Decreased Susceptibility to Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis in Human Apolipoprotein A-II Transgenic Mice

Abstract

Abstract —Studies performed in vivo have been controversial regarding the implication of human apolipoprotein (apo)A-II in the atherogenic process. Expression of human apoA-II in transgenic mice fed a chow diet leads to (1) a bimodal distribution of high density lipoprotein (HDL) size as in humans, (2) a reduction in total cholesterol concentration that is mainly due to a reduction in non–HDL cholesterol level, and (3) a dramatic reduction in mouse endogenous apoA-I and apoA-II. After 20 weeks on an atherogenic diet, transgenic mice had reduced total cholesterol concentrations because of a reduction in cholesterol associated with all lipoprotein classes. Endogenous apoA-I and apoA-II were also dramatically decreased in transgenic mice. The mean area of atherosclerotic lesions was drastically decreased in transgenic mice (−44%, P =0.0027) compared with control mice. The amount of aortic surface covered by lesions was positively correlated with very low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P <0.01) and intermediate density lipoprotein cholesterol levels ( P <0.05). Transgenic mice were protected against the development of atherosclerosis despite a marked decrease in HDL cholesterol and apoA-I concentrations. This protection may be related to the marked reduction in circulating low density lipoprotein (very low density and intermediate density lipoprotein) levels in transgenic mice.