title: [Effect of chronic iron overload on atherosclerosis lesion in apolipoprotein E knockout mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of chronic iron overload on the lesion of atherosclerosis (AS) in apolipoprotein (apo) E knockout mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four ApoE knockout mice were randomly divided into ApoE knockout group (0.1 mL saline for 4 weeks) and iron overload group (10 mg iron dextran for 4 weeks). The levels of serum iron (SI), total iron binding capacity, contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver were measured. Iron deposition in the liver and heart was determined, and atherosclerotic plaque areas of the sinus aortae were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the iron overload group, the levels of SI increased by 377.86%, the saturation of transferrin increased by 121.98% and the levels of iron in the liver increased by 2,548.15% (P<0.01). The contents of MDA in the liver increased by 32.51% (P<0.01), and the activity of SOD in the liver decreased by 17.2% in the ApoE knockout group (P<0.05). The level of MDA in the liver increased by 411.15%, and the activity of SOD in the liver decreased by 46.84% in the iron overload group (P<0.01). There was a significant deposition of iron in the liver and heart of mice, and the areas of atherosclerotic plaque of sinus aortae increased markedly in the iron overload group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic iron overload may promote the development of AS lesion in the ApoE knockout mice, in which the increased oxidative stress and lipid oxidation may involve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China. xyxiexm@sina.com
authors.forename: Xiu-mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Mei-fang
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yu-cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiao-bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hai-ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011897:Random Allocation; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D014168:Transferrin; D007501:Iron; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase