TITLE: A linear kinetic approach and near equilibrium thermodynamics of serum
             parameters from atherosclerosis-induced animals treated with drugs

                   Institute of cellular Biology and Pathology "Nicolae Simionescu",
                   Bucharest

ABSTRACT:
 

The effect of hypolipidemic on the evolution of atherosclerotic lesions and of specific serum parameters (cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoproteins, high density lipoproteins, lipid perroxides, antioxydant potential, angiotensin converting enzymes) was studied in a group of hiperlipidemic hamsters.

Hiperlipidemic hamsters were fed standard chow suplemented with three per cent cholesterol and 15 per cent butter and drug treatment was performed by oral administration of simvastatin (Zocor, MSD). We designed a theoretical model which consider serum paramemters from hiperlipemic hamsters with or without drug treatment as chemical reactants and final values as products. We have considered that atherosclerotic process is dynamic and irreversible, slowly varying with time and used a linear kinetic approach and near equilibrium thermodinamics to write a set of linearly coupled equations for the evolution in time of the serum parametres, diet and drug and of the entropy. 

The main results are:

 a) the variation with respect to time of the parameters concentrations explained as solutions of the set of linearly coupled (both in general and as a semi-empiric version); 

b)the estimation of the actual drug quantit that was utilized by the animals, by using a derived

relation from the mass conservation condition (in the process on interaction); 

c)the deduction of the stationary state of the animal from the entropy production (when the drug is supposed to have the highest effect) and of the neccesary conditions to satisfy Prigogine's principles which implies the request that at least two of the parameters are coupled;

d) the demonstration that the level of the calculated entropy for the animals is lower for treated hyperlipemic hamsters than for non-treated ones (considering the same diet and drug throughout the whole experimental period) resulting in a degree of order for healthy animals higher than for atherosclerotic ones.

In conclusion comparison of the resulting data from our theoretical model with experimental findings obtained after simvastatin traetment of hyperlipemic hamsters is satisfactory.

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