Aortic atherosclerosis features of uremic apolipoprotein E knockout mice

Objective: To observe the features of aortic atherosclerosis (As) and the expression of MMP-9 in uremic apoE-/- mice. Methods: ApoE-/- mice were subjected to the experiment. Uremic model was created by a two-step surgical procedure; control mice were sham-operated. After uremia was induced, renal function was detected to evaluate the success of the model construction. Ten weeks after uremia induction, serum MMP-9 concentration was determined; frozen sections of aortic root were examined for the lesion features of As: relative area by oil red O stain, collagen content by sirius red stain, SMC content and macrophage infiltration in the plaque by α-actin and Mac3 immunohistochemistry staining, respectively. The expression of aortic MMP-9 mRNA was determined by RT-PCR. Results: After induction of uremia, renal function indicated that the model was successfully constructed. The relative area of aortic root plaque, the degree of macrophage infiltration in plaque, serum MMP-9 concentration and the expression of MMP-9 mRNA in aorta all increased. Meanwhile, collagen and SMC content in plaque decreased in uremia group compared with that in control group. Conclusion: The accelerated atherogenesis in uremic apoE-/- mice is accompanied with the instability of the plaque.