title: Rate of atherosclerosis progression in ApoE-/- mice long after discontinuation of cola beverage drinking.
abstract: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of cola beverages drinking on atherosclerosisand test the hypothesis whether cola beverages consumption at early life stages might affect the development and progression of atherosclerosis later in life. ApoE-/- C57BL/6J mice (8 week-old) were randomized in 3 groups (n = 20 each) according to free accessto water (W), sucrose sweetened carbonated cola drink(C) or aspartame-acesulfame K sweetened carbonated 'light' cola drink (L)for the next 8 weeks. Drinking treatment was ended by switching C and L groups to drinking water. Four mice per group and time were sequentially euthanized: before treatment (8 weeks-old), at the end of treatment (16 weeks-old) and after treatment discontinuation (20 weeks-old, 24 weeks-old, 30 week-old mice). Aortic roots and livers were harvested, processed for histology and serial cross-sections were stained. Aortic plaque area was analyzed and plaque/media-ratio was calculated. Early consumption of cola drinks accelerated atherosclerotic plaque progression favoring the interaction between macrophages and myofibroblasts, without the participation of either T lymphocytes or proliferative activity. Plaque/media-ratio varied according to drink treatment (F2,54 = 3.433, p<0.04) and mice age (F4,54 = 5.009, p<0.03) and was higher in C and L groups compared with age-matched W group (p<0.05 at 16 weeks and 20 weeks, p<0.01 at 24 weeks and 30 weeks). Natural evolution of atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice (W group) evidenced atherosclerosis acceleration in parallel with a rapid increase in liver inflammation around the 20 weeks of age. Cola drinking within the 8-16 weeks of age accelerated atherosclerosis progression in ApoE-/- mice favoring aortic plaque enlargement (inward remodeling) over media thinning all over the study time. Data suggest that cola drinking at early life stages may predispose to atherosclerosis progression later in life in ApoE-/- mice.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, ININCA.UBA.CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otero-Losada
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, ININCA.UBA.CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, ININCA.UBA.CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mc Loughlin
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, ININCA.UBA.CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gastón
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Granillo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, ININCA.UBA.CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ottaviano
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, ININCA.UBA.CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Milei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000378:metabolism; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000473:pathology; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000473:pathology; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule