Chemical Composition of Atherosclerotic Plaques of apoE/LDLR-Double Knockout Mice by Synchrotron Radiation FTIR Microspectroscopy

Atherosclerosis is a multietiological inflammatory disease of large and medium-sized arteries of increasing incidence in westernized countries. The aim of this study was to identify the biochemical changes during the progression of atherosclerosis by synchrotron radiation Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy in atheromas of apoE/LDLR-/- mice fed egg-rich diet supplemented or not with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril. Synchrotron radiation Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy technique was used to obtain information at high spatial resolution about the distribution of proteins (C-N, N-H, CO for amide I and amide II bands), lipids (CH2, CH3 bands) as well as mineral deposits (calcium carbonates and phosphates). Total contents of lipids and proteins were found to be significantly lower in animals treated with the diet and perindopril. An increase in saturation level of lipids was observed in animals fed with egg-rich diet when compared to the normal diet and perindopril treatment, which did not inhibit this effect. Moreover, a significant change in the secondary structure of proteins (ratio between absorption bands 1634 cm(-1)/1656 cm(-1) attributed to beta-type and alpha-type, respectively) was observed in both experimental groups in comparison with the control. Principal component analysis was used to analyse the recorded spectra. It has revealed that higher content of phosphates (wavenumber range 950-1020 cm(-1)) was observed between egg-rich diet fed animals and the control group.