Since MEK inhibitors block CD204 expression in mouse BM macrophages only under LPS treatment but not under normal conditions, a MEK inhibitor might be a good candidate compound for the treatment of LPS-induced atherosclerosis.
Collectively, our data provide several lines of evidence that SR-AI-targeted molecular imaging of USPIO-based contrast agents holds great promise for in situ detection of inflammatory plaques in manifest atherosclerosis.
We thus propose that CD36, CLA-1 and CD68, but not SR-A and LOX-1, may play crucial roles in the progression of macrophages to foam cells, which is a key step for the initiation of atherosclerosis.