Aortic Arch Curvature and Atherosclerosis Have Overlapping Quantitative Trait Loci in a Cross Between 129S6/SvEvTac and C57BL/6J Apolipoprotein E-Null Mice.

The article presents a study to determine whether genetic factors that affect vascular geometry also affect the location and extent of atherosclerotic plaque development. The study tests F2 progeny from a cross between 129-apoE-null and B6-apoE-null mice, and the results were analyzed using quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. The results reveal overlapping QTLs for curvature of the aortic arch, concluding that the ontogeny of the aortic arch formation is a risk factor for atherosclerosis.