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Recent studies indicate that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) signaling promote the development of high fat diet–induced atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic mice.

The authors investigated the role of TLR4/MyD88 signaling in hematopoietic and stromal cells in the development and infection-mediated acceleration of atherosclerosis.

The authors generated bone marrow chimeras between wild-type and Tlr4^–/– mice, as well as wild-type and Myd88^–/– mice. All mice were on the Apoe^–/– background and fed high fat diet. The authors infected the chimeric mice with C. pneumoniae (CP) and fed them high fat diet.

Aortic sinus plaques and lipid content were significantly reduced in Apoe^–/– mice that received Tlr4^–/–or Myd88^–/– bone marrow compared with control animals despite similar cholesterol levels. Similarly, Tlr4 or Myd88 …