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Cross-sectional association between blood cholesterol and calcium levels in genetically diverse strains of mice.

ABSTRACT: Genetically diverse outbred mice allow for the study of genetic variation in the context of high dietary and environmental control. Using a machine learning approach, we investigated clinical and morphometric factors that associate with serum cholesterol levels in 840 genetically unique Diversity Outbred mice of both sexes (n = 417 male and 423 female), and on both a control chow (% kcals in diet: protein 22%, carbohydrate 62%, fat 16%, no cholesterol) and high fat high sucrose (% kcals in diet: protein 15%, carbohydrate 41%, fat 45%, 0.05% cholesterol). We find expected elevations of cholesterol in male mice, as well as in mice with elevated serum triglycerides and/or fed a high fat high sucrose diet. The third strongest predictor was serum calcium which correlated with serum cholesterol across both diets and sexes (r = 0.39-0.48) in both Diversity Outbred (P = 3.0 × 10^-43 ) and BXD (P = 0.005) mice. This is in-line with several human cohort studies which show associations between calcium and cholesterol, and calcium as an independent predictor of cardiovascular events.

SUBMITTER: Cousineau CM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10909986 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Cross-sectional association between blood cholesterol and calcium levels in genetically diverse strains of mice.

Cousineau Cody M CM Loftus Kaelin K Churchill Gary A GA Bridges Dave D

FEBS open bio 20240107 3

Genetically diverse outbred mice allow for the study of genetic variation in the context of high dietary and environmental control. Using a machine learning approach, we investigated clinical and morphometric factors that associate with serum cholesterol levels in 840 genetically unique Diversity Outbred mice of both sexes (n = 417 male and 423 female), and on both a control chow (% kcals in diet: protein 22%, carbohydrate 62%, fat 16%, no cholesterol) and high fat high sucrose (% kcals in diet: ...[more]

PMID: 38129969

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Project description:Genetic variation in the population has an influence on the manifestation of monogenic as well as multifactorial disorders, with the underlying genetic contribution dependent on several interacting variants. Common laboratory mouse strains used for modelling human disease lack the genetic variability of the human population. Therefore, outcomes of rodent studies show limited correlation with human disease. The functionality of brain vasculature is an important modifier of brain diseases. Importantly, the restrictive interface between blood and brain – the blood-brain barrier (BBB) serves as a major obstacle for CNS drug delivery. Using genetically diverse mouse strains, we aimed to investigate the phenotypic and transcriptomic variation of the intact BBB in different inbred mouse strains.We investigated the heterogeneity of brain vasculature in recently wild-derived mouse strains (CAST/EiJ, WSB/EiJ, PWK/PhJ) and long-inbred mouse strains (129S1/SvImJ, A/J, C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, NOD/ShiLtJ) using different phenotypic arms. We used immunohistochemistry and confocal laser microscopy followed by quantitative image analysis to determine vascular density and pericyte coverage in two brain regions – cortex and hippocampus. Using a low molecular weight fluorescence tracer, sodium fluorescein and spectrophotometry analysis, we assessed BBB permeability in young and aged mice of selected strains. For further phenotypic characterization of endothelial cells in inbred mouse strains, we performed bulk RNA sequencing of sorted endothelial cells isolated from cortex and hippocampus. We did not detect differences in cortical and hippocampal vessel density and pericyte coverage among all the investigated strains. The staining patterns of endothelial arteriovenous zonation markers were similar in different strains. BBB permeability to a small fluorescent tracer, sodium fluorescein, was also similar in different strains. Transcriptomic analysis of endothelial cells revealed that sex of the animal was a major determinant of gene expression differences. In addition, the expression level of several genes implicated in endothelial function and BBB biology differed between wild-derived and long-inbred mouse strains. Our analysis shows that although there were no major differences in parenchymal vascular morphology and BBB permeability between investigated mouse strains or sexes, transcriptomic differences of brain endothelial cells point to variation in gene expression of the intact BBB. These baseline variances might be confounding factors in pathological conditions that may lead to a differential functional outcome dependent on the sex or genetic polymorphism.

Dataset Information

Cross-sectional association between blood cholesterol and calcium levels in genetically diverse strains of mice.

Publications

Cross-sectional association between blood cholesterol and calcium levels in genetically diverse strains of mice.

Similar Datasets

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