Gregory H. Turner1, Alan R. Olzinski1, Roberta E. Bernard1, Heather Karr1, Carla A. Cornejo1, Karpagam Aravindhan1, Bao Hoang1, Robert N. Willette1, Colin H. MacPhee1, Clark A. Sehon1, Peter J. Gough1, Beat M. Jucker1
1GlaxoSmithKline, King of Prussia, PA, USA
The purpose of this study was to non-invasively assess the ability for a selective CCR2 antagonist to reduce the recruitment of macrophage to atherosclerotic lesions in a murine model of accelerated plaque growth. Therefore after 5 weeks of antagonist treatment in Ang II administered huCCR2ki/apoE-/- mice, USPIO MRI contrast agent was administered in order to non-invasively assess the macrophage burden in the aorta.