Observation of Cholesterol Dissolved in Microscopic Deposits of Free Fatty Acids in the Lumen of an Aorta of a Mouse Model for Human Atherosclerosis

TL;DR

This study identifies dissolved cholesterol in microscopic fatty acid deposits in mouse aorta lumens, providing a potential early biomarker for atherosclerosis progression in animal models for drug development.

Contribution

It reveals that lipid droplets previously thought to contain only free fatty acids actually contain dissolved cholesterol, offering new insights into early atherosclerosis detection.

Findings

Cholesterol is present in microscopic lipid droplets in mouse aorta.

Spectral analysis distinguishes cholesterol from triglycerides.

Potential use of these droplets as early atherosclerosis biomarkers.

Abstract

The Raman spectrum of microscopic droplets of lipid material on the lumen of the aorta of an apolipoprotein E knock-out mouse were reported in the proceedings of an SPIE conference. Based on the absence of the carbonyl band in the spectrum, at that time it was determined that the spectrum represents free fatty acids rather than triglycerides. More recent examination of the spectrum indicates that these droplets contain dissolved cholesterol, and thus can be used as an early indicator of the atherosclerosis process in animal models during drug development.