Hypertension and decreased aortic compliance due to reduced elastin amounts do not increase atherosclerotic plaque accumulation in Ldlr-/- mice.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

High blood pressure and reduced aortic compliance are associated with increased atherosclerotic plaque accumulation in humans. Animal studies support these associations, but additional factors, such as fragmented elastic fibers, are present in most previous animal studies. Elastin heterozygous (Eln+/-) mice have high blood pressure and reduced aortic compliance, with no evidence of elastic fiber fragmentation and represent an appropriate model to directly investigate the effects of these factors on atherosclerosis.

Methods and results

Eln+/- and Eln+/+ mice were crossed with low density lipoprotein receptor knockout (Ldlr-/-) and wild-type (Ldlr+/+) mice and fed normal or Western diet (WD) for 16 weeks. We hypothesized that on WD, Eln+/-Ldlr-/- mice with

SUBMITTER: Maedeker JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4879071 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature