Investigating the atherosclerosis process by monitoring lipid deposits including cholesterol and free fatty acids

A mouse model for human atherosclerosis has been developed  in which the animals lack ApoE; these animals are called ApoE knock-out mice. These two measurements -the results of the aorta of an ApoE knock-out mouse and the results of the chemical study - indicate that the globule deposits contain cholesterol dissolved in fatty acid, and thus can be used as an early indicator of the atherosclerosis process in animal models during drug development.