DEVELOPMENT OF AN ATHEROSCLEROSIS MODEL INDUCED BY PASSIVE WAY OF IMMUNE COMPLEX FORMATION IN BALB/CBJ HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIGEN TRANSGENIC MICE.

Atherosclerosis, is the most common process subordinated to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The isquemic cardiopatic as consequence of the atherosclerotic process, has in Cuba the first place among non violent dysfunctions. The participation of the immune system in the atherosclerosis has studied in the last years. In this paper we proposed to obtain an passive experimental model of atherosclerosis induced by immune complex in BALB/CBJ Hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) transgenic (Tg) mice. We obtain antibodies against the HBsAg (anti-HBs) developing ascitis rich in these antibodies in BALB/CBJ isogenic mice. We employed two groups of BALB/CBJ female mice transgenic to HBsAg of six weeks of age under a regimen of water and food at libitum. We quantified the concentration of HBsAg in the animals by means of an immunoenzimatic method. Later we performance seven inoculations by the caudal vein with an interval of five days between them, utilizing the anti-HBs that was obtained previously in the study group with a dose that duplicated the HBsAg concentration of each animal, in the control group we used ascites free of these antibodies with the same procedure. A week after these immunizations we took blood samples of the animals to determine the circulates immune complex in plasma. The animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and the presence of atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta was observed by macroscopic and microscopic manner. In the study group we observed the presence of atheroma plaques but not in the controls in both groups we observed the fatty streaks. The circulates immune complex were detected in both groups. With these results we concluded that we obtained an atherosclerosis model in BALB/CBJ isogenic mice by passive way of immune complex formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]