Animal experiments

We surveyed atheroprogression in Apoe^−/− or Apoe^−/−Cx₃cr1^GFP reporter mice on C57Bl/6J background after 4 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) (21% fat, Ssniff). Endotoxinemia was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, Escherichia coli, O111:B4, Sigma Aldrich, 1 mg/kg BW, i.p.). Control mice received vehicle (PBS, 100 μl, i.p.). Thereafter, atherosclerotic lesions were analyzed in aortic root sections or cell adhesion was studied by intravital microscopy of the left carotid artery. To assess the effect of NETs we blocked NET-formation with BB Cl-amidine (1 mg/kg BW, Cayman Chemical Company). In additional experiments, mice received antibodies to histone H2a (20 μg/mouse, Biorbyt), its respective IgG isotype control (Jackson ImmunoResearch), or a cyclical histone 2A interference peptide (CHIP, 5 mg/kg BW). All animal experiments were approved by the local ethics committee and performed in accordance with institutional guidelines.