title: The membrane attack complex of complement drives the progression of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E knockout mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the roles of the membrane attack complex of complement and its sole membrane regulator, CD59, in atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  C6 (C6(-/-)) deficient and CD59a (Cd59a(-/-)) knockout mice were separately crossed onto the apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE(-/-)) background. The double knockout mice were fed high-fat diet in order to study the effects of absence of C6 or CD59a on the progression of atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  C6 deficiency significantly reduced plaque area and disease severity. CD59a had the opposite effect in that deficiency was associated with a significant increase in plaque area, correlating with increased membrane attack complex (MAC) deposition in the plaque and increased smooth muscle cell proliferation in early plaques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that the MAC contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, C6 deficiency being protective and CD59a deficiency exacerbating disease.
authors: Department of Medical Biochemistry and Immunology, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors: Ruth D
authors: RD
authors: Lewis
authors: Christopher L
authors: CL
authors: Jackson
authors: B Paul
authors: BP
authors: Morgan
authors: Timothy R
authors: TR
authors: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018957:CD59 Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003183:Complement C6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D018957:CD59 Antigens; C539311:CD59a protein, mouse; D003183:Complement C6; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex