Hyperglycemia and Atherosclerosis: Experimental Results in Mice

Abstract

Epidemiological evidence indicates that patients with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Furthermore, recent reports have demonstrated that the risk for atherosclerotic events is increased even in individuals in a pre-diabetic state, for example in those with impaired glucose tolerance. Although a number of studies have investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the causal role of hyperglycemia (both chronic and transient) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, little compelling evidence has been found in vivo. This article summarizes the potentials and pitfalls of using mouse models to study hyperglycemia-induced atherosclerosis in the hope of elucidating its complicated molecular mechanisms.