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DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-979090
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York
Effect of Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor on the Advanced Atherosclerosis in Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic Rabbits
Publication History
1997
1997
Publication Date:
23 April 2007 (online)

Abstract
We have reported that macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) prevents atherosclerosis in young WHHL rabbits (Atherosclerosis 93:245, 1993). In the present study, we injected recombinant human M-CSF (250 µg/day) into WHHL rabbits aged 11 months 3 times a week after advanced atherosclerosis was established. After 8 months of treatment, we did not find any significant difference in plasma lipid levels, cholesterol ester content in the aorta or macroscopic atherosclerosis lesion area between M-CSF treated and non-treated rabbits. There was, however, a significant difference in the ratio of intimal to medial thickness (1.08 vs 1.7, p < 0.01). Thus, M-CSF may influence vascular smooth muscle cell function and modify the process of atherosclerosis in advance lesions.
Key words
M-CSF - Macrophage - Cytokine - Foam Cell - WHHL Rabbit