Neonatal Subcutaneous BCG Vaccination Decreases Atherosclerotic Plaque Number and Plaque Macrophage Content in ApoE−/− Mice

Autor: Siroon Bekkering, Krishan Singh, Hui Lu, Albert P. Limawan, Claudia A. Nold-Petry, Megan J. Wallace, Nigel Curtis, Salvatore Pepe, Michael Cheung, David P. Burgner, Timothy Moss
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Biology, Vol 11, Iss 10, p 1511 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2079-7737
DOI: 10.3390/biology11101511
Popis: Bacille-Calmette Guérin (BCG) modulates atherosclerosis development in experimental animals, but it remains unclear whether neonatal BCG vaccination is pro- or anti-atherogenic. Many animal models differ fundamentally from BCG administration to human infants in terms of age, vaccine preparation, dosing schedule, and route of administration. We aimed to elucidate the effect of neonatal subcutaneous BCG vaccination—analogous to human BCG vaccination—on atherosclerosis development in ApoE−/− mice. At 2 days of age, a total of 40 ApoE−/− mice received either a weight-equivalent human dose of BCG, or saline, subcutaneously. From 4 weeks onwards, the mice were fed a Western-type diet containing 22% fat. At 16 weeks of age, mice were sacrificed for the assessment of atherosclerosis. Body weight, plasma lipids, atherosclerosis lesion size and collagen content were similar in both groups. Atherosclerosis lesion number was lower in mice that received BCG. Macrophage content was 20% lower in the BCG-vaccinated mice (p < 0.05), whereas plaque lipid content was increased by 25% (p < 0.01). In conclusion, neonatal BCG vaccination reduces atherosclerosis plaque number and macrophage content but increases lipid content in a murine model of atherosclerosis. Human epidemiological and mechanistic studies are warranted to investigate whether neonatal BCG vaccination is potentially atheroprotective.
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