| First Author | Rotzius P | Year | 2010 |
| Journal | Am J Pathol | Volume | 177 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 493-500 |
| PubMed ID | 20472897 | Mgi Jnum | J:162128 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:4462775 | Doi | 10.2353/ajpath.2010.090480 |
| Citation | Rotzius P, et al. (2010) Distinct infiltration of neutrophils in lesion shoulders in ApoE-/- mice. Am J Pathol 177(1):493-500 |
| abstractText | Inflammation and activation of immune cells are key mechanisms in the development of atherosclerosis. Previous data indicate important roles for monocytes and T-lymphocytes in lesions. However, recent data suggest that neutrophils also may be of importance in atherogenesis. Here, we use apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-deficient mice with fluorescent neutrophils and monocytes (ApoE(-/-)/Lys(EGFP/EGFP) mice) to specifically study neutrophil presence and recruitment in atherosclerotic lesions. We show by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy that neutrophils make up for 1.8% of CD45(+) leukocytes in the aortic wall of ApoE(-/-)/Lys(EGFP/EGFP) mice and that their contribution relative to monocyte/macrophages within lesions is approximately 1:3. However, neutrophils accumulate at sites of monocyte high density, preferentially in shoulder regions of lesions, and may even outnumber monocyte/macrophages in these areas. Furthermore, intravital microscopy established that a majority of leukocytes interacting with endothelium on lesion shoulders are neutrophils, suggesting a significant recruitment of these cells to plaque. These data demonstrate neutrophilic granulocytes as a major cellular component of atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE(-/-) mice and call for further study on the roles of these cells in atherogenesis. |
