Role of C-reactive protein in atherogenesis: can the apolipoprotein E knockout mouse provide the answer?

Objective—Human C-reactive protein (CRP) was reported to accelerate atherosclerotic lesion development in male but not in female apolipoprotein E (apoE) knockout mice. Here, mice expressing rabbit CRP (rbCRP) were crossbred onto apoE knockout animals, and the effect on atherogenesis was studied.Methods and Results—Hemolytic complement activity could not be detected in apoE knockout mice. Furthermore, in contrast to human complement, neither rabbit nor human CRP complexed to modified low-density lipoprotein–activated murine complement. At 52 weeks, rbCRP levels were similar in male and female transgenic animals. Serum cholesterol levels were equivalent in female animals irrespective of rbCRP…