Chlamydia pneumoniae infection significantly exacerbates aortic atherosclerosis in an LDLR-/- mouse model within six months

We have previously shown that infection with the C. pneumoniae AR39 strain once monthly for 9 consecutive months significantly exacerbated atherosclerosis in mice with LDL receptor deficiency (LDLR-/-) in the presence of a high cholesterol diet. To further optimize the LDLR-/- mouse model for studyi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular and cellular biochemistry 2000-12, Vol.215 (1-2), p.123-128
Main Authors: Liu, L, Hu, H, Ji, H, Murdin, A D, Pierce, G N, Zhong, G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Aorta - pathology
Arteriosclerosis - complications
Atherosclerosis
Chlamydia
Chlamydia Infections - complications
Chlamydia Infections - genetics
Chlamydophila pneumoniae
Chlamydophila pneumoniae - pathogenicity
Cholesterol
Cholesterol - blood
Cholesterol - metabolism
Diet
Female
Inflammation - microbiology
Lesions
Lipoproteins - blood
Lipoproteins, LDL - blood
Low density lipoprotein receptors
Mice
Mice, Knockout
Receptors, LDL - genetics
Rodents
Sexually transmitted diseases
STD
Time Factors
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Summary:We have previously shown that infection with the C. pneumoniae AR39 strain once monthly for 9 consecutive months significantly exacerbated atherosclerosis in mice with LDL receptor deficiency (LDLR-/-) in the presence of a high cholesterol diet. To further optimize the LDLR-/- mouse model for studying the mechanisms of C. pneumoniae atherogenesis, we have tested a different infection protocol with intranasal inoculation twice monthly for 6 consecutive months in the present study. We found that C. pneumoniae infection for 6 months was sufficient to produce a 130%, significantly greater exacerbation of aortic atherosclerosis in LDLR-/- mice in the presence of a high cholesterol diet. Mice receiving a high cholesterol diet alone displayed a lesion area index of 18.2 +/- 6.1 (S.D.) while mice treated with both the high cholesterol diet and C. pneumoniae infection had a lesion area index of 41.8 +/- 15.2 (S.D.). However, the chlamydial infection did not significantly alter the mouse serum total cholesterol or the LDL levels induced by the high cholesterol diet. This study not only confirms our previous findings that C. pneumoniae infection can exacerbate aortic atherosclerosis lesion in the LDLR-/- mice, but also further optimizes the LDLR-/- mouse model for future mechanism studies.
ISSN:0300-8177
1573-4919
DOI:10.1023/A:1026531506202