HDL Improves Cholesterol and Glucose Homeostasis and Reduces Atherosclerosis in Diabetes-Associated Atherosclerosis

Figure 1

rHDL reduces plasma glucose levels and improves glucose tolerance in Western diet-fed Trail^-/-Apoe^-/- mice. Trail^-/-Apoe^-/- and Apoe^-/- mice were fed a high-fat Western diet for 12 weeks. In the last 2 weeks of the study, mice received 3 weekly infusions of either rHDL (20 mg/kg) or PBS. At the conclusion of the study (a) fasting plasma glucose and (b) fasting plasma insulin were measured; /group. (c) Glucose and (d) insulin tolerance tests were performed as described in the methods at 12 weeks where plasma glucose levels were measured over 2 hours (-10). PBS-treated Trail^-/-Apoe^-/- (open circles); rHDL-treated Trail^-/-Apoe^-/- (closed squares). The area under the curve (AUC) was quantified for each. Mouse pancreatic islets were stained for (e) insulin and (f) macrophages (MAC3). Left panel: representative images of stained pancreata. Right panel: quantification (-8). Results are expressed as ; , , and , Mann–Whitney -test and ANOVA used in all conditions. rHDL: reconstituted high-density lipoprotein.