Regulatory B Cell–Specific Interleukin-10 Is Dispensable for Atherosclerosis Development in Mice

OBJECTIVE—To determine the role of regulatory B cell–derived interleukin (IL)-10 in atherosclerosis. APPROACH AND RESULTS—We created chimeric Ldlr mice with a B cell–specific deficiency in IL-10, and confirmed that purified B cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide failed to produce IL-10 compared with control Ldlr chimeras. Mice lacking B-cell IL-10 demonstrated enhanced splenic B-cell numbers but no major differences in B-cell subsets, T cell or monocyte distribution, and unchanged body weights or serum cholesterol levels compared with control mice. After 8 weeks on high-fat diet, there were no differences in aortic root or aortic arch atherosclerosis. In addition to plaque size, plaque composition (macrophages, T cells, smooth muscle cells, and collagen) was similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS—In contrast to its prominent regulatory role in many immune-mediated diseases and its proposed modulatory role in atherosclerosis, B cell–derived IL-10 does not alter atherosclerosis in mice.