A Novel Preclinical Murine Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus–Like Cardiovascular Disease

Objective Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects nine women to every man worldwide, and these patients are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Clinical studies have demonstrated that patients with SLE are more likely to develop CVD, including cardiac and vascular dysfunction. Although many preclinical models of SLE are available, including treatment with Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonists, a consistent preclinical model of SLE‐like CVD with systemic, cardiac, renal, and cerebral endothelial activation and cardiac dysfunction has yet to be described. Here, we hypothesize that acceleration of SLE with the TLR7/8 agonist resiquimod (R848) will promote cardiac and endothelial activation with subsequent end‐stage organ damage in the SLE‐prone B6.Nba2 mouse model. Methods Female and male SLE‐prone B6.Nba2 mice were treated with R848 or acetone, administered topically twice weekly over a four‐week period, to accelerate the development of SLE‐like pathophysiology. Echocardiography was performed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 16 weeks. At 16 weeks, tissues were harvested, weighed, and analyzed by histology, immunofluorescence, real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. Results We found that female R848‐treated mice had increased serum anti‐Smith and immunoglobulin G complex deposition in the kidney, heart, and brain consistent with SLE‐like etiology. Tissue analysis revealed significant enlargement of the spleen in both female and male R848‐treated mice, with only cardiac and renal enlargement in females compared to their respective controls. Echocardiographic imaging revealed left ventricular wall thickening by 4 weeks that was followed by a progressive increase in left ventricular internal diameters and subsequent decrease in ejection fraction over the 16‐week time course in female mice. We found that circulating levels of soluble vascular adhesion molecule‐1 and soluble intracellular adhesion molecule‐1 were increased in both female and male R848‐treated mice, whereas cardiac and renal fibrosis were significantly increased in only female R848‐treated mice. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that R848 treatment of SLE‐prone B6.Nba2 mice is a novel preclinical model to study the sex‐dependent pathophysiologic mechanisms of SLE‐like CVD.