Cardiometabolic risks and atherosclerotic disease in ApoE knockout mice: Effect of spinal cord injury and Salsalate anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapy

PLoS ONE, 2021 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246601 · Published: February 24, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Cardiovascular Science Pharmacology

Simple Explanation

This study investigates whether spinal cord injury (SCI) accelerates atherosclerotic disease (AD) in mice with a genetic mutation (ApoE-/-) that makes them prone to AD. The study also examines whether Salsalate, an anti-inflammatory drug, can mitigate the impact of SCI on AD progression. The research found that SCI does indeed hasten AD development in these mice and that Salsalate treatment can attenuate this effect.

Study Duration

28 weeks

Participants

ApoE-/- mice

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Spinal cord injury accelerates aortic atherosclerotic disease and associated risk factors in ApoE-/- mice.
2
Salsalate treatment attenuates the SCI-induced increase in aortic atherosclerotic lesions.
3
Pro-atherogenic inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, MCP-1, and CCL-5 are significantly elevated with SCI and are predictors of lesion.

Research Summary

This study demonstrates that SCI accelerates the rate of AD in the aortic arch in a mouse model of AD. Treatment of SCI mice with Salsalate for 4 weeks after injury resulted in a significant decrease of AD compared to non-treated SCI 8 and twelve weeks after inury. The study provides evidence that SCI accelerates systemic dyslipidemia, inflammation and atherosclerotic plaque and the potential for Salsalate to mitigate pro-inflammatory and proatherogenic consequences of SCI.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic potential of Salsalate

Salsalate may be a feasible treatment strategy for secondary health complications that accompany SCI.

Biomarker identification for AD risk

Pro-atherogenic inflammatory cytokines (PAIC’s) may be suitable to integrate into clinical models of AD risk.

Need for further research

Continued studies will clarify the extent to which Salsalate is a feasible treatment strategy for secondary health complications that accompany SCI.

Study Limitations

1
The study was limited to female mice due to practical considerations regarding bladder management.
2
The model does not fully replicate obesity observed in the SCI population, limiting evaluation of obesity as an AD risk factor.
3
Lack of an ApoE-/- + Salsalate comparison group limits comprehensive evaluation of differences between experimental groups.

Your Feedback

Was this summary helpful?

Back to Spinal Cord Injury