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Updated: May 5, 2026
Quantitative Analysis and Characterization of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Murine Aortic Sinus
Published on: December 8, 2013
Atherosclerosis
1Department of Medicine, Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 90095, USA. jlusis@mednet.ucla.edu
Insights
Atherosclerosis, a major cause of heart disease and stroke, is a complex inflammatory condition. New tools reveal how cholesterol metabolism and risk factors contribute to atherosclerotic plaque development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Pathology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of death globally, responsible for approximately 50% of all deaths in westernized societies.
- It is a complex disease with numerous environmental and genetic risk factors, making its cellular and molecular mechanisms challenging to define.
- Historically viewed as a degenerative process of aging, recent research reframes atherosclerosis as a chronic inflammatory condition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying atherosclerosis.
- To understand the connection between altered cholesterol metabolism, other risk factors, and atherosclerotic plaque formation.
- To differentiate atherosclerosis from a simple consequence of aging and characterize it as an inflammatory disease.
Main Methods:
- Utilized genetically modified mouse models to study disease development.
- Applied new investigative tools to analyze cellular and molecular interactions.
- Integrated findings from epidemiological studies on risk factors.
Main Results:
- Identified key molecular mechanisms linking cholesterol metabolism and risk factors to atherosclerotic plaque.
- Demonstrated that atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory condition, not solely a degenerative aging process.
- Established that plaque rupture and thrombosis can precipitate acute clinical events.
Conclusions:
- Atherosclerosis is a complex inflammatory disease driven by interconnected risk factors and metabolic alterations.
- Advanced investigative tools, particularly mouse models, have significantly improved understanding of atherosclerotic plaque development.
- Atherosclerosis requires a paradigm shift from a degenerative view to one recognizing its inflammatory and potentially acute nature.
Abstract:
Atherosclerosis, a disease of the large arteries, is the primary cause of heart disease and stroke. In westernized societies, it is the underlying cause of about 50% of all deaths. Epidemiological studies have revealed several important environmental and genetic risk factors associated with atherosclerosis. Progress in defining the cellular and molecular interactions involved, however, has been hindered by the disease's aetiological complexity. Over the past decade, the availability of new investigative tools, including genetically modified mouse models of disease, has resulted in a clearer understanding of the molecular mechanisms that connect altered cholesterol metabolism and other risk factors to the development of atherosclerotic plaque. It is now clear that atherosclerosis is not simply an inevitable degenerative consequence of ageing, but rather a chronic inflammatory condition that can be converted into an acute clinical event by plaque rupture and thrombosis.
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