular aortic implant. The imbalance of cholesterol deposition and consumption of cholesterol in ocular aortic implant must be attributed to the cholesterol metabolism disturbance of arterial wall itself. As well known, cholesterol plays main role on atherosclerosis as a major factor. Consequently metabolism disturbance definitely contributed to the etiology on arteriosclerosis. Therefore, on the basis of observations noted above it is concluded that etiology on arterisoclerosis is to be found in metabolism disturbance.