Abstract 399: Apolipoprotein AI Suppresses Diabetes-Associated Leukocytosis

Objective: Diabetes-associated hyperglycemia increases circulating neutrophil and monocyte counts in mice via the proliferation and expansion of bone marrow myeloid progenitors. Clinically, diabetic patients also have elevated leukocyte counts, with the differing subsets (inc. neutrophils and monocytes) phenotypically more inflammatory when compared to leukocytes from non-diabetics. An emerging concept is that there is a positive association of leukocyte counts with the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in diabetics. Various reports have shown that apolipoprotein AI (apoA1) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) can suppress both myeloproliferation and reduce the inflammatory state of neutrophils and monocytes. Given that low apoA1/HDL is a typical feature of diabetic dyslipidemia this study aimed to establish whether raising apoA1/HDL levels could reduce hyperglycemia-driven leukocytosis in a model of diabetes. Methods and Results: C57Bl6 (WT) and hApoA1 (overexpressing) transgenic (TG) mice wer...