Macrophage lipoprotein lipase promotes foam cell formation and atherosclerosis in vivo

Expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) by the macrophage has been proposed to promote foam cell formation and atherosclerosis, primarily on the basis of in vitro studies. LPL-deficient mice might provide a model for testing t he role of LPL secretion by the macrophage in an in vivo system. Unfortunat ely, homozygous deficiency of LPL in the mouse is lethal shortly after birt h. Because the fetal liver is the major site of hematopoiesis in the develo ping fetus, transplantation of C57BL/6 mice with LPL-/- fetal liver cells ( FLCs) was used to investigate the physiologic role of macrophage LPL expres sion in vivo. Thirty-four female C57BL/6 mice were lethally irradiated and reconstituted with FLCs from day 14 LPL+/+, LPL+/-, and LPL-/- donors. No s ignificant differences were detected in plasma levels of post-heparin LPL a ctivity or in serum cholesterol or triglyceride levels between the 3 groups on either a chow diet or an atherogenic diet. After 19 weeks on the athero genic diet, aortae were collected for quantitative analysis of the extent o f aortic atherosclerosis. LPL expression was detected by immunocytochemistr y and in situ hybridization in macrophages of aortic atherosclerotic lesion s of LPL+/+-->C57BL/6 and LPL+/--->C57BL/6 mice, but not in LPL-/--->C57BL/ 6 mice, whereas myocardial cells expressed LPL in all groups. The mean aort ic lesion area was reduced by 55% in LPL-/--->C57BL/6 mice compared with LP L+/+-->C57BL/6 mice and by 45% compared with LPL+/--->C57BL/6 mice, respect ively. These data demonstrate in vivo that LPL expression by macrophages in the artery wall promotes foam cell formation and atherosclerosis.