Management of atherosclerosis with antiallergic medicine: a lesson from the mouse model

Abstract

Evaluation of: Sun J, Sukhova GK, Wolters PJ et al.: Mast cells promote atherosclerosis by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Nat. Med. 13, 719–724 (2007). Mast cells are important components in human allergic response and innate immunity. These cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis since the 1950s, and a series of studies have proposed their roles in the pathologic events critical to atherogenesis. Despite these studies and hypotheses, there is no evidence to suggest a direct participation of these allergic cells in atherosclerosis. Using mast cell-deficient mice and intravenous mast cell reconstitution technology with a conventional mouse atherosclerosis model, Dr Sun et al. revealed that mast cells contribute to atherogenesis by releasing proinflammatory cytokines, which are utilized to stimulate vascular cell-protease expression and further tissue remodeling. Mice that lack these cells are resistant to diet-induced atherosclerosis. These data suggest that stabilization of mast cells with antiallergic medicine may be utilized in controlling or preventing the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis in humans.