Circulating adhesion molecules in apoE-deficient mouse strains with different atherosclerosis susceptibility.
Recruitment of inflammatory cells in the arterial wall by vascular adhesion molecules plays a key role in development of atherosclerosis. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice have spontaneous hyperlipidemia and develop all phases of atherosclerotic lesions. We sought to examine plasma levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and sP-selectin in two apoE(-/-) strains C57BL/6 (B6) and BALB/c with early or advanced lesions. Mice were fed chow or a Western diet containing 42% fat, 0.15% cholesterol, and 19.5% casein. On either diet, BALB/c.apoE(-/-) mice developed much smaller atherosclerotic lesions and displayed significantly lower levels of sVCAM-1 and sP-selectin than B6.apoE(-/-) mice. The Western diet significantly elevated sVCAM-1 levels in both strains and sP-selectin levels in B6.apoE(-/-) mice. BALB/c.apoE(-/-) mice exhibited 2-fold higher HDL cholesterol levels on the chow diet and 15-fold higher HDL levels on the Western diet than B6.apoE(-/-) mice, although the two strains had comparable levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride. Thus, increased atherosclerosis is accompanied by increases in circulating VCAM-1 and P-selectin levels in the two apoE(-/-) mouse strains, and the high HDL level may protect against atherosclerosis by inhibiting the expression of adhesion molecules in BALB/c.apoE(-/-) mice.
Tian
Jing
J
Department of Radiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Pei
Hong
H
James
Jessica C
JC
Li
Yuhua
Y
Matsumoto
Alan H
AH
Helm
Gregory A
GA
Shi
Weibin
W
D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000097:blood; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D015415:Biomarkers; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D019007:P-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1