Abstract
Lymphocytes are prominent components of human atherosclerotic lesions, but their presence in murine models of disease has not been confirmed. Lymphocyte subpopulations have been identified in apoE -/- and LDL receptor -/- mice fed a cholesterol-enriched diet for up to 3 months. ApoE - /mice had higher serum cholesterol concentrations than did LDL receptor -/- mice during most of the feeding period, primarily due to large increases in VLDL concentrations. Total area of atherosclerotic lesions was greater at all times in apoE -/- than LDL receptor -/- mice (lesion area after 3 months on cholesterol-enriched diet: apoE -/-, 993±193 and LDL receptor -/-, 560±131 μm2x103, mean±SEM, n=6 in each group). Lesions in apoE -/- mice contained larger macrophage-rich necrotic cores and more calcification than did those in LDL receptor -/- mice. Immunocytochemical analyses of tissue sections of ascending aortas performed with monoclonal antibodies to T and B lymphocytes and macrophages revealed that T lymphocytes immunoreactive for Thy 1.2, CD5, CD4, and CD8 were observed in lesions from both strains, but no B lymphocytes were detected. The density of Thy 1.2+ T lymphocytes in lesions was greatest at 1 month (apoE -/-, 98±23 and LDL receptor -/-, 201±40 lymphocytes/mm2, n=6 in each group), decreasing in apoE -/- mice to 12±3 and in LDL receptor -/- mice to 51±20 lymphocytes/mm2 at 3 months. The presence of T lymphocytes in murine atherosclerotic lesions makes these animals potentially useful for studying the involvement of the immune system in atherogenesis.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1013-1018 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1996 |
Keywords
- atherosclerosis
- immunohistochemistry
- murine model
- T lymphocytes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine