PLAQUE REVERSAL WITH MGEDTA IN EXPERIMENTAL ATHEROSCLEROSIS - ELASTIN AND COLLAGEN METABOLISM

It has been demonstrated that the metabolism of aortic connective tissue is greatly altered in experimental atherosclerosis. Plaque reversal is demonstrated in the artery of the rabbit with induced atherosclerosis. The hypothesis on which we predicate these findings is that the parenteral administration of MgEDTA lowers extracellular Ca ion which in turn stimulates parathyroid activity. The parathyroid hormone produced affects both collagen and elastin. In the atherosclerotic animals there is an increase on a per artery basis of both these substances over normal controls. While there is some increase in both collagen and elastin in the atherosclerotic-MgEDTA injected animals on a per artery basis, the amount lies close to the normal controls reflecting parathyroid hormone activity on connective tissue via the MgEDTA mechanism. The Ca and Mg content of elastin did not change independently of this protein.