title: Osteoglycin deficiency does not affect atherosclerosis in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The small leucine-rich proteoglycan Osteoglycin/Mimecan (OGN) is a component of the extracellular matrix, where it regulates collagen fibrillogenesis and cytokine availability. OGN is abundant in normal vessels and in atherosclerotic and restenotic lesions of rat, rabbit and human arteries. Osteoglycin-null mice show alterations in the thickness of collagen fibers of the cornea and the skin. In this work, we inspect the possible involvement of OGN in the atherosclerosis progression using a double knockout mouse model.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to examine the progression of atherosclerosis in the absence of OGN, we developed double Apoe and Ogn knockout mice and performed a comparative histomorphological and immunofluorescence study of the atherosclerotic lesions of Apoe(-/-)Ogn(-/-) and Apoe(-/-)Ogn(+/+) mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We demonstrate the presence of Ogn transcript in the aorta of wildtype mice, its absence in Ogn(-/-) mice, and the normal histomorphology of arteries of Ogn(-/-) mice. The composition of the extracellular matrix and also the cellular content and distribution were similar in atherosclerotic lesions of Apoe(-/-)Ogn(-/-) and Apoe(-/-)Ogn(+/+) mice. Quantification of the lesion size revealed no significant differences between double and single knockout mice. The incidence, size and distribution of calcium deposits were similar in both groups of mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of the proteoglycan OGN does not affect the progression of atherosclerosis in mice. Possible causes for the absence of phenotype in the Apoe/Ogn double mutants are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Genetics Centre, Biomedical Research Institut of Girona, Spain. Electronic address: jmoncayo@gencardio.com.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moncayo-Arlandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Spain; Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA), Spain. Electronic address: alelopezgarcia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-García
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Spain; Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA), Spain. Electronic address: mcfdez@uma.es.
authors.forename: M Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Spain; Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA), Spain. Electronic address: acduran@uma.es.
authors.forename: Ana Carmen
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Durán
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, Spain; Biomedical Research Institute of Málaga (IBIMA), Spain. Electronic address: borjafe@uma.es.
authors.forename: Borja
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005487:Foam Cells / Q000473:pathology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C512906:Ogn protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Apoe; Knockout mouse; Osteoglycin; Small Leucine-Repeat Domain Protein