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Quantification of Atherosclerosis in Mice
Published on: June 12, 2019
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Murine Norovirus Infection Variably Alters Atherosclerosis in Mice Lacking Apolipoprotein E
Charlie C Hsu1, Jisun Paik2, Thea L Brabb2
1Department of Comparative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. chuckhsu@uw.edu.
Comparative Medicine
|October 17, 2015
Summary
Murine norovirus 4 (MNV4) infection can unpredictably alter atherosclerosis development in ApoE(-/-) mice, impacting research. Experiments should be conducted in MNV-free mouse colonies to ensure reliable outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Macrophages are crucial in atherosclerosis development.
- Murine noroviruses (MNV) are common in research mice and infect immune cells.
- MNV4 infection may confound atherosclerosis research using susceptible mouse models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of MNV4 infection on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice.
- To determine if MNV4 alters inflammatory and cholesterol transport pathways in macrophages.
- To assess the impact of MNV4 on atherosclerotic plaque development at different disease stages.
Main Methods:
- Infection of ApoE(-/-) bone marrow-derived macrophages with MNV4 in vitro.
- Analysis of inflammatory gene expression (iNOS, MCP1, IL6) and cholesterol transport proteins (CD36, ABCA1).
- Infection of ApoE(-/-) mice with MNV4 at different ages and assessment of atherosclerotic lesion size.
Main Results:
- MNV4 infection increased inflammatory markers and altered cholesterol transport proteins in ApoE(-/-) macrophages.
- MNV4 infection showed variable effects on atherosclerotic plaque size in ApoE(-/-) mice.
- Increased circulating Ly6C-positive monocytes and viral RNA in aortas were observed in infected mice.
Conclusions:
- MNV4 infection has a variable and unpredictable impact on atherosclerosis in ApoE(-/-) mice.
- The findings suggest MNV4 can influence disease progression through immune cell modulation.
- Using MNV-free mouse colonies is recommended for accurate atherosclerosis research.
