Table 1.
Role of lymphatics in mRCT and immune cells trafficking in the arterial wall.
| Reference | Murine Model | Intervention/Treatment | Site of Lymphatic Function Assessment | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martel et al. [13] | WT C57BL/6 | Disruption of tail lymphatics and injection of [3H]-cholesterol–loaded macrophages into the tail distal to lymphatic disruption | Tail | Reduced [3H]-Cholesterol levels in plasma, liver and feces of mice with lymphatic disruption |
| Martel et al. [13] | Chy mice | Injection of [3H]-cholesterol–loaded macrophages into the footpads | Footpad skin | Decreased RCT in Chy mice compared with control mice |
| Martel et al. [13] | ApoE−/− Regression model |
Transplantation of [2H]6−labeled cholesterol-loaded aorta to ApoE−/− mice treated with a VEGFR3 blocking antibody ApoE adenoviral vector |
Aorta | Reduced RCT in VEGFR3 blocking antibody-treated mice |
| Vuorio et al. [16] | Chy×LDLR−/−/ApoB100/100 sVEGFR3×LDLR−/−/ApoB100/100 |
Normal chow diet or Western diet | Elevated plasma cholesterol levels in Chy mice compared with control mice on chow as well as Western diet No change in plasma cholesterol levels among sVEGFR3×LDLR−/−/ApoB100/100 mice and respective controls Accelerated atherosclerosis in young and middle-aged sVEGFR3 mice compared with control mice after 6 weeks of Western diet |
|
| Lim et al. [12] | ApoE−/− | Regular chow diet and VEGF-C treatment Surgical disruption of afferent lymphatic vessels |
Peritoneal cavity and skin | Improved lymphatic transport and reduced peripheral lipid accumulation in VEGF-C-treated mice. Decreased RCT in mice with excised lymphatic vessels |
| Milasan et al. [14] | Pcsk9−/− LDLR−/−; hApoB100/100 |
Regular chow diet and VEGF-C152S treatment | Footpad and back skin | Improved collecting lymphatic vessel function in Pcsk9−/− mice. VEGF-C-treated LDLR−/−; hApoB100/100 mice |
| Taher et al. [156] | ApoE−/− | Western diet | Decreased lymphatic vessel density in aged and Western diet-fed mice due to increased expression of sVEGFR2 in aortic tissue | |
| Milasan et al. [157] | LDLR−/− | Western diet and apoA-I treatment | Footpad and back skin | Enhanced lymphatic transport, improved LV permeability and reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation in apoA-I-treated mice |
| Rademakers et al. [15] | ApoE−/− | Western diet Semi-constrictive collars on carotid artery Dissection of plaque draining lymph node and lymphatic vessel |
Aggravated atherosclerotic lesion formation Accumulation of CD3+ T cells in the carotid artery |
|
| Rademakers et al. [15] | ApoE−/− | Western diet AAV-hVEGFR3 treatment |
Accumulation of CD3+ T cells in the intima and adventitia | |
| Milasan et al. [62] | LDLR−/−Regression model | VEGF-C152S pretreatment Western diet for 8 weeks and one group switched to regular chow diet after 8 weeks |
Footpad and back skin | VEGF-C pretreatment improved lymphatic transport and attenuated plaque formation in mice sacrificed after Western diet period |