Missing gene makes mouse artery plaques more dangerous
FFAR4 Deficiency Increases Necrotic Cores in Advanced Lesions of ApoE−/− Mice—Brief Report
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
FFAR4 deficiency reduced plaque size at 8 weeks but increased necrotic core size at 16 weeks—opposite effects over time.
Most expect gene loss to make disease worse from the start. Here, it initially seemed protective, then turned harmful—suggesting FFAR4 has complex, stage-dependent roles.
Practical Takeaways
Don’t assume smaller arterial plaques are safer—stability matters more than size.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
FFAR4 deficiency reduced plaque size at 8 weeks but increased necrotic core size at 16 weeks—opposite effects over time.
Most expect gene loss to make disease worse from the start. Here, it initially seemed protective, then turned harmful—suggesting FFAR4 has complex, stage-dependent roles.
Practical Takeaways
Don’t assume smaller arterial plaques are safer—stability matters more than size.
Publication
Journal
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
Year
2025
Authors
Arterioscler Thromb, Vasc Biol, PhD Daisy Sahoo, G. Stuttgen, Jordan M. Bobek, Renee Penoske, Caris A. Wadding-Lee, Michael Lam, S. Hader, A. P. Owens
Related Content
Claims (6)
When mice lack a specific receptor called FFAR4 and eat a high-fat diet, their artery plaques develop bigger dead-cell areas inside, which makes the plaques more dangerous.
Even though the overall size of the plaque in the heart’s main artery didn’t change in mice without FFAR4 after 16 weeks, the dead-cell core inside got much bigger — meaning the plaque became more dangerous even if it didn’t grow.
Male mice without the FFAR4 receptor develop bigger artery plaques in one specific area (the aortic arch) after eating a high-fat diet for 16 weeks, but female mice don't show this difference.
After eating a high-fat diet for 8 weeks, male and female mice without FFAR4 had smaller artery plaques in the aortic sinus, but not in the aortic arch — suggesting FFAR4 might affect early plaque growth differently.
Mice without FFAR4 develop plaques with bigger dead-cell cores as their disease gets worse, which might mean FFAR4 helps keep plaques from becoming dangerous.