Severe hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice created by homologous recombination in ES cells.
apoE-deficient mice have been created by homologous recombination in ES cells. On a low fat, low cholesterol chow diet these animals have plasma cholesterol levels of 494 mg/dl compared with 60 mg/dl in control animals, and when challenged with a high fat Western-type diet, these animals have plasma cholesterol levels of 1821 mg/dl compared with 132 mg/dl in controls. This marked hypercholesterolemia is primarily due to elevated levels of very low and intermediate density lipoproteins. At 10 weeks of age, apoE-deficient mice have already developed atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta and coronary and pulmonary arteries. apoE-deficient mice are a promising small animal model to help understand the role of apoE in vivo and the genetic and environmental determinants of atherosclerosis.
Plump
A S
AS
Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics and Metabolism, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021-6399.
Smith
J D
JD
Hayek
T
T
Aalto-Setälä
K
K
Walsh
A
A
Verstuyft
J G
JG
Rubin
E M
EM
Breslow
J L
JL
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000172:deficiency*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D053419:Lipoproteins, IDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology; D013234:Stem Cells
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008074:Lipoproteins; D053419:Lipoproteins, IDL; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D002784:Cholesterol