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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Quantification of Atherosclerosis in Mice

Quantification of Atherosclerosis in Mice

Published on: June 12, 2019

NKT cell subsets mediate differential proatherogenic effects in ApoE-/- mice.

Kelly To¹, Alex Agrotis, Gurdyal Besra

¹Vascular Biology & Atherosclerosis Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, PO Box 6492, St Kilda Road Central, Melbourne, Victoria 8008, Australia. Kelly.To@bakeridi.edu.au

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology

|March 3, 2009

Summary

CD4+ NKT cells, not DN NKT cells, drive atherosclerosis development. Inhibitory Ly49 receptors on NKT cell subtypes regulate proatherogenic cytokine secretion, influencing lesion size in ApoE-/- mice.

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Induction of Atherosclerotic Plaques Through Activation of Mineralocorticoid Receptors in Apolipoprotein E-deficient Mice

Induction of Atherosclerotic Plaques Through Activation of Mineralocorticoid Receptors in Apolipoprotein E-deficient Mice

Published on: September 26, 2018

Area of Science:

Immunology
Cardiovascular Research
Atherosclerosis Pathogenesis

Background:

NKT cells contribute to atherosclerosis, but specific subtypes involved remain unclear.
ApoE-/- mice are a standard model for studying atherosclerosis.
Neonatal thymectomy (3dTx) can induce NKT cell deficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

Identify which NKT cell subtypes (CD4+ or DN NKT) promote atherogenesis.
Investigate the role of inhibitory Ly49 receptors in NKT cell-mediated atherosclerosis.

Main Methods:

Utilized ApoE-/- mice rendered NKT cell-deficient via neonatal thymectomy (3dTx).
Assessed atherosclerosis development on a high-fat diet with/without adoptive NKT cell transfer.
Analyzed NKT cell subtype homing, Ly49 receptor expression, and cytokine secretion in vitro.

Main Results:

Thymectomized mice showed significantly smaller atherosclerotic lesions, confirming NKT cell deficiency.
Adoptive transfer of CD4+ NKT cells, but not DN NKT cells, increased lesion size 2.5-fold.
DN NKT cells expressed higher inhibitory Ly49 receptors, impacting cytokine secretion differently based on MHC class I expression.

Conclusions:

CD4+ NKT cells are the primary drivers of NKT cell-mediated proatherogenic activity.
Differential expression of inhibitory Ly49 receptors by NKT cell subtypes regulates their proatherogenic function.