Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) for the Analysis of Macrophage Gene Expression from Atherosclerotic Lesions

Macrophage foam cells are integral in the development of atherosclerotic lesions, however gene expression studies are complicated by the cellular heterogeneity of atherosclerotic plaque. This application note describes a protocol for LCM of cells identifi ed immunohistochemically, followed by realtime RT-PCR to selectively analyze RNA from foam cells of apolipoprotein E-defi cient mice. The specifi city of the procedure and the measurement of gene induction in laser captured cell populations after an in vivo perturbation are illustrated. These techniques will facilitate the study of atherosclerosis.