ATHEROGENESIS - INSIGHTS FROM THE STUDY OF TRANSGENIC AND GENE-TARGETED MICE

Owing to the investigative power of classical mouse genetics and the d evelopment of transgenic and gene-targeting technologies, the mouse ha s increasingly been used to study atherogenesis. Investigators, have m anipulated the plasma levels of several proteins involved in lipid met abolism through the engineering of mice and assessed the impact of the se changes on the progression of murine atherogenesis. These studies h ave established causal relationships between the expression of defined genetic elements and atherosclerosis in a manner not feasible in huma ns. Studies of transgenic mice with genetically altered levels of apol ipoproteins A-I, (a), and E have provided important insights into the in vivo role of these proteins in atherogenesis. These studies illustr ate the potential to dissect the complex genetics of atherosclerosis s usceptibility with the use of transgenic and gene-targeted mice.