Absence of microbiota (germ-free conditions) accelerates the atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient mice fed standard low cholesterol diet
Language English Country Japan Media print-electronic
Document type Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PubMed
20379054
DOI
10.5551/jat.3285
PII: JST.JSTAGE/jat/3285
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- MeSH
- Aorta, Abdominal metabolism pathology MeSH
- Aorta, Thoracic metabolism pathology MeSH
- Apolipoproteins E physiology MeSH
- Atherosclerosis etiology metabolism prevention & control MeSH
- Cholesterol, Dietary administration & dosage MeSH
- Cholesterol blood MeSH
- Germ-Free Life MeSH
- RNA, Messenger genetics MeSH
- Metagenome * MeSH
- Disease Models, Animal MeSH
- Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
- Mice, Knockout MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
- Intestinal Mucosa microbiology MeSH
- Blotting, Western MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Apolipoproteins E MeSH
- Cholesterol, Dietary MeSH
- Cholesterol MeSH
- RNA, Messenger MeSH
AIM: The aim of our work was to determine the influence of intestinal bacteria on the development of atherosclerotic lesions using apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-deficient knockout mice. METHODS: The experiments were performed on ApoE-/--deficient mouse strain C57BL/6, bred under germ-free (GF) conditions for two generations or under conventional conditions with defined microflora (CV). The mice were fed a standard low cholesterol diet or cholesterol-rich diet for 3-4 months. We studied the development of advanced lesions in the thoracic and abdominal aorta by histological, morphometric and immunohistological methods. RESULTS: Conventionally reared ApoE-/- mice (containing no pathogenic intestinal microbiota) and fed a standard low cholesterol diet in contrast to a high cholesterol diet did not develop atherosclerotic aortic plaques. In contrast, ApoE-/- mice reared under germfree conditions for 2 generations and fed a low cholesterol diet exhibited atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta. Characteristic lipid deposition with foam cells and macrophages was found in their arterial walls. CONCLUSION: In contrast to the absence of atherosclerotic plaques in conventionally reared ApoE-deficient mice, germ-free ApoE-/- mice consuming the same low cholesterol standard diet developed atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta. Differences in atherosclerotic plaques between GF and CV ApoE-/- mice are not so apparent when mice are fed a high cholesterol diet. Our findings thus document the protective effect of microbiota (commensal bacteria) on atherosclerosis development.
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