Hydroxychloroquine administration mitigates atherosclerotic plaque progression in ApoE knockout mice by inhibiting neutrophil extracellular trap formation and autophagy

Among 52 ApoE-/- mice (30 male, 22 female), HCQ was administered in 15 male and 12 female mice. HCQ was associated with a significant reduction of the mean (±SD) surface of the atherosclerotic plaque compared to controls (HCQ-treated vs. control, 0.04±0.01mm2 vs. 0.08±0.04 mm2, p<0.01 and 0.06±0.04 mm2 vs. 0.15±0.09 mm2, p=0.012, for male and female respectively). This reduction was associated with a significant attenuation in the mean fluorescence intensity of MPO and LC3B expression in the atherosclerotic plaque of HCQ treated mice (p=0.03 and p=0.01, respectively). In line with these findings, HCQ significantly reduced the proportion of MPO⁺ and LC3B⁺ cells within the atherosclerotic lesions.