Monocyte accumulation in mouse atherogenesis is progressive and proportional to extent of disease

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0604260103
• Publication Date: 2006-06-27T00:53:55Z
• Authors: Filip K. Swirski; Mikael J. Pittet; Moritz F. Kircher; Elena Aikawa; Farouc A. Jaffer; Peter Libby; Ralph Weissleder
• Keywords: Monocyte

Monocytes participate importantly in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, but their spatial and temporal recruitment from circulation remains uncertain. This study tests hypothesis that monocyte accumulation atheroma correlates with extent disease by using a sensitive simple quantitative assay allows tracking highly enriched populations blood monocytes. A two-step isolation method yielded viable functionally intact peripheral (>90%). Recipient mice received syngeneic monocytes labeled two ways: transgenically expressing EGFP or radioactive tracer [(111)In]oxine. After 5 days, more cells accumulated aorta, principally aortic root ascending 10-wk-old ApoE(-/-) compared C57BL/6 (223 +/- 3 vs. 87 22 per aorta). Considerably 20-wk-old on either chow (314 41 cells) high-cholesterol diet (395 53 cells). Fifty-week-old even root, thoracic aorta after both (503 67 (648 81 Labeled content consistently correlated lesion surface area. These data indicate accumulate continuously during formation, increases proportion to size, is augmented hypercholesterolemia. results provide insights into mechanisms atherogenesis have implications for duration therapies directed at leukocyte recruitment.