Role of macrophage-expressed adipocyte fatty acid binding protein in the development of accelerated atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic mice

SPECIFIC AIMSThe present study was designed to elucidate the mechanism(s) responsible for the prevention of advanced atherosclerotic lesion formation in hypercholesterolemic mice lacking aP2. We wanted to determine whether the reduction in lesion formation in the absence of aP2 was related to an alteration in bone marrow-derived macrophages (function or inflammatory/chemoattractant cytokine expression), cholesterol levels, glucose, or insulin levels.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. Bone marrow cells from ApoE−/−aP2−/− mice transplanted into ApoE−/− mice promotes a marked reduction in atherosclerotic lesion formationWe transplanted bone marrow cells from ApoE−/−aP2−/− mice into ApoE−/− mice; as a control, bone marrow cells from ApoE−/− mice were transplanted into ApoE−/− mice. Mice were placed on a high-fat Western diet for 12 wk and the right brachiocephalic arteries were analyzed. Representative vessels from ApoE−/− mice receiving marrow cells from ApoE−/− donor mice are depicted in Fig. 1⤻ A, B. Large atheromas wer...