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Introduction: Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is used to investigate the role of BM-derived cells in atherosclerosis. BMT promotes the formation of advanced atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic root of chimeric Ldlr^-/- mice, whereas lesions formation in the aorta, including the lesser curvature of the aortic arch, is diminished. This phenomenon suggests distinct regional regulation of atherosclerotic lesion formation. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the mechanism(s) that reduce atherogenesis in the aortic arch of BMT mice, which would provide insights into how lesion grows and identify potential therapeutic targets of lesion initiation and progression.

Methods and Results: Atherosclerosis was compared in non-irradiated Ldlr^-/- mice to Ldlr^-/- mice that underwent BMT at 6 wks of age (10 Gy whole body γ-irradiation and reconstitution with wild type (WT) BM). At 12 wks of age, mice were fed a cholesterol rich diet …