ArticleArteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology2023
Confounding Effects of Tamoxifen: Cautionary and Practical Considerations for the Use of Tamoxifen-Inducible Mouse Models in Atherosclerosis Research-Brief Report.
Article in Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Conditional knockout of membrane-type I matrix metalloproteinase in smooth muscle cells of adult mice alleviates atherosclerosis without affecting basic cardiovascular function.Clinical and translational medicine · 2026Article
- Global deletion ofbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Contribution of astrocytic calcium signaling to auditory hypersensitivity in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome.Neurobiology of disease · 2026Article
- Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell family in atherosclerosis: from mechanisms to intervention strategies.Cell communication and signaling : CCS · 2026Review
- Progression of Established Atherosclerotic Lesions Is Not Inhibited by Endothelial Knockout of Caveolin-1-Brief Report.Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology · 2026Article
- The effect of estradiol and selective estrogen receptor modulators on lipid profile in the ovariectomized rat model.Research in pharmaceutical sciences · 2026Article
- Addressing Sex as a Biological Variable in Preclinical Models of Lung Disease: An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement.American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2025Article
- Expression and function of β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 2 in vascular endothelium.American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology · 2025Article
- Isolation of Podocyte Cell Fractions From Mouse Kidney Using Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting (MACS).Bio-protocol · 2025Article
- Renal Proximal Tubule Cell-Specific Megalin Deletion Does Not Affect Atherosclerosis But Induces Tubulointerstitial Nephritis in Mice Fed a Western Diet.Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology · 2025Article
- Deletion of Fgfr2 in Ductal Basal Epithelium With Tamoxifen Induces Obstructive Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2024Article
- Renal Proximal Tubule Cell-specific Megalin Deletion Does Not Affect Atherosclerosis But Induces Tubulointerstitial Nephritis in Mice Fed Western Diet.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- TREM2 protects from atherosclerosis by limiting necrotic core formation.Nature cardiovascular research · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn recent years, fate-mapping lineage studies in mouse models have led to major advances in vascular biology by allowing investigators to track specific cell populations in vivo. One of the most frequently used lineage tracing approaches involves tamoxifen-inducible Cre
methodsTo elucidate off-target effects of tamoxifen, male and female mice were either unmanipulated or injected with tamoxifen or corn oil. All mice received PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9)-AAV (adeno-associated virus) injections and a modified Western diet to induce hypercholesterolemia. After 2 weeks, serum cholesterol and liver morphology were assessed. To determine the duration of any tamoxifen effects in long-term atherosclerosis experiments, mice received either 12 days of tamoxifen at baseline or 12 days plus 2 sets of 5-day tamoxifen boosters; all mice received PCSK9-AAV injections and a modified Western diet to induce hypercholesterolemia. After 24 weeks, serum cholesterol and aortic sinus plaque burden were measured.
resultsAfter 2 weeks of atherogenic treatment, mice injected with tamoxifen demonstrated significantly reduced serum cholesterol levels compared with uninjected- or corn oil-treated mice. However, there were no differences in PCSK9-mediated knockdown of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) receptors between the groups. Additionally, tamoxifen-treated mice exhibited significantly increased hepatic lipid accumulation compared with the other groups. Finally, the effects of tamoxifen remained for at least 8 weeks after completion of injections, with mice demonstrating persistent decreased serum cholesterol and impaired atherosclerotic plaque formation.
conclusionsIn this study, we establish that tamoxifen administration results in decreased serum cholesterol, decreased plaque formation, and increased hepatic lipid accumulation. These alterations represent significant confounding variables in atherosclerosis research, and we urge future investigators to take these findings into consideration when planning and executing their own atherosclerosis experiments.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.