A new murine model for atherosclerosis with inflammation in the periodontal tissue induced by immunization with heat shock protein 60.

It has recently become apparent that the anti-heat shock protein (HSP) antibody plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We studied whether immunization with human HSP60 could lead to atherosclerosis in mice. We attempted to induce atherosclerosis in C57BL/6NJcl mice by immunization with human HSP60 under a high-cholesterol diet. The size of fatty streak lesions was significantly enhanced in mice immunized with human HSP60 under a high-cholesterol diet relative to the number in control mice receiving a high-cholesterol diet alone. In addition, these new atherosclerotic model mice showed lesions of inflammation in the periodontal tissue. This new model may thus provide theoretical support for the clinical observation that patients suffering from periodontitis are frequently found to have atherosclerosis. The cytokine ratio of interferon-gamma/interleukin-4 in the high-cholesterol diet group was significantly higher than that in the standard chow group (p<0.05). This suggests the presence of a predominantly Th1-type immune response in atherosclerosis.