No effect of cyclooxygenase inhibition on plaque size in atherosclerosis-prone mice.

OBJECTIVE

To study the role of cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition on the development of advanced atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice.

DESIGN

Sixty apoE(-/-) mice were divided into three groups: a control group, a group fed standard mouse chow supplemented with 0.0067% (wt/wt) MF Tricyclic (selective COX-2 inhibitor), and a group fed the diet supplemented with 0.0134% (wt/wt) sulindac (non-selective COX inhibitor). Four months later, the mice were killed and the atherosclerotic plaque area in the aortic root was measured.

RESULTS

Mean body weights did not differ at any time. The MF Tricyclic and sulindac groups had drug plasma levels of 1.31 +/- 0.11 and 0.84 +/- 0.23 micro g/ml, respectively. Plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride values were similar in all three groups. A small difference in plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was found between the groups (p = 0.03). Advanced atherosclerotic plaques were present in mice from all three groups, but there was no difference in mean plaque size between the groups (p = 0.9).

CONCLUSION

Neither selective COX-2 nor non-selective COX inhibition influenced the development of advanced atherosclerosis in apoE(-/-) mice.