Apolipoprotein E-deficient mouse

Meir KS, Leitersdorf E. Atherosclerosis in the apolipoprotein E-deficient mouse—a decade of progress. Arterioscler Thromb Vase Biol 2004 24(6) 1006-1014. 

Rosenblat, M., Aviram, M. 2002. Oxysterol-induced activation of macrophage NADPH-oxidase enhances cell-mediated oxidation of LDL in the atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E deficient mouse inhibitory role for vitamin E. Atheroscler. 160, 69-80. 

Dansky, H. M., Charlton, S. A., Harper, M. M., and Smith, J. D. (1997). T and B lymphocytes play a minor role in atherosclerotic plaque formation in the apolipoprotein E-deficient mouse. Proc. Natl. Acad Sci. USA 94, 4642—4646. 

Clinical studies investigated the antioxidative effects of antioxidant supplementation of humans on ex vivo LDL oxidation [48-52], We have shown that dietary supplementation of p-carotene of healthy subjects resulted in a moderate inhibitory effect on the susceptibility of LDL to oxidative modification [53-55] in some, but not in all studied subjects. The combination of carotenoids with vitamin E, in contrast, demonstrated a synergistic inhibitory effect on LDL oxidation in all studied cases [56], We showed that supplementation of vitamin E of atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (25 pg/mouse/day for 3 months) inhibited LDL oxidation by 40% and the atherosclerotic lesion area by 35% [57], In humans, unlike in animal models, both vitamin E and carotenoids did not significantly reduce atherosclerosis in primary prevention trials [58], This result may be related to insufficient absorption, insufficient potency, and inappropriate tissue distribution,... 

The mouse model has been detailed elsewhere [36], and only a brief description will be presented here. Infusion of Ang II into mature apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE / ) mice promotes an increase in the severity of aortic atherosclerotic lesions and the formation of AAAs. The formation of aneurysms in the animal model is independent of arterial blood pressure and lipoprotein profiles however, it requires the hyperlipidemic background and is dependent on Ang II dose and gender (males develop aneurysms at a greater incidence than females). 

Cheng, H., Jiang, X. and Han, X. (2007) Alterations in lipid homeostasis of mouse dorsal root ganglia induced by apolipoprotein E deficiency A shotgun lipidomics study. J. Neurochem. 101, 57-76. 

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