Atherosclerosis is a disease state where artery walls thicken as a result of a buildup of fatty materials. It is, in essence, an inflammatory response in the walls of arteries, which involve macrophages, cholesterol, lipoproteins, fats and other materials. In 2006, the American Heart Association estimated that about 17,600,000 people in the US suffer from coronary heart disease.
At Charles River, plaque formation in ApoE-/- and LDLR-/- mice is used to assess anti-atherosclerotic agents in vivo. We have vast experience with these models, extracting the aorta or brachial cephalic sinus and performing either cross-section or en face staining to augment the lumen, plaque formation and macrophage infiltration. Differences between control and treatment groups can be compared to assess the efficacy of novel therapeutic agents.
En face view of atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mouse fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet for 12 weeks. The aorta was fixed, opened longitudinally and stained with Oil Red O. The total and stained areas are quantified and the % of the surface area occupied by lesions is calculated.
Immunohistochemical and en face assessment of atherosclerosis in Apo E deficient mice fed a western type diet.
For more information about our atherosclerosis model, please contact us at 1.877.CRIVER.1 or askcharlesriver@crl.com.