Oral rapamycin inhibits growth of atherosclerotic plaque in apoE knock-out mice

Introduction: Inflammatory and immunological responses of vascular cells are known to play significant roles in atherosclerotic plaque development. Rapamycin with antiinflammatory, immunosuppressive and antiproliferative properties has been shown to reduce neointima formation when coated on stents. This study is designed to test the potential of oral rapamycin to inhibit atherosclerotic plaque development. Methods: Eight-week-old apoE knock-out mice were fed with 0.25% cholesterol supplemented diet (control diet), control diet containing 50 μg/kg rapamycin (low-dose rapamycin) or 100 μg/kg rapamycin (high-dose rapamycin) for 4 or 8 weeks. Subsets of mice from each group (n=10) were weighed and euthanized. Whole blood rapamycin levels were determined using HPLC–MS/MS, and histological analyses of atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic root were performed. Results: Mice fed with high-dose rapamycin did not gain weight (18.5±1.5 vs. 20.6±0.9 g, P=.01). Blood levels of rapamycin 117±7 pg/ml were detected in the blood of mice fed with high-dose rapamycin for 8 weeks. The plaque area in mice fed with high dose oral rapamycin is significantly less as compared to control (0.168±0.008 vs. 0.326±0.013 mm², P=.001 at 4 weeks; 0.234±0.013 vs. 0.447±0.011 mm², P=.001 at 8 weeks). Lumen area was inversely proportional to the plaque area. Conclusions: The results indicate that oral rapamycin is effective in attenuating the progression of atherosclerotic plaque in the mice.