Liarozole, an Inhibitor of Retinoic Acid Metabolism, Retarded Atherogenesis in LDLR-/-Mice

Abstract

Liarozole is a Retinoic Acid Metabolism Blocking Agent (RAMBA). As retinoic acid (RA) and its precursor, beta-carotene (BC), have been shown to inhibit atherosclerosis development in mouse models, in the present study we investigated whether liarozole can mimic the anti-atherogenic effect of RA. We demonstrate, by using the LDL receptor-knockout mouse model fed a high-fat diet, that liarozole significantly reduces by 50% the aortic sinus atherosclerotic lesion area.