Figure 3. LpL deletion does not alter atherosclerosis regression in a non-invasive model of regression.

(A) Study design: atherosclerosis was created in Lpl^fl/fl and iLpl^−/− mice with LDLR antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) and western diet feeding for 16 weeks. One set of mice were analyzed at 16 weeks as the baseline group and the rest of the mice were treated with SO to induce regression and were analyzed after 3 weeks. The mice in regression group were also treated with tamoxifen at week 13 to induce hypertriglyceridemia in iLpl^−/− mice. (B) Plasma total cholesterol (TC) and (C) triglyceride (TG) levels in baseline and regression groups. (D) Total plaque area, (E) % of macrophages (CD68+) within aortic root lesions, (F) total plaque area, (G) % of macrophage (Mac2+) in plaques within the BCA in the baseline and regression groups. N=(B,C) Baseline Lpl^fl/fl 9, Regression Lpl^fl/fl 10 and iLpl^−/− 7, (D,E) Baseline Lpl^fl/fl 10, Regression Lpl^fl/fl14 and iLpl^−/− 9 and (F,G) Baseline Lpl^fl/fl 15, Regression Lpl^fl/fl 19 and iLpl^−/− 11. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM. * P < 0.05, ** P<0.01 and **** P < 0.0001 using 1-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparison test.