Atherosclerosis and leukocyte-endothelial adhesive interactions are increased following acute myocardial infarction in apolipoprotein E deficient mice

Objective: To determine the effect of myocardial infarction (MI) on progression of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice. Methods and results: MI was induced following left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation in wild-type (WT) (n = 9) and ApoE(-/-)(n = 25) mice. Compared to sham-operated animals, MI mice demonstrated increased intravascular leukocyte rolling and firm adhesion by intravital microscopy, reflecting enhanced systemic leukocyte-endothelial interactions. To determine if MI was associated with accelerated atherogenesis, LAD ligation was performed in ApoE(-/-) mice. Six weeks following surgery, atherosclerosis was quantitated throughout the arterial tree by microdissection and Oil-Red-O staining. There was 1.6-fold greater atherosclerotic burden present in ApoE(-/-) MI mice compared to sham-operated mice. Conclusions: Acute MI accelerates atherogenesis in mice. These results may be related to the increased risk of recurrent ischemic coronary events following MI in humans. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.