Permeation of human plasma lipoproteins in human carotid endarterectomy tissues: Measurement by optical coherence tomography

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process occurring in arterial tissue, involving the subintimal accumulation of LDL. Measurement of the rate at which LDL and other lipoproteins, such as HDL and VLDL, enter and exit the tissue can provide insight into the mechanisms involved in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Permeation of VLDL, LDL, HDL, and glucose was measured for both normal and atherosclerotic human carotid endarterectomy tissues (CEA) at 20°C and 37°C using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The rates for LDL permeation through normal CEA tissue were (3.16 ± 0.37) × 10^-5 cm/s at 20°C and (4.77 ± 0.48) × 10 ^-5 cm/s at 37°C, significantly greater (P < 0.05) than the rates for atherosclerotic CEA tissue at these temperatures [(1.97 ± 0.34) × 10^-5 cm/s at 20°C and (2.01 ± 0.23) × 10^-5 cm/s at 37°C]. This study effectively used OCT to measure the rates at which naturally occurring lipoproteins enter both normal and diseased carotid intimal tissue.