Elsevier

Atherosclerosis

Volume 57, Issue 1, October 1985, Pages 65-73
Atherosclerosis

Research paper
Variation in susceptibility to atherosclerosis among inbred strains of mice

https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9150(85)90138-8Get rights and content

Abstract

Ten inbred strains of mice were fed an atherogenic diet containing 1.25% cholesterol, 0.5% cholic acid and 15% fat. The strains were examined for plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels and for formation of lipid-containing lesions in the aortic wall. The strains differed considerably in the frequency of lesion formation after 14 weeks on the atherogenic diet with a range of 0–1.8 lesions/mouse. The order of susceptibility to lesion formation from the least susceptible to the most susceptible was BALB/cJ, C3H/J, A/J, SWR/J, NZB/J, <129/J, AKR/J, DBA/2J, <C57L/J <C57BL/6J. Total plasma cholesterol after 5 weeks on the diet varied from 131 mg/dl to 328 mg/dl among strains; however, there was little correlation between total cholesterol levels and susceptibility to lesion formation (r = 0.29). Plasma triglycerides after 5 weeks on the diet varied less than cholesterol with a range of 137–220 mg/dl. An analysis of the genetic differences among inbred strains of mice might provide useful insights into lipid metabolism and the development of atherosclerosis.

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This work was supported by grant HL-28943 and BRSG-RR05467 from the National Institutes of Health and by grants 83-N127A and 84-N141 from the American Heart Association, California Affiliate.

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