Difference in Induction Rate of Experimental Cerebral Aneurysm According to High Salt, High Lipid and Normal Diet

Choi, Hwan Young; Yi, Jin Seok; Lee, Hyung Jin; Yang, Ji Ho; Lee, Il Woo

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
An intracranial aneurysm is an important acquired cerebrovascular disease that can cause a catastrophic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Atherosclerosis is one of possible mechanism, but its contribution to aneurysm formation is unclear. Experimentally induced cerebral aneurysm rate by high lipid diet was evaluated and compared with high salt and normal diet to elucidate the role of lipid metabolism in the process of cerebral aneurysm formation.
METHODS
Thirty-seven 7-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received a cerebral aneurysm induction procedure. The control animals (n=11) were fed a normal diet, and the experimental animals were fed a diet containing 8% salt (n=15) and high lipid (n=11) for three months. Three months after the operation, the rats were killed, their cerebral arteries were dissected, and the regions of the bifurcation of the right anterior cerebral artery-olfactory artery (ACA-OA) bifurcations were examined histologically and aneurysm induction rates among three groups were analysed.
RESULTS
Average systolic blood pressures after 3 months feeding in three groups (high salt diet group, high lipid diet group and normal diet group) were 175.9+/-3.4 mmHg, 133.7+/-5.1 mmHg and 128+/-2.9 mmHg, respectively. The difference between high lipid group and normal diet group was not significant (P=0.215). The aneurysm induction rate in three group were 87%, 63% and 36%. The difference between high lipid diet group and normal diet group was significant (Pearson k2, P=0.029).
CONCLUSIONS
High lipid diet significantly increase the cerebral aneurysm induction rate in experimentally induced cerebral aneurysm model of rats. That suggests a possible adverse role for hyperlipidemia leading to aneurysm formation. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the exact role of hyperlipidemia in the pathophysiology of cerebral aneurysm.